The title and story for Quentin Tarantino‘s tenth and supposedly final movie have finally been revealed, and certain details hint toward it possibly being a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel. The movie is titled The Movie Critic, and will reportedly have a female protagonist. It has been speculated that the character will be based on celebrated film critic Pauline Kael, somebody that Tarantino has spoken fondly of over the decades.
Tarantino’s The Movie Critic will be set in LA during the 1970s, which is exciting, especially given how well-versed Tarantino is in this particular era. The filmmaker even released the non-fiction book Cinema Speculation, which is about how 1970s movies formed his understanding of film. Between the female protagonist, the LA setting, and the 1970s timeframe, all of The Movie Critic‘s founding elements are things Tarantino has always excelled at. Those same elements also hint at something more, as the in-development movie shares a lot of connective tissue with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, hinting that it could be a sequel.
5 The Movie Critic Is Set Shortly After Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
In the second half of Tarantino’s filmmaking career, his films have all been period pieces, whether it be 1941 in Inglourious Basterds, 1858 in Django Unchained, or 1877 in The Hateful Eight. In the Tarantino movie universe timeline, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set during 1969, as it is based around the Manson Family and the murders of Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring. Though the exact year is not yet clear, The Movie Critic is set during the 1970s, not long after the final scene of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which takes place on August 9, 1969.
Tarantino’s new film could even be set in 1970, which would be only months after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Even if it was set years later, however, the sequel could still work. Alas, this could be another Django Unchained/Hateful Eight situation, as the latter western is set 20 years after the former, which led to speculation it could be a sequel. Although The Hateful Eight was originally planned as a Django Unchained sequel called Django in White Hell, it turned out to not be true. Nevertheless, the similar era is only one of many elements that connect Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Movie Critic.
4 The Movie Critic Has The Same Setting As Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Though Quentin Tarantino’s earlier movies like Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are not set in any specific or important location, his later films’ locations are tied closely to their narratives. From Nazi-occupied France to the pre-Civil War Deep South, these settings are quintessential to their respective plots. It comes as no surprise that The Movie Critic will be set in Los Angeles. That is obviously the same setting as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – a movie where LA was almost a character itself, as the whole of Hollywood Boulevard was transformed into 1960s Tinseltown with storefront facades. The Movie Critic could revisit the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood LA locations.
3 The Movie Critic Is Set In The Same Industry As Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Given the name of the upcoming movie, Tarantino’s final film will obviously be set in the film industry. It has also been speculated that the main character is based on Pauline Kael, who was a popular film critic in the 1970s. As movie critics are often invited to sets to report on movies being made, the protagonist of The Movie Critic could even visit the fictional movie sets from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Maybe she could have even been on the set of The Green Hornet the very day Cliff Booth and Bruce Lee locked horns.
Sharon Tate’s murder completely shook Hollywood at the time, and cinema changed because of it. As Once Upon a Time in Hollywood changed history by having Sharon Tate survive, Tarantino would potentially want to look at how Hollywood would continue with Tate being alive. Even if The Movie Critic is not a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, however, the main character could at least review a Rick Dalton movie. Not only do movie critics visit sets, they get to attend press junkets with movie stars. The Movie Critic could expand Tarantino’s shared universe by having the protagonist interview Rick Dalton.
2 Quentin Tarantino Has Spoken About Many Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Spinoffs
There are always more stories to Tarantino’s world than what makes the final cut of his movies. For Once Upon a Time in Hollywood alone, hours of footage were edited out of the final cut, and Tarantino wrote a whole book of other events taking place before and during the movie. While Tarantino has many unrealized projects that will never come to fruition, he has a long list of planned Once Upon a Time in Hollywood spinoffs, including the Bounty Law television series and a Cliff Booth World War II project. The Movie Critic could be a vessel for all of them.
While the titular critic might be the main character, it does not mean Once Upon a Time in Hollywood characters cannot feature heavily. Clips of the Bounty Law series could easily be incorporated into the film, either as cutaways or on TV in the background. Cliff Booth’s time in the war could be told in flashbacks too. Since Cliff’s backstory was explored in the novel, it is possible that Tarantino closed the book on that spinoff idea, but these are only the spinoffs Tarantino has mentioned. As the filmmaker built such a rich world full of oddball Hollywood characters, he likely has more ideas.
1 All Of Quentin Tarantino’s Movies Are Already Connected
All of Quentin Tarantino’s movies make up a shared Tarantino universe, meaning all of his movies are connected. Whether it is characters from his period movies being related to characters in his more modern movies, or Red Apple Cigarettes and Big Kahuna Burger frequently popping up, Tarantino has created a huge cinematic universe. In that respect, there will undoubtedly be a reference to the events of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and its characters in some capacity. Still, The Movie Critic could take that link a step further and become Tarantino’s first-ever true sequel – ironic, given that it would also be his very last film.