Quentin Tarantino Shelves THE HATEFUL EIGHT After Script Leak
The next movie that Quentin Tarantino was supposed to direct was another western called The Hateful Eight. Unfortunately, he's shelved the project, and it will not be his next due to someone betraying him and leaking his script online. There's a lot of drama surrounding this little incident, but the director opened up to Deadline about it, and he's so upset that he's decided to publish the story instead of direct it for now. Maybe one day he'll get around to it, but it's not going to happen any time soon.
I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. There's no doubt that it would have been incredible. I was especially looking forward to Bruce Dern starring in it–that guy is an amazing actor. Here's what the director has to say about the script leaking,
“I’m very, very depressed. I finished a script, a first draft, and I didn’t mean to shoot it until next winter, a year from now. I gave it to six people, and apparently it’s gotten out today.”
He went on to explain how things went down. He doesn't know who leaked the script, but he does narrow things down.
“I gave it to one of the producers on Django Unchained, Reggie Hudlin, and he let an agent come to his house and read it. That’s a betrayal, but not crippling because the agent didn’t end up with the script. There is an ugly maliciousness to the rest of it. I gave it to three actors: Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Tim Roth. The one I know didn’t do this is Tim Roth. One of the others let their agent read it, and that agent has now passed it on to everyone in Hollywood. I don’t know how these fucking agents work, but I’m not making this next. I’m going to publish it, and that’s it for now. I give it out to six people, and if I can’t trust them to that degree, then I have no desire to make it. I’ll publish it. I’m done. I’ll move on to the next thing. I’ve got 10 more where that came from.”
Tarantino then discussed his feelings about the script leak.
“I am not talking out of both sides of my mouth, because I do like the fact that everyone eventually posts it, gets it and reviews it on the net. Frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I like the fact that people like my shit, and that they go out of their way to find it and read it. But I gave it to six motherfucking people! Starting this week, I’ll be setting meetings with publishers.”
There's a chance that he will get around to making the movie one day, but if it happens it's not going to be anytime soon.
“I could totally change my mind; I own the fucking thing. But I can tell you, it’s not going to be the next thing I do. It’s my baby, and if the muse calls me later to do it, we’ll do it. I was thinking about the idea of maybe publishing it before I made it, but now that deal happens for sure, and I’m not doing it next.”
It's good to know that he's got another film up his sleeve to give his fans. He's got the idea ready, and he's going to get rolling on it.
“The idea was, I was going to write two scripts. I wasn’t going to shoot the Western until next winter, and I have been full of piss and vinegar about the other one. So now I’ll do that one.”
He then goes back to trying to break down who it could have been that screwed him over, and he wants people to tell him.
“I hadn’t given it to Christoph, I haven’t given it to Sam Jackson. I gave it to three mother fucking actors. We met in a place, and I put it in their hands. Reggie Hudlin’s agent never had a copy. It’s got to be either the agents of Dern or Madsen. Please name names.”
It's really sad that this happened. I was so excited about his next project. At least we're getting a another movie though! So we just have to look at the bright side of life.