How to prepare for a Tarantino film
The A-list cast of Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood reveal
research set for them by director Quentin Tarantino^
BRAD PITT
MET WITH STUNT LEGEND
BUD EKINS
“[In the ’60s], it was more common for
actors and stuntmen to have a working
partnership — like Steve McQueen and
Bud Ekins. That was the springboard for
the relationship [between Pitt and
DiCaprio’s characters]. I had met Bud
Ekins before he passed. I know his
daughter [Susan Ekins] as a producer.
So I got to go through the Bud Ekins
treasure troves.” NICK DE SEMLYEN^
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
WENT ON A RALPH MEEKER
MARATHON
“To [Quentin], that’s one of his
favourite actors of all time. For me it
was an exploration in the underground,
and a celebration of a lot of television
and B films that I’ve never been
exposed to. And a celebration of those
people’s work on an equal level and on
a par with the greats. It’s a sincere
love and appreciation of their work.
It’s not bullshit.”^
MARGOT ROBBIE
WATCHED SHARON TATE’S
EYE OF THE DEVIL
“Her first film. She was so good in it.
When I spoke to [Sharon’s sister]
Debra Tate, she said, ‘That’s my
favourite performance of Sharon’s.’
I think so too. [Odile de Caray] was a
good character for her. I love watching
her in Valley Of The Dolls — but I think
those characters are more what people
projected onto Sharon, as opposed to
what she was really capable of.”Taika Waititi
is Hitler?
YES, TAIKA’S PLAYING THE FÜHRER. SORT OF
The film, Taika Waititi’s first directing effort since
Thor: Ragnarok, sees him play a 10-year-old boy’s
manifestation of the Führer: an “idiotic” imaginary
friend combining Hitler with his missing dad. But
this Hitler isnota cuddly comfort. Waititi told
Deadlinehe “didn’t do any research” because the
Nazi is “a fucking c**t”,and he wouldessentially
play himself with “a bad haircut and a shitty little
moustache. And a mediocre German accent.”IT’S (LOOSELY) BASED ON A HIT BOOK
Christine Leunens’ dark, hauntingCaging Skieswas
published in 2008. Its anti-hero is Johannes, a
devoted Hitler Youth member who finds his mother
is hiding a Jewish girl, Elsa, in their house in WWII
Vienna — the boy becoming increasingly drawn to
the girl. The book doesn’t have many of Waititi’s
funnier flourishes, but it makes a fascinating spine
— like Barry Crump’s 1986 novelWild Pork And
Watercresswas forHunt For The Wilderpeople.IT HAS AN INCREDIBLE CAST (AND MARVEL TIES)
Scarlett ‘Black Widow’ Johansson is Jojo’s
liberal mother Rosie, and Sam ‘Justin Hammer’
Rockwell is Captain Klenzendorf, a Nazi army
captain demoted, disillusioned and leading the
local Hitler Youth group that Jojo attends. Rebel
Wilson, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant also
play Nazis.IT’S GOING BACK TO TAIKA BASICS
Waititi, who has Polynesian and Russian Jewish
ancestry, says the film is an “anti-fuckface satire”
and uses the hashtag “#FuckYouShitler”. But he
considers it a drama with “a lot of light moments”
rather than being “super hilarious”, so expect
less What We Do In The Shadows (2014) and more
Boy (2010). HELEN O’HARAJOJO RABBIT IS IN CINEMAS FROM 26 DECEMBERHere’s what we know about Jojo
Rabbit, the “anti-hate satire” set to
be 2019’s most unusual filmAbove: Taika Waititi tells us how he really feels.ONCE UPON A TIME IN... HOLLYWOOD IS IN CINEMAS FROM 15 AUGUSTDOCTOR SLEEP IS IN CINEMAS FROM
ALLSTAR, GETTY IMAGES, RONALD GRANT ARCHIVE7 NOVEMBER