Quentin Tarantino abandoned The Movie Critic, the proposed film once framed as his tenth and final feature, because it felt too similar to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He later said he also lost enthusiasm for dramatizing the material during pre-production. The cancellation was reported in April 2024; Tarantino’s fuller explanation emerged in a 2025 podcast interview.
Why did Tarantino abandon The Movie Critic?
In an interview for The Church of Tarantino podcast, Tarantino said the proposed film felt too close to his previous film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. As quoted in Variety’s account of the interview, he said: “It was too much like the last one.”
He also described losing interest as the project moved toward production: “I wasn’t really excited about dramatizing what I wrote when I was in pre-production.” The two explanations point to an artistic decision: the premise no longer felt distinct or compelling enough for him to make into a film.
When was the cancellation reported?
Variety reported on April 18, 2024, that Tarantino was no longer planning to make The Movie Critic. The report said he had dropped it as his tenth and final film and was not expected to rewrite the script or revive the project at that point. That was the public status reported then; it does not establish what he might decide about the material later.
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The explanation arrived later. Variety reported Tarantino’s comments from an episode of The Church of Tarantino released in August 2025. The podcast’s episode listing confirms its date and that the cancellation was among the subjects, but Variety’s account—not a full published transcript—is the source for the quoted remarks.
What was The Movie Critic about?
According to Variety’s 2024 report, the story was set in 1977 and centered on a small-time movie critic who wrote smart reviews for a porn magazine. Brad Pitt had reportedly been cast in a lead role.
Reports speculated that Pitt’s part might have been connected to Cliff Booth, his character in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but that connection was described as rumor, not confirmed fact. The available reporting establishes no definitive character link.
How did it overlap with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
Tarantino’s own comparison is the clearest basis for describing the overlap: he said the new idea was too much like his last film. Both projects were connected to Los Angeles film culture, and the proposed The Movie Critic was set in 1977. The reporting does not establish enough detail to claim specific plot or character similarities beyond Tarantino’s assessment.
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Was The Movie Critic really Tarantino’s final film?
It was presented as his tenth feature and intended final film, but the project was abandoned before it was made. “Tenth and final” described the plan attached to The Movie Critic; it does not mean the film was completed, nor does the reporting establish a definitive current retirement plan.
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