It's no secret that Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson enjoy working together. Of the eight films the writer/director has made (counting Kill Bill as one), the actor has appeared in six of them. As a result, we've come to expect to see Jackson on screen when a Tarantino movie comes around... but it doesn't look like that will be the case for the upcoming Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. In Jackson's own words,
No, I've been doing Captain Marvel. I'm insulated. I have no idea - I just haven't heard from him.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Samuel L. Jackson this week during the Los Angeles press day for The Incredibles 2, and it was at the very end of my interview that I asked him about Quentin Tarantino's next film -- which has been adding stars left and right recently. Unfortunately, it sounds like he's not going to be a part of it due to scheduling conflicts. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is starting production this summer, and Jackson is going to be very busy in the next few months reprising his role as Nick Fury in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel.
Set to be written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood will take audiences back to the year 1969, and center on a washed-up TV actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a professional stunt man (Brad Pitt). They are aiming to revive their careers in an industry that's passing them by, but see opportunity given the fact that they live next door to actress/model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). The ensemble cast has been growing quickly, and thus far also includes Burt Reynolds, Tim Roth, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Damian Lewis, Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, Nicholas Hammond, Luke Perry, Keith Jefferson, Clifton Collins Jr., Timothy Olyphant, and Al Pacino. Is your head spinning? Mine is.
It's definitely a bummer that Samuel L. Jackson isn't going to be working on Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, as Quentin Tarantino has a habit of bringing out the best in him, but the good news is that he's still doing some extremely exciting things. Namely, Captain Marvel is unquestionably one of the most exciting and anticipated blockbusters of 2019. The movie will feature the debut of Brie Larson as the titular hero, and it too isn't exactly weak in the casting department. In addition to Jackson, the film will also feature Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening, Lee Pace, Clark Gregg and Djimon Hounsou.
Of the two movies, Captain Marvel will be the first to arrive in theaters, set for release on March 8, 2019. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, meanwhile, is a summer release, set up for distribution by Sony on August 9, 2019. We'll be keeping a very close eye on both projects going forward, so be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend!
