DiCaprio Signs on for Tarantino Manson Project: Will Cruise and Pitt be Next?

Quentin Tarantino has been on the lookout for star power for his next project about the Manson murders. It appears as though there is one actor he has successfully managed to recruit: Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio has will star in the filmmaker’s ninth and next film, set at the time of the tragic deaths at the hands of serial killer Charles Manson.

The story will be set in 1969, when Sharon Tate was one of six to be killed at the hands of Charles Manson. The massacre and the serial killer’s trial and sentencing captivated Americans and led to numerous documentaries. Manson even made a number of pen pals and inspired a bizarre battle over his body after his death in November.
 
The story of 69

Tarantino said the film isn’t set to be a biopic – it’s about the year itself, as opposed to solely Charles Manson. As DiCaprio’s role doesn’t seem to fit into Manson’s world, it will be interesting to see what other ground the film will cover. It has plenty of popular culture to draw from, seeing as it was the year of a spate of Zodiac killings, The Beatle’s final public show, and Richard Nixon being sworn into office. It will still likely hew closely to true-life events surrounding Manson, however.

Variety reported that Academy-Award winner Dicaprio will play an ageing movie star in 1960s LA and that his life will intersect with the murders of Tate and four of her friends. News about the movie suggests that the story’s structure will be in the style of Pulp Fiction, with an ensemble cast. Sources who have read the script have said that there are similarities between the two movies. The film will mark the second superstar pairing of Tarantino and DiCaprio, after the 2012 hit Django Unchained.
 
Farewell Harvey, Hello Sony

The project will also be the first of Tarantino’s collaboration with Sony after the production company won a bidding war for the director. The filmmaker became a free agent after he broke away from his long-term relationship with the Weinstein Company, following allegations of sexual conduct against Harvey Weinstein, its one-time chief executive. Weinstein, who denied engaging in non-consensual sex, was fired in November and his independent production company is currently for sale. Sony beat out competition from Warner Brothers and Paramount, after it is believed that Sony’s Tom Rathman made an impression on Tarantino with his knowledge of film history.

Tarantino’s last project, The Hateful Eight, underperformed at the box office, making only $54 million in the US from a $44 million budget.

The report that confirmed Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in the film suggested that the Inglorious Bastards and Pulp Fiction filmmaker is hopeful of landing legendary Godfather actor Al Pacino. Should Tarantino get everyone he wants on board for the movie, it could be a lineup of super talent we rarely get to see in a single movie. Variety snuck in this extra detail in the middle of its story. That could well be simply due to it being far from confirmed at this point rather than Pacino being in talks for a part.
 
Cruise? Pitt? Robbie? Lawrence?

At this moment, Tarantino already has DiCaprio on board, a famously picky actor who hasn’t starred in a film since the role of Hugh Glass won him an Oscar in 2015’s The Revenant. A rumour out there suggests that Tarantino would love DiCaprio’s Wolf of Wall Street co-star Margot Robbie to take on the role of Sharon Tate, wife of controversial director Roman Polanski and one of Manson’s victims. He is also believed to want superstar actor Tom Cruise and Inglorious Bastards’ Brad Pitt on board. That would be an amazing cast, and that’s not even taking into account the names typically associated with Tarantino, such as Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson hasn’t been named in any casting news this far, but it would be surprising if he has no part to play in the project at all. Jennifer Lawrence has also been linked to the role of Tate.

These are all actors that the director would love to play a part in the film, but we will have to wait and see whether he will get them or not. What Tarantino has going for him is the fact that almost all actors and actresses would jump at the chance to work with him. So it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he gets every single name on his wish list.

In a recent Hollywood Reporter feature, Margot Robbie spoke of her potential casting in the film. While she confirmed that nothing official had been agreed, she did add that she would love to work with Tarantino. So if her schedule remains open and the part makes sense to play after her role in I, Tonya, we could well be seeing her in the Manson film. She will likely be nominated for Best Actress for her work as the infamous ice skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. That leaves Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Cruise has historically been the pickier of the two and the more difficult to get to sign on the dotted line. Sony has yet to comment on the casting.
 

 
Playing the waiting game

Tarantino fans have some time to wait for the movie to released to cinemas, and with their insatiable quench for blood, guts, and gore, they may need to get their fix elsewhere. Taking a leaf out of Charles Manson’s playbook obviously isn’t an option. There’s always Tarantino’s back catalogue that fans can feast on with popcorn at hand.

Tarantino’s influence on popular culture doesn’t end with watching his movies over and over, however. His characters have also been brought to life in such games as the Reservoir Dogs video game on Xbox and PS2. Novomatic are even developing a Dusk Til Dawn slot game, capitalising on the current popularity of officially themed slot games. In the meantime, there are plenty of free bet no deposit slot games available that will provide the kick-ass fix that Tarantino fans crave. Directories such as Oddshecker list the best deals for those looking to enjoy some Tarantino-style violence, with the chance to win money at the same time; all while awaiting the next Tarantino outing – an outing that we know very little about thus far.
 
