Quentin Tarantino Lands Burt Reynolds, ‘Hateful Eight’ Trio for ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’
To say that we’re excited for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a pretty sizable understatement. With a story set in and around Los Angeles during the Manson Family era and a cast that already includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film is shaping up to be the movie event of next summer — and the latest additions to the ensemble double-down on that point.
According to Deadline, Burt Reynolds has joined the cast of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in which the iconic actor will play George Spahn — owner of the ranch where Charles Manson and his followers shacked up in the months before the infamous murders began. In what could very well be Reynolds’ best role since Boogie Nights, he’ll portray the 80-year-old owner of Spahn Ranch, which was rented out to western productions. In exchange for a place to live, Manson had some of his “girls” serve as guides for the nearly-blind Spahn, and persuaded a few of them to sleep with the aging ranch owner.
Reynolds isn’t the only great name joining Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which will unsurprisingly feature a few Tarantino regulars. In addition to DiCaprio, who previously appeared in Django Unchained, the director’s latest will co-star three members of The Hateful Eight: Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Kurt Russell — all of whom are in talks to play smaller, supporting roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Described as a Pulp Fiction-esque tale of interconnected characters and stories, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes place in the summer of 1969, in the months leading up to the Manson Family murders. DiCaprio stars as Rick Dalton, a former TV western star, and Pitt plays his longtime stunt double, Clint Booth. Together, the pair struggle to “make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore.” Rick also happens to live next door to Sharon Tate, the famous actress and model who was murdered by Manson’s followers when she was nine months pregnant.
Margot Robbie has been in talks to play Sharon Tate for several months. The film, which was acquired by Sony and marks Tarantino’s first project without the Weinsteins, will be released on the anniversary of Tate’s murder: August 9, 2019.