Quentin Tarantino Has Four and A Half Scripts Written; ‘Forty Lashes’ and ‘Kill Bill 3’ Among Them?

Dec 9, 2015

During an in-depth new interview with author and interviewer Bret Easton Ellis on his podcast. Quentin Tarantino talked a bunch about his public persona, interviews vs the internet, his love for cinema/television, along with the future of his directorial career.

He revealed that he indeed has four and half scripts currently, and really only has plans to make two of them into movies. Although, he does give the impression if they turn out to be great he could make them all. Also, mentioning if his tenth flops he’ll have to make an eleventh to retire on a high-note.

If you were unaware, Quentin made an announcement a while back that he wanted to go off and retire after making ten feature films. While still humoring the idea of making more recently, sounds fixed on the idea in this new podcast. His idea of retirement has teetered between writing novels, and possibly making a couple of mini-series for television.

We do have some idea of what these scripts could be, as Tarantino projects have been rumored and revealed over the years. Some projects like the prequel The Vega Brothers, or a Inglourious Basterds spin-off like the WWII revenge flick Killer Crow have seemingly been taken off the table, while others seem to keep alive.

Tarantino stated at Comic-Con this summer that he wouldn’t consider himself a Western director until he made three movies in the genre (having made two at this point), being one away it could happen. He idolizes most Western directors and I’m sure would want to make that third film before retiring.

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If he did pursue that avenue of another western, we know what that source material could be via Elmore Leonard’s Forty Lashes Less One, an adaptation he’s been mulling over for years. However, he’s also recently mentioned it being material for his potential television miniseries.

“It always takes me a while before thinking about the future. That said, I own the rights to this book [I’ve] wanted to adapt for a while, and the time may have come for me to tackle [it]. This is Forty Lashes Less One, [written by] Elmore Leonard…which could be my third western. [I’m] considering [taking the] project to TV, in the form of a miniseries of four or six hours.”

Here’s an synopsis for the novel.

The hell called Yuma Prison can destroy the soul of any man. And it’s worse for those whose damning crime is the color of their skin. The law says Chiricahua Apache Raymond San Carlos and black-as-night former soldier Harold Jackson are murderers, and they’ll stay behind bars until they’re dead and rotting. But even in the worst place on Earth, there’s hope. And for two hard and hated inmates — first enemies, then allies by necessity — it waits at the end of a mad and violent contest … on a bloody trail that winds toward Arizona’s five most dangerous men.

It seems up in the air if he’ll use as one of his final two films, or wait and use it for the miniseries instead. Considering it’s an adaptation he might want to sit on it a bit, but it should be noted that Tarantino has been very passionate about the project going as far as getting the rights to the book.

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Another is of course Kill Bill 3 (Kill Beatrix?), a sequel to his epic two-part flick Kill Bill, which would see a grown-up Nikkia Bell getting revenge for the death of her mother, by killing Beatrix and likely her daughter Bibi (also grown-up by now). Possibly getting help from survivors of The Bride’s rampage in the last two films. Tarantino has stated he’s been in contact with Uma about the project, and is just waiting for the right time.

He spoke to What The Flick?!, and revealed it was still a possibility for him.

“There is definitely a possibility, [I’ll] stop short of saying a probability…for or one reason in particular: Uma and me would have a really good time working together again.”

Speaking with Bret Easton Ellis, he alludes that Kill Bill was his Indiana Jones or Star Wars, being an homage of sorts of his youth and the stuff that spoke to him. Making a third film, rounding out a trilogy makes a lot sense to us after making that comparison.

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Another novel adaptation has been linked to Quentin as potential future project, is a British spy trilogy based on the books from author Len Deighton. He talked about it back in 2009 via The Guardian. A British 12-part miniseries based on those novels titled Game, Set, and Match starring Ian Holm as middle-aged SIS spy Bernard Samson was made in 1988. It’s another adaptation I could see him trying make it a long-formed miniseries like Forty Lashes One Less, it would be his second project shot outside of the United States.

“One of the things I enjoy musing about doing is the trilogy of Len Deighton books, Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match,” he said. “I love England. It would be a wonderful life experience to have an excuse to work here for six or nine months.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMfpowh1Mjc

Tarantino was once approached to make Casino Royale, but turned it down because he wanted to keep Pierce Brosnan in the Bond role, producers weren’t enthused about that idea and he passed on it. I could see Quentin actually considering placing Pierce in the Samson role, as he’s in the age range for it and deserves the career revival. The Berlin connection in the novels could also be a reason to have Christopher Waltz involved.

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While at BAFTA Quentin commented on his interest on his 30’s era gangster flick, possibly influenced by Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America or Boardwalk Empire. It was said to be similar to a Pretty Boy Floyd story, funny enough, Channing Tatum who played the real-life bank robber in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, has a role in The Hateful Eight. My assumption is that Tatum could end-up taking a role in this project. It’s a project that might not even be fully written, but it could be his final movie, not unlike Leone as America was his last feature.

“I could conceive maybe someday doing a 30’s gangster picture, or something like that. I could think of doing another western, actually.”

Tarantino hasn’t really commented on this one as much, so we’re unaware if he’s even started writing it, but we are hopeful as it’s an exciting genre he could play within.

Of course, Tarantino isn’t always willing to reveal everything he’s working on, so, we could end up having some of these scripts be something completely unknown.

Which of these projects would you like to see Quentin Tarantino make next?

 

SOURCE: BRET EASTON ELLIS PODCAST

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