THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 32 JANUARY 2020 AWARDS 1
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LLET.W
hen the
Hollywood
rumor
mill began
churning out
reports that Quentin Tarantino’s
ninth film would be set in Los
Angeles in 1969 — and center on
Sharon Tate and the Manson mur-
ders — the director’s fans (and
critics) naturally assumed that his
next movie would be gruesome
and irreverent, likely incorporat-
ing some revisionist history just
like his previous best-picture-
nominated films Django Unchained
and Inglourious Basterds. While it
certainly doesn’t skimp on those
familiar Tarantino qualities (par-
ticularly in its third act), Sony’s
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is
much more emotional and sweeter
than any Tarantino film before it.
Following Rick Dalton
(Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff
Booth (Brad Pitt), a fading
Hollywood actor and his stunt
double turned driver, respec-
tively, Once Upon a Time serves
as a love letter to a time of
great change within the film
industry and American culture.
With Manson girls — chief
among them Pussycat, played by
Margaret Qualley — dumpster-
diving off Hollywood Boulevard
and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie)
moving in next door to Dalton,
the film offers a colorful and nos-
talgic look at a long-lost era. But
as producer Shannon McIntosh
explains to THR, Tarantino’s
latest (which picked up 10 Oscar
nominations) offers his own
hopeful vision of Hollywood — a
stark contrast to the dark and
violent reality of the Manson
murders, which changed the
cultural climate forever.
You’ve worked with Quentin
Tarantino for years, all the way
back to Pulp Fiction. What stands
out about this particular film?
SHANNON MCINTOSH Every movie you
make with Quentin is special. It’s
such a personal, wonderful experi-
ence for everyone, all the crew. But
I think back to when I read [the
script] with trepidation, wonder-
ing where it was heading, knowing
a bit about the subject matter. You
always wonder until you get [to
the end], even though you couldn’t
imagine Quentin making that
other movie. The whole journey
has been magical. They’re all great
journeys, but this one was some-
thing really special because it’s
such a personal story for Quentin.How is Tarantino as a collaborator
when it comes to actors on set,
the craftspeople and even someone
in your role?Once Upon a Time
in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature has the director’s trademark
revisionist history and irreverent violence — but it’s also his most
emotional and personal film yet BY TYLER COATESPeople have this vision of him
as an auteur, [one who] wouldn’t
allow anyone to give their input
and suggestions. But when you
read his scripts, so much detail
is on the page; everyone’s job
becomes really clear on what they
want to do. He absolutely allows
you to bring your talent and your
skills to the table. For example, we
thought we wanted to shoot it in
70mm, but as Quentin and [cine-
matographer Robert Richardson]
talked about the different
processes and the looks, it didn’t
seem the right way to go. For the
most part we shot 35, a little bit
on 16 and even some on Super- But that was Bob bringing to
Quentin what he really thought
would be best for this movie
that would take place in 1969,
but also jump back to the back-
story of Rick Dalton. [Production
designer] Barbara Ling also grew
up in L.A., so to listen to the two
of them talk about their stories
and growing up here ... I mean,
there’s so much of Barbara that
he allowed her to bring to the
table. But [everyone is] still really
informed by the script.It’s a very nostalgic movie. What
do you think it has to say about
Hollywood in 2020?
1969 was a great year for change
in the industry, and for the world
at large. And we’re kind of back
to those things now. There’s the
theatrical experience versus the
streaming experience. There areBEST PICTUREVITAL STATSSTUDIO Sony
RELEASE DATE July 26
WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE
$372.7M
DIRECTOR Quentin Tarantino
CAST
Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt,
Margot Robbie
TOP AWARDS
10 Oscar noms,
10 BAFTA noms, 3 Globe wins,
4 SAG Award noms