As Quentin Tarantino readies his seventh film for release next month (or, sixth if you like to rope the Kill Bill films together) with Django Unchained, much has been discussed about where the filmmaker will head next. There’s that third Kill Bill film, as well as a potential, loose trilogy with his last two films, but in a new interview, the director opened up about his career on a whole.
Speaking to Playboy (via EW), the director said, “I just don’t want to be an old-man filmmaker. I want to stop at a certain point. Directors don’t get better as they get older. Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film f—s up three good ones. When directors get out-of-date, it’s not pretty.” He also added the there will be a conclusion to his work, saying, “I’m on a journey that needs to have an end and not be about me trying to get another job. I want this artistic journey to have a climax. I want to work toward something. You stop when you stop, but in a fanciful world, 10 movies in my filmography would be nice. I’ve made seven. If I have a change of heart, if I come up with a new story, I could come back. But if I stop at 10, that would be okay as an artistic statement.”
Considering he recently delivered one of his best films with Inglourious Basterds, we’ll have to see how Django fares, but it’s disappointing to think there could only be a few more Tarantino films coming our way. But there’s no reason to sulk as we are indeed getting another and as for his latest work, we’ve known that Will Smith was being considered in a lead role. Tarantino admits they spent “quite a few hours together” during Smith’s Men In Black III shoot, but he says, “it just wasn’t 100 percent right, and we didn’t have time to try to make it that way.”
However. he opened up further when it comes to other leading men he was talking with. “I met six different actors and had extensive meetings with all of them, and I went in-depth on all of their work,” Tarantino says. On the list was “Idris Elba, Chris Tucker, Terrence Howard, Michael K. Williams and Tyrese.” Although “they all appreciated the material,” Tarantino added he “was going to put them through the paces, make them go off against one another and kind of put up an obstacle course.” The director didn’t go through with that after meeting Jamie Foxx though, saying, “He was the cowboy… Forget the fact that he has his own horse — and that is actually his horse in the movie. He’s from Texas; he understands. …He understood what it’s like to be thought of as an ‘other.’” Check out more details over on the site and in the full issue this month, but no matter where Tarantino heads after, Django Unchained rides in on Christmas Day.
Are you disappointed we may only see a few more Tarantino films? Are you content with Foxx’s casting?