Quentin Tarantinohas famouslysaid that he will only make 10 movies, meaning that his next movie will be his last one. He has reportedly begun the earlier stages of pre-production for this project, tentatively titledThe Movie Critic. We don’t know much about it yet, though writer-directorPaul Schradersaid thatQT was planning to use clipsfrom several ’70s movies in the film, including Schrader’s ownRolling Thunder.
With this in mind, Redditors recently got together onr/movies, the largest film subreddit, to discuss which actors they would most like to see in Tarantino’s final outing. They came up with some intriguing picks, who seem like good matches for the provocative auteur.
9Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennesis one of the most versatile performers out there, capable of playing everything from Lord Voldemort to a quirky concierge. He famously has a knack for portraying villains, like Nazi Amon Göth inSchindler’s Listand, most recently, a psychopathic chef inThe Menu.
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It would undoubtedly be fun to see what kind of memorable character Fiennes and Tarantino could whip up together. “I’ve needed Ralph Fiennes in a Tarantino movie forever,” saiduser metalconfection. “YES. Dude, a Brit actor being super Brit would be so cool,” anotherRedditorreplied.
8Daniel Day-Lewis
“Tarantino should bringDaniel Day-Lewisout of retirement for his final film,” saidRedditor xjxhx, to broad agreement. “I think Quentin could write a killer role for [him],” replieduser No_Banana7768. This seems unlikely, but it’s definitely fun to imagine. After all, Day-Lewis is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, especially famous for his rigorous commitment to method acting.
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Day-Lewis is particularly great at complex and volatile roles like Bill the Butcher inGangs of New Yorkand Daniel Plainview inThere Will Be Blood. Tarantino is one of the few screenwriters out there capable of writing a character to match Day-Lewis’s formidable talents.
7Benicio Del Toro
Benicio Del Torohas plenty of gritty gangster roles under his belt, which would be right at home in the Tarantinoverse:The Usual Suspects,21 Grams,Snatch,Sicario. However, he hasn’t really tapped into his full potential in recent years, so it would be great to see Tarantino hand him a meaty, entertainingly sociopathic role.
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“I just love him in everything. Pairing him with Tarantino could give us something amazing,” saidRedditor Dottserisk. “He fits inReservoir Dogs. I see the vision,” anotheruserreplied.Redditor BusinessPurgealso pointed out that Del Toro and Tarantino had a “great scene together inSin City”.
6Michael Wincott
One of the lesser-known actors Redditors mentioned isMichael Wincott. He’s rarely a leading man but has played many excellent supporting characters over the last three decades. He’s a character actor with a distinctive, menacing voice.
He might be most well-known for playing the main antagonist inThe Crowand, most recently, cinematographer Antlers Holst inJordan Peele’sNope. “Michael Wincott as an over-the-top Tarantino character would be so wonderful,” saiduser Dottsterisk.
Christian Bale
“Christian Balewould be so great for a cynical character,” oneusersaid. They’re absolutely right. Bale has repeatedlyproven himself adept at playing dark, complex roles, fromThe Dark KnighttoAmerican PsychotoThe MachinisttoVice. Bale playing a Tarantino villain would be epic, to say the least.
A Bale/Tarantino collaboration is not totally outside the realm of possibility either, as QT has praised Bale’s work before. “The Fighteris one of the films of [the boxing] genre that I liked the most. Christian Bale’s performance is almost perfect,” thedirector has said.
5Paul Dano
Paul Danohas had a remarkable evolution. He first gained attention as the wunderkind inLittle Miss Sunshine, then proved his dramatic chops inThere Will Be Bloodand12 Years A Slave. Now he’s one of Hollywood’s most dependable performers. He appears right at home whether he’s playing a supervillain (as inThe Batman) orSteven Spielberg’s dad (inThe Fabelmans).
Tarantino might be the perfect director to push Dano even further outside of his comfort zone. “I can see [Paul Dano] in existing Tarantino films. For example,The Hateful Eight,” said oneuser. “He’s classic,” agreedRedditor SyrupBuccanneer.
4Jennifer Lawrence
One user suggestedJennifer Lawrence, pointing out thatTarantino considered herfor the role of Squeaky inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, which ultimately went toDakota Fanning. TheRedditorwho started the thread agreed, saying, “I was going to put J Law [in the original] post. She’s funny. She could even be a protagonist. I love her.”
Lawrence is another talented performer who hasn’t had a role equal to her talents for a while. She has shown that she can do action (The Hunger Games), realistic drama (Silver Linings Playbook), and comedy (Don’t Look Up), so she’d likely be a good fit for whatever Tarantino’s last movie turns out to be.
3Tom Cruise
“My dream [Tarantino collaborator] isTom Cruise,“one Redditorsaid. “Tarantino could easily make a character for him. EvenKurt Russell’s role inDeath Proofwould suit Tom.” Again, this is very possible. Tom Cruise seems like a natural fit for a Tarantino movie. He’s certainly got enough star power for it. Indeed,Tarantino even considered Cruisefor a lead role inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodat one point.
Cruise has mostlystuck to action roles in recent years, which is understandable since he excels at them. He’s famously great at stunts, as he’s set to demonstrate yet again inMission Impossible: Dead Reckoning. But a Tarantino role could give him a great opportunity to push himself and (potentially) deliver a performance for the ages.
2Uma Thurman
Uma Thurmanis an outlier on this list, as she’s the only person the Redditors mentioned who has already collaborated with Tarantino. Nevertheless, several users would love to see Q and U team up one last time. “It’s got to be Uma Thurman in a sequel toKill Bill. That would be amazing,” saidRedditor moist__fan.
Thurman has already brought to life two of Tarantino’s most iconic characters. It would be interesting to see if they could replicate the magic for a third time in an original movie. At the very least, seeing Thurman pop up (even just in a cameo) would be a fitting swan song for their legendary creative partnership.
1Michelle Yeoh
If Tarantino’s next project is stunt-heavy or a martial arts movie, thenMichelle Yeohwould be a great choice, especially coming off of the success ofEverything Everywhere All At Once. “Some Michelle Yeoh badassery would suit me just fine,” saiduser GaryOster. “Michelle Yeoh kicking Tom Cruise’s ass would be phenomenal,” anotherRedditorreplied.
It’s certainly possible. Tarantino and Yeoh have long been friends, and QThas repeatedly praisedher moviePolice Story 3withJackie Chanas one of his all-time favorites. He almost gave Yeoh a part inKill Bill, but decided against it,telling Yeoh, “Who would believe that Uma Thurman could kick your ass?”
