Through his blending of genres, Quentin Tarantino has become one of the most significant filmmakers of the modern era, going back to his debut feature film “Reservoir Dogs” in 1992. He played an integral role in the ’90s resurgence of auteur directors being handed sizable control over their projects with hefty budgets, putting him alongside the likes of Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky.

Tarantino certainly has a signature style that couples quick, pop culture-laden dialogue and gratuitous violence. His films, including “Pulp Fiction,” “Inglourious Basterds,” and “Django Unchained,” have resulted in copious Oscar nominations (and several wins). And for a while, it looked like we had a good idea of what his next film would be — “The Movie Critic.” Looper reported on it back in 2023, with production on the film expected to begin later that year. Of course, we’re a ways away from 2023 at this point, and the movie didn’t start filming that year. And now, it’s not happening at all — at least not in the way we were first anticipating. 

Why was Quentin Tarantino’s “The Movie Critic” so important within the larger context of his filmography? What will he actually work on next? Tarantino’s one of the most prolific filmmakers of all time, so it seems weird he’d just cast a movie to the wayside. But after we dig deep into this story, you may realize it’s not all that strange at all.

A new Quentin Tarantino film is always going to get Hollywood buzzing, but there was something that made the prospect of “The Movie Critic” so enticing. Tarantino has said on numerous occasions that he wants to quit while he’s ahead, and that includes only directing 10 movies. As he explained in a 2022 interview with CNN, “I don’t want to become this old man who’s out of touch, when already I’m feeling a bit like an old man out of touch when it comes to the current movies that are out right now.”

The caveat to this is that Tarantino has technically already directed 10 films; however, he counts “Kill Bill Vol. 1” and “Kill Bill Vol. 2” as a single story, so with that in mind, he’s only at nine so far. He’s also worked on other films in various capacities, like being the screenwriter for “True Romance” and “From Dusk till Dawn.” It’s clear his 10-film limit only applies to movies he’s directed, so the big reason why “The Movie Critic” was so anticipated is that it was reportedly going to be the filmmaker’s swan song. 

Still, even Tarantino admitted that he wouldn’t call it a day at 10 movies if the right story came along. He told Deadline all the way back in 2014, “If, later on, I come across a good movie, I won’t not do it just because I said I wouldn’t. But 10 and done, leaving them wanting more — that sounds right.”

Without a script to look at, there was only speculation as to what Quentin Tarantino’s “The Movie Critic” was about prior to it getting shuttered. The fact that there were reportedly a ton of rewrites done to the screenplay doesn’t help narrow down prospects, but according to insiders, the story would’ve revolved around the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. At one point, many believed the film would be a loose adaptation of the life of famed film critic Pauline Kael, but Tarantino was quick to shoot those rumors down. 

The filmmaker clarified that the movie would be “based on a guy who really lived, but was never really famous, and he used to write movie reviews for a porno rag.” He also described this protagonist as a cross between Travis Bickle (Robert de Niro) from “Taxi Driver” and real-life shock jock Howard Stern. For Tarantino, who spent his career making provocative films that pushed a lot of buttons, it feels oddly appropriate to end his career with a film exploring someone who appreciates art outside of normal sensibilities.

One of the most intriguing rumors surrounding the script is that it could’ve involved a meta narrative bringing back characters and actors from his previous films. It’s unclear if these would’ve been the characters themselves, like Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) from “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” still having a fruitful acting career, or actors from prior Tarantino movies playing themselves, giving folks like Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz a chance to ham it up in one last Tarantino flick. And the pièce de résistance is that they all could’ve interacted with a young 16-year-old Quentin Tarantino, creating a cyclical loop all of his films exist in.

Similar to trying to understand the plot of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Movie Critic,” there’s really only speculation regarding the cast. Sources suggest Tarantino wanted to team up with actors he had worked with previously, like Margot Robbie (“Once Upon a Time In Hollywood”), Jamie Foxx (“Django Unchained”), and John Travolta (“Pulp Fiction”). However, there were a ton of rumors about some new faces getting added to the mix, most notably Paul Walter Hauser. However, after “The Movie Critic” fell through, Hauser set the record straight on The Perfect Parfait, saying, “Somebody started a rumor on the internet that I was starring in the last Tarantino film, ‘The Movie Critic’ … And then people were like, ‘So what happened with you and Quentin?’ and I’m like, ‘Literally nothing.’ There was no conversation whatsoever.”

