Quentin Tarantino has always said he’d make 10 films. He looks to be a man of his word too, slapping “9th film” on the posters for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood just to make his fans sweat. While he’s discussed a possible “loophole” in his rule with his proposed Star Trek movie, the filmmaker’s moviemaking days seem to be coming to an end.
However, just because he plans to retire as a filmmaker after an even ten doesn’t mean he doesn’t have more to contribute to other media. During CinemaBlend’s exclusive conversation with Robert Richardson, Tarantino’s go-to cinematographer since Kill Bill, the man said this:
I think he's going to be able to hang it up [after 10 films]. I think that the process of hanging up is going to be a little different than people anticipate. I do believe that what's going to happen, in my own mind, is that he’ll probably… I do believe he’ll make number 10, whatever that might be, but I think that following number 10, he may not want to make films the way he's making films. But he may want to create in a different media. For example, let us just take the possibility that Quentin decides to shoot a film with Netflix. That Netflix film, which will be a series, could be 10 hours long. Could be 15 hours long. But it’s Quentin Tarantino, telling a story. I think that's highly possible. I think theater is highly possible, and I think writing books is highly possible. But I don't think this is the end of Quentin with moving images. I just think it will probably move him away from making films beyond the next one, which he says is his last.
Do I hear a symphony of sighs? According to Robert Richardson, the Pulp Fiction writer/director does look to be hitting the brakes on making films after 10. However, it's unlikely this will mark the end of his entertainment career. He may take his talents to Netflix, perhaps to helm a television series, the stage for theater production or in the form of books. The 56-year-old isn’t going cold turkey, just exploring different avenues of his creative mind.
What most excites us is the concept of Quentin Tarantino moving to a streaming service such as Netflix after finishing out his 10 film career. Just think of the possibilities! A Kill Bill mini series? The man likes himself a long runtime, and with a Netflix show, fans could binge it all instead of scheduling their bathroom breaks at theater showings!
It should be noted that this is obviously a secondary source and not Quentin Tarantino himself announcing his interest in this format. While it sounds like a fitting new home for the filmmaker after his time in movies, it’s also a contributor to what some auteurs feel is killing off the theatrical experience. Since Tarantino is among one of the last directors who can make good money off an original idea at the movies, could he may be against it too?
Before looking ahead to Quentin Tarantino’s unknown future, there is also a bit of discussion about what exactly his 10th film will be. There’s been a ton of talk regarding him directing an R-rated Star Trek movie, but then again, one would expect his last film to be an original property like his others were. He recently described his last movie as being “more epilogue-y,” but who knows what that means!
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is currently in theaters, and check out CinemaBlend’s interview with Quentin Tarantino during a recent episode of our podcast, ReelBlend.