What we know

Who each of Tarantino’s preferred actors would play in the film has yet to be determined, but there is quite a bit that we already know about the film. What we don’t know as yet is the title; for now, it’s simply being referred to as ’69.

Details that have been revealed about the pot peg the film about a TV star who had a hit TV show and is now looking to make his way into the film business, and his stunt double and sidekick, who is trying to achieve the same goal. The two characters attempt to bring a film to the big screen in the midst of a politically charged 1969 Hollywood landscape, just as Hollywood’s Golden Age was making way for the American New Wave. It was also at the time that Charles Manson’s “family” began to dominate headlines. The film will show the transition from the ’60s to the ’70s and is expected to attract interest due to Manson’s recent death.

The film’s budget will be close to that of Django Unchained’s $100. Tarantino’s last film, The Hateful Eight, had a budget of $44mn budget and performed poorly at the box office.

Tarantino will get the final cut. Producers include Tarantino himself, frequent collaborator Shannon McIntosh, and Harry Potter’s David Heyman. Working with Tarantino for the second time will be Georgia Kacandes, who will serve as line producer and executive producer.

DiCaprio has been attached to numerous projects since winning an Oscar for The Revenant, including an adaption of novel The Black Hand and a Theodore Roosevelt biopic.
 
Tarantino boldly goes…

Meanwhile, Tarantino is working on another project that has deep roots in popular culture. He was recently attached to the next instalment in the Star Trek franchise after he pitched an R-rated story to JJ Abrams, who is establishing the project with Paramount.

The director met in a writers room for several hours with Megan Amram (The Simpsons), Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3), Lindsay Beer (Godzilla vs Kong), and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant). Paramount is moving fast with Tarantino’s R-rated Star Trek movie and has now confirmed that The Revenant’s Mark L. Smith is on board as writer. It should be an interesting pairing. Tarantino, who typically pens his own scripts, has a reputation for filling scenes with dialogue, while The Revenant was oftentimes wordless, instead opting to let the violence and harsh frontier do the talking. Smith, however, became a favourite of the studio after penning upcoming WWII flick Overlords, produced by J.A. Abrams. Abrams is also set to produce Tarantino’s Star Trek project.
 

Tarantino, a not-so secret trekkie

The thought of Tarantino directing the classic franchise has left many people scratching their heads. Details with regards to how he will approach the movie are scant. A while before Tarantino’s involvement was announced, he revealed in a 2015 podcast that he was a huge Star Trek fan. When was asked by a fan is he would like to make a Star Wars movie, he said getting behind the camera for Star Trek would hold more appeal to him. He added that he was a fan of the Abrams’ 2009 adaptation. Tarantino has actually made multiple references to Star Trek in his movies over the years.

He suggested ways in which he would approach a Star Trek movie if given the chance and noted that he would be interested in taking an episode from the show and expand it into a feature film.

To us, Tarantino directing Star Trek feels both bizarre and brilliant. The franchise is typically one that is enjoyed by fans of all ages. Tarantino’s filmography isn’t known for being child-friendly, however. His films are dark, littered with violence and obscenities, and often deal with such issues as oppression and racism.

Speaking further on the matter, Tarantino revealed that William Shatner was what originally attracted him to Star Wars. He also said that he enjoyed Abrams’ 2009 take on the franchise, although he wasn’t a huge fan of Star Trek Into Darkness, not being a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch’s take on Khan. He said that he feels that films are limited, due to a need to use the entire ensemble cast. These comments were made before Star Trek Beyond was released.
 
Tarantino’s Star Trek vision

It was then when he went on to discuss his idea about directing a feature-length version of a classic episode. He suggested that there are numerous episodes that could be given the big-screen treatment, as they aren’t limited by an eight-day shooting schedule and 1960s budget. He initially cited City on the Edge of Forever, which is regarded by many as the best episode of all time, but then indicated that it may be too obvious. He then went on to name another episode, which he could potentially bring to cinemas: Yesterday’s Enterprise. He referred to as the episode as a classic Star Trek time travel story. The episode saw Jean Luc Picard and his Enterprise-D crew face the Enterprise-C after investigating a rift in space and time.

The movie is a high-priority project for Paramount. Abrams was at the helm for two Trek movies before he moved on to Disney’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He is currently in pre-production Star Wars: Episode IX.

The most recent movie in the series, Star Trek Beyond, was directed by Justin Lin.

Paramount is hoping to repeat the success of Deadpool, which broke a barrier with an R-rated movie achieving such impressive box office numbers. The studio has stuck to largely PG-13 in the past.

Production on Tarantino’s Manson project is set to begin mid-2018. The film is scheduled for a US debut on August 9, 2019, 50 years to the date of the LaBianca murders and one day ahead of Tate’s death.