In an era where Comic book movies are breaking all the box office records, it has become quite difficult for movies belonging to other genres to create a wave. But, not for Quentin Tarantino, as he is still standing strong and he is among the rarest directors in the industry, who can pose a significant threat to the superhero genre. After creating 8 back-to-back masterpieces, Tarantino has been able to earn the reputation of both the fans and critics. His latest project, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of the most anticipated movies out there and from all the early reviews we have seen, it is going to be his biggest. With a stellar star cast and an intriguing storyline, Tarantino is back.
Fans cannot wait to see this movie, so to add fuel to the hype, here are 10 things about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that will get you even more excited about the movie.
#1: Only 1 copy of finished version
After finishing the screenplay, Tarantino only kept one copy of the entire finished version. Only Brad Pitt and DiCaprio were able to read the full script from start to finish. All the other actors only got access to the parts of their respective characters. Pitt and DiCaprio had to go to Tarantino’s house to read the screenplay as there was only one copy.
#2: It was written in 5 Years
Tarantino wrote Once upon a Time in Hollywood as a novel and it took him 5 years to complete the story. He later realised that a film script would suit the material better.
#3: Luke Perry’s last film
This movie would be Luke Perry’s last film and it will be released posthumously. The actor featured in many great roles, such as Fred Andrews in Riverdale and also in The Fifth Element, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Beverly Hills 90210 etc. Perry suffered a massive stroke in late February 2019, ultimately passing away on March 4, 2019.
#4: Bidding War for theatrical rights after the Weinstein controversy
Tarantino was supposed to make this movie for Weinstein company, but after the co-chairman, Harvey Weinstein’s name came out in a huge sexual assault scandal, Tarantino severed ties with him which led to a bidding war among all the other big names in the industry for acquiring the theatrical rights, and ultimately Sony came out on top.
#5: DiCaprio’s intense workout regime
Leonardo DiCaprio plays the character of a washed-up action star in this movie. So, in order to get in shape for this movie he undertook a strict workout routine in order to give a convincing performance, giving up pastas and desserts and doing hundreds of push-ups per day.
#6: Homage to Sergio Leone
Tarantino is a big fan of the director Sergio Leone and has cited him as his favourite and an influence throughout his career. The title of the movie is an homage to Sergio Leone, who has directed Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and Once Upon a Time in America (1984).
#7: Mother-Daughter Combo
The romantic love interests of actors Al Pacino and Leonardo DiCaprio are Lucila Sola and Camila respectively. Lucila and Camila are mother and daughter in real life.
#8: First draft was 4 hours and 20 minutes long
Fred Raskin is the editor of Once upon a Time in Hollywood and his first assembly of the film was four hours and 20 minutes. Needless to say, it was huge. The final draft of the movie is 2 hours and 39 minutes, which is still considered very long in Hollywood.
#9: Resembles Pulp Fiction
This movie has multiple parallel story lines and Tarantino said that this movie would be the closest thing to earlier film Pulp Fiction. Pulp Fiction is considered as one of the best movies ever and it would be interesting to see how this movie would be able to maintain its identity.
#10: 7-minute Standing Ovation
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year and it received a 7-minute standing ovation from the audience present there. Not many directors can boast about this feat.