Another rumor that may or may not have been true is that Tarantino eyed Tom Cruise for a role. Tarantino has gone on the record as saying that he considered Cruise for the role of Cliff Booth in “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood,” but ultimately, Brad Pitt was his guy. Sources indicate that while rumors swirled around Cruise appearing in “The Movie Critic,” no conversations materialized between the two. Tarantino is apparently an admirer of Cruise’s work, even praising him and director Joseph Kosinski for “Top Gun: Maverick.”

David Krumholtz reportedly got closer to signing a deal, but there’s no indication that would’ve gone through. And Olivia Wilde was also rumored for a role. With any of these alleged castings, there’s no indication of what types of characters any of them would’ve played. But it’s probably safe to say any actor would be chomping at the bit to star in Tarantino’s final film. 

There’s one final bit of casting that, according to sources, was a done deal and could suggest how “The Movie Critic” evolved. Apparently, Quentin Tarantino was set to reunite with Brad Pitt on the feature for the third time in his career after “Inglourious Basterds” and “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.” What’s even more fascinating is that Pitt was allegedly set to reprise his role of Cliff Booth from the latter film within “The Movie Critic,” which makes a lot of sense. If the film did indeed take place in Hollywood in the 1970s, then Booth would probably still be kicking it doing stunt work in the Tarantino-verse. Plus, it would add to the meta narrative, if that’s actually what Tarantino was going for. 

It also seems possible, if not plausible, that some version of “The Movie Critic” script inspired the sequel to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” that’s currently in the works at Netflix with David Fincher directing. The screenplay hails from Tarantino, but he apparently didn’t want to film this one. Brad Pitt will return to reprise his role of Booth, and there’s plenty of material to draw from. The novelization of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” goes more into his backstory, including the fact that he did actually kill his wife, something left more open-ended in the movie. 

Even if Tarantino isn’t making “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2,” Fincher’s more than a capable director. Pitt has long wanted Fincher to direct the “World War Z” sequel after the two worked on “Se7en,” “Fight Club,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” but it seems they’ll have to settle for this for now.

Toward the end of 2023, Quentin Tarantino appeared to be ramping up to begin production on “The Movie Critic.” The filmmaker even received an unprecedented $20.2 tax subsidy from the California Film Commission to shoot it in the state. Given the number of A-list stars rumored to be in the cast as well as the fact the film would’ve been a 1970s period piece, requiring vintage cars and clothing, it’s a safe bet this could’ve been the most expensive Tarantino project to date. But then … nothing happened. 

In April 2024, reports circulated that Tarantino no longer wanted “The Movie Critic” to be his final film. The director hasn’t spoken publicly about the exact reason why he shelved “The Movie Critic.” However, a source close to the filmmaker told The Hollywood Reporter that “he has a lot of scripts that he’s thrown away” and got interested in other ideas. Another unnamed source told the outlet, “I don’t recall him rewriting so much and pushing a start date once he had a movie in mind.” It sounds like Tarantino obsessively rewrote the script and may have simply gotten sick of it at one point. Or perhaps he didn’t want his final film to be a tongue-and-cheek sendoff of his entire filmography with past characters popping by like it’s a TV series finale. 

If “The Movie Critic” functioned as a spinoff or sequel to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” it’s possible he wanted his last film to be completely original. For now, it seems destined to be one of the great Hollywood “what ifs.”

It’s disappointing that “The Movie Critic” didn’t pan out, but it’s par for the course for Quentin Tarantino’s filmography. The director has had numerous unrealized projects, including a handful of superhero projects he wanted to make earlier in his career. After the success of “Reservoir Dogs,” Tarantino wanted to make a movie based on the Marvel hero Luke Cage, but he opted to direct “Pulp Fiction” instead. It’s all for the best, as it allowed Tarantino to develop his own voice rather than dive into an adaptation. He was also interested in filming a Silver Surfer movie and reportedly wrote a 500-page script, but that was before he was a household name and he got turned down. 

