After a difficult shoot in the snowy, sub-zero terrain of Colorado for The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino is returning to a more familiar arena in more ways than one for his ninth feature. Set in Los Angeles during the late 1960s, it was first reported that the film would focus on Charles Manson and the killings his followers carried out, but the director recently clarified: “It’s not Charles Manson, it’s 1969.”
Now that Sony Pictures has emerged as the victor to finance and distribute the film, which will cost around $100 million, we’re starting to get more details on the project. It’s been known that Margot Robbie is being sought for the role of Sharon Tate, and Deadline reports there are two male lead roles, with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio all having discussions with Tarantino. Thanks to Vanity Fair, it’s now been revealed what the roles will entail:
Set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969, Tarantino’s upcoming movie, according to a source who read the script, focuses on a male TV actor who’s had one hit series and his looking for a way to get into the film business. His sidekick—who’s also his stunt double—is looking for the same thing. The horrific murder of Sharon Tate and four of her friends by Charles Manson’s cult of followers serves as a backdrop to the main story.
For a director whose films have always exuded a deep passion for and knowledge of past cinema, he sounds right at home giving his take on Hollywood history, and perhaps even nod a bit to his overlooked Death Proof. It’s been reported that the script, which has been compared to Pulp Fiction, “has heart and a strong commercial appeal,” so hopefully it’ll entice the A-listers he’s going after. It also sounds like a perfectly meta lead role for Cruise, who, despite some solid Doug Liman collaborations, hasn’t quite gone back to his days of working with directors like PTA, Mann, Kubrick, etc. As far as more plot details, hopefully many more aren’t revealed before the time is ready, as we’ve learned what could happen.
Production begins on #9–as it’s currently being referred to–this June for an August 9, 2019 release, on the 50th anniversary of the murder of Sharon Tate.