Bad news for cinephiles and the dudes I shared my film history classes with in college. Director Quentin Tarantino has reiterated his plans to retire after his upcoming tenth film. He did so during a visit to Real Time With Bill Maher, where he talked about his career and the upcoming book companion to 2019’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
During the visit, Maher questioned why he would want to retire during what he called the prime of the director’s career. He isn’t wrong; after all, Hollywood was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won two. This led to him citing the director’s debut, 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, as a movie that could improve with a modern remake. However, Tarantino remains committed to making sure he follows through with retirement.
As Tarantino tells it:
“I know film history and from here on in, filmmakers do not get better. Don Siegel. If he had quit his career in 1979 when he did Escape from Alcatraz, what a final film! What a mic drop. But he dribbles away with two more other ones, he doesn’t mean it.”
This wasn’t the first time he’s made this statement, as he previously lamented how some of the directors of Hollywood’s Golden Age had “terrible last movies.”
He did not reveal what his final movie will be about, but he did rule out that aforementioned Reservoir Dogs remake. “That’s kind of a ‘capture time in a moment’ kind of thing,” he explained to Maher. However, he did reveal that he considered it. Just as quickly as he brought it up, though, he shut it down. “I won’t do it, Internet!” he proclaimed, “but I considered it!”
Details about his swan song still remain a mystery, but the speculation will still continue. Perhaps the third installment of Kill Bill will finally come to fruition, or maybe Tarantino will revive his unfulfilled Star Trek film. It might even be an entirely new story that he’s working on. Either way, it might still be a ways away from hitting the silver screen. Until then, you can watch the entire discussion below.