Quentin Tarantino has disclosed the motivations for halting production on his much-anticipated tenth and intended final film, The Movie Critic, explaining his decision during a recent appearance on The Church of Tarantino podcast. Despite the film being fully scripted and in pre-production as of early 2024, the director chose to “pull the plug” citing both creative doubts and the challenge of meeting expectations tied to his cinematic legacy.
The story of The Movie Critic was poised to unfold in 1977 California and center on the life of a film critic, a concept Tarantino initially found compelling due to its challenge—transforming what he called “the most boring profession in the world” into an engaging narrative. However, as production approached, he admitted to losing enthusiasm for dramatizing the script, feeling the project lacked the excitement necessary to justify moving forward, especially given the pressure associated with delivering a landmark tenth film. According to the filmmaker, the title itself carried limited appeal, reflecting his skepticism with the premise: “Who wants to see a movie about a fucking movie critic?”[4][5]
Moreover, Tarantino explained that The Movie Critic‘s thematic and stylistic elements felt too closely aligned with those of his 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Both works were set against the backdrop of Los Angeles during the New Hollywood era, a period the director had extensively explored already. He candidly admitted he was not excited to revisit the process of “turning L.A. into an older time” for a second time, revealing a weariness with re-treading familiar ground. This was a significant factor in his decision to suspend the project in April 2024, amid pre-production stages without a detailed public explanation[1][2][3].
Though The Movie Critic began life as an eight-episode television series concept before being reworked into a feature film script, rumors linking it to Brad Pitt’s character Cliff Booth from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood were denied by Tarantino, who clarified that such connections were unfounded. Instead, Tarantino is currently focused on other creative endeavors, including writing the screenplay for The Adventures of Cliff Booth, an upcoming sequel directed by David Fincher and set to continue the storyline of Pitt’s character for Netflix. Additionally, Tarantino plans to debut a stage play in London before turning his attention to what will now be his official tenth and final film project[3][4].
In reflecting on the cancellation, Tarantino dismissed speculation that he was being overly cautious about his legacy, stating he is not “paralyzed with fear.” Rather, the decision was rooted in honest artistic appraisal and a desire to push beyond self-imposed creative limits rather than repeat past successes. While The Movie Critic is not completely off the table for future revival, Tarantino’s focus remains on projects distinct enough from his recent work to demonstrate continued growth and originality in his celebrated filmmaking career[3].