海角大神

What鈥檚 next for filmmaker听Quentin Tarantino? Well, at first听the Oscar-winner seemed as though he was perhaps most interested in making a听third听鈥榟istorical revenge-fantasy鈥� movie听in the vein of听Inglourious Basterds听补苍诲听Django Unchained听鈥� one听titled听Killer Crow听and set during WWII; several months later, however, Tarantino revealed that he鈥檇 begun developing a script for听a different sort of western throwback听than听Django. The screenplay in question is now known to be titled听Hateful Eight, and it looks as though Tarantino will begin production on the project in time to make a 2015 release date.

Those who鈥檝e been following听Hateful Eight鈥榮 progress thus far have endured something of a roller coaster ride 鈥� one that started听when听Tarantino abandoned his original plan to shoot the film听after听the screenplay leaked online听and temporarily shelved the project. Then, after听a well-received live reading of the听Hateful Eightscript, Tarantino began听to back off听his initial threat of cancellation 鈥� and last time we reported on it, principal photography was heavily rumored to be gearing up for听a Fall 2014 start.

Kurt Russell, who is expected to share leading man duties with Samuel L. Jackson in听Hateful Eight, recently spoke with听Fox 29 News Philadelphia听(hat tip to听/Film) about his prospective reunion with Tarantino. There, he听offered a more concrete update on the situation, when he said that听production on听Hateful Eight听鈥渓ooks like it may go somewhere around the beginning of the year.鈥�

Russell starred in Tarantino鈥檚 Grindhouse flick,听Death Proof, and was going to play a supporting role in听Django Unchained, but听ended up having to take a pass. By the sound of it, though, a Russell/Tarantino reunion on听Hateful Eight听is more likely than not to happen, which means that filming will have to wait until after Russell鈥檚 finished shooting his role in the horror/western听Bone Tomahawk听that begins production this fall 鈥� meaning it鈥檚 unlikely that听Hateful Eight听will begin production听before听the first quarter of 2015.

The听Hateful Eight听script is being revised by Tarantino, but the general setup 鈥� one set a few years after the U.S. Civil War 鈥� is expected to remain the same as that featured in听the live script reading. Russell and Jackson, as such, will play a听seasoned bounty hunter duo (imagine Vincent/Jules fromPulp Fiction, in the Old West), who are transporting a young woman (Amber Tamblyn, who cameoed in听Django Unchained鈥榮 theatrical cut), when a winter storm traps them听at a听Wyoming mountainside lodgings 鈥� along with a colorful assortment of听unscrupulous and/or downright peculiar听folk.

Hateful Eight听looks to听be a typical Tarantino talk-heavy affair, albeit one that鈥檚 largely restricted to a single setting 鈥� and with most of the actors who participated in the live script reading expected to reprise their roles in the film, Tarantino鈥檚 western could easily make it to theaters by late 2015, if shooting happens听as planned.听Indeed, next year it seems that cinephiles can听look forward to having new films by Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell,听and possibly the Coen Brothers (given the speed at which听Hail Caesar听is coming together), among other directors with truly unique voices.

Sandy Schaefer blogs at Screen Rant.