Fans have also long wondered whether Tarantino would ever turn “Kill Bill” into a trilogy with a third installment. However, in 2023, Tarantino stabbed those hopes in the heart by making it clear he wasn’t interested in “Kill Bill Vol. 3,” insisting his last film would be about a movie critic (which also didn’t pan out).

One of the more interesting canceled Tarantino projects is a proposed “Star Trek” film. Tarantino literally described it as “Pulp Fiction” in space, meaning it would’ve been rated R and a far cry from what people tend to associate the “Star Trek” franchise with. It’s unclear if he would’ve directed it or only worked on the script, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen now either. For Tarantino fans, getting excited about a new project only to have it canceled a short time later is to be expected. 

The idea of “The Movie Critic” tying back to Quentin Tarantino’s previous films sounds fun. Everyone in the audience could recreate that Rick Dalton meme from “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” where he points at the TV screen any time a beloved character enters the frame. But for someone like Tarantino, it’s possible that’s too corny for a swan song, because it really seems like he’s committed to getting his final film right, and that appears to mean nothing based on pre-existing works.

Despite him viewing the two “Kill Bill” movies as one story, it appears a third film would be too much in that franchise. It could also explain why he stepped away from any involvement in “Star Trek,” although that’s probably for the best for the integrity of that franchise. In 2021 on “The Big Picture” podcast, Tarantino also floated some other ideas he’s had, including working on another film adaptation of the novel “First Blood,” which was adapted into the 1982 film of the same name. “I would do the novel,” Tarantino stated. “And Kurt Russell would play the sheriff, and [Adam Driver] would play Rambo. Every time I read [the novel], the dialogue is so fantastic … [The film] would be so good.” However, this was all conditional on the idea that he would quit after 10 movies, and he only has one slot left. 

Tarantino really seems to have pigeonholed himself into some lofty expectations. Since he’s so committed to making his 10th film his last, he needs something that defines his career and is 100% his own. It can’t be a sequel, adaptation, or remake, and that means the world gets deprived of Tarantino bringing his brand of hyper-violence to a “Rambo” movie. 

Once we find out what Quentin Tarantino’s 10th and final film will be, you’ll be the first to know. As of right now, Tarantino is staying tight-lipped about other projects he has in mind. An aforementioned source mentioned how he was more excited about other ideas, but it could take a while until the script is in a good enough place for him to want to commit to it. 

Tarantino spoke with Variety in January 2025 to say how he’s not in a rush to get his 10th movie rolling and wants to wait until his kids get a little older. “The idea of jumping on a voyage when they’re too young to understand it is not enticing to me,” he explained. “I kind of want to not do whatever movie I end up doing until my son is at least 6. That way he’ll know what’s going on, he’ll be there, and it will be a memory for the rest of his life.” Tarantino’s son, Leo, was born in February 2020, meaning it may not be until 2026 that we get more concrete information about his last movie. 

One has to imagine Tarantino is constantly tinkering with ideas in his head, and he may very well be working on a script at this moment when he’s not busy with child-rearing. Just don’t hold your breath for getting more news anytime soon. For the time being, he’s a family man. 

While we don’t know what Quentin Tarantino’s 10th movie will be, we do have an idea of what he’s up to next, and it involves going to Broadway. Sadly, it probably isn’t a “Pulp Fiction” musical, as much as we would love it. But the director seems excited to switch up artistic mediums. 

Elsewhere in his chat with Variety, Tarantino said, “If you’re wondering what I’m doing right now, I’m writing a play, and it’s going to be probably the next thing I end up doing. If it’s a fiasco I probably won’t turn it into a movie. But if it’s a smash hit? It might be my last movie.” That last sentence is intriguing despite us not presently knowing what this play will be about. An adaptation of this play could take the place of “The Movie Critic” for Tarantino’s cinematic swan song. He continues talking about the theater, and he almost seems disillusioned with filmmaking at this point, declaring, “What the f*** is a movie now? What — something that plays in theaters for a token release for four f***ing weeks? All right, and by the second week you can watch it on television. I didn’t get into all this for diminishing returns.”

“The Movie Critic” could’ve reflected on this idea, where even a porno rag writer has a deep appreciation for film, something lost on many audiences today who just want something in the background while they look at their phones. If Tarantino’s only making something as long as it’s a phenomenal work of art so that he can go out on top, it may take a while, but ideally, it’s worth the wait.