Los Angeles, 17 August

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino says the idea of directing the sequel to 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' unenthused him, leading him to refrain from taking on the role of director for the project. But assures he will always be available during the film's production if needed.

Released in 2019, 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' featured a star-studded cast, which included the names of Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie, among others. Set in Los Angeles in 1969, the film grossed over USD 392 million with its collection at the worldwide box office.

Tarantino, who has previously mentioned his intent to retire after directing his tenth film, said he didn't want his final film to be a sequel. The Oscar-winning filmmaker also praised David Fincher for stepping into the director's shoes for the sequel.

"I love this script, but I’m still walking down the same ground I’ve already walked. It just kind of unenthused me...This last movie, I’ve got to not know what I’m doing again. I’ve got to be in uncharted territory," he said on The Church of Tarantino podcast.

"I think me and David Fincher are the two best directors. So the idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work, to me, shows a level of seriousness towards my work that I think needs to be taken into account," he added.

Assuring he will be around when needed, Tarantino said, "I’m moving back and forth between here and Israel, so I won’t be on the set every day and everything. But, yeah, I’ll be around if they need me to do something, you know, I will."

The sequel will feature Pitt reprising his role of Cliff Booth. It is written by Tarantino. The release date hasn't been disclosed by the makers yet.

The director was asked about his scrapped project "The Movie Critic", which, according to him, would have been a "spiritual sequel" to "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood".

"I really liked it. There was a challenge that I gave to myself when I did it — can I take the most boring profession in the world and make it an interesting movie?...Who wants to see a TV show about a f*****g movie critic? Who wants to see a movie called 'The Movie Critic'? That was the test. If I can actually make a movie or a TV show about someone who actually watches movies interesting, that is an accomplishment," he said.

He clarified despite being initially planned as a spiritual sequel, it would have had no crossover characters. "Cliff Booth was never in 'The Movie Critic,'" he said.