Published date18 March 2023
The trade paper went on to argue it was "possible" the film would focus on The New Yorker's legendary critic Pauline Kael. We were reminded that, in those late 1970s, Ms Kael, moving from fox's den to henhouse, suffered a brief, unsuccessful period as a consultant to Paramount Studios. The Irish Times now snarkily mentions Brian Clough's 44 days as manager of Leeds United and wonders if The Film Critic will owe a debt to Tom Hooper's The Damned United

As the Oscars fade in the rear-view mirror and we scramble for rubbish to fill up the yawning hours, it seems easier to believe the story than waste effort on raising eyebrows. The chattering cinephiles have already had great fun casting the Kael role. Jennifer Jason Leigh, surely capable of catching the critic's acidic tone - and exactly the right age -, is the runaway favourite for a role that doesn't yet (and may never) exist. Also figuring strongly are Michelle Pfeiffer, Judy Davis, Leslie Manville and, still pals with QT despite fallings-out over Kill Bill, the distinctly unKaelean Uma Thurman. Will The Film Critic be at Cannes in 2025? Is he really serious about retiring? Can I do a tired joke about Tarantino's habit of shooting his female stars' naked feet?

Let us all calm down. Much as both the director's fans and detractors yearn to chew this prospect to ribbons there is every possibility it won't happen - or that it won't happen in this form. Just a few months ago, Tarantino confirmed he had written eight episodes of a TV series that he planned to shoot "next year" (now this year). Speaking to the 2 Bears 1 Cave podcast, he gave the impression he was nowhere close to launching a new feature. Then again, that is just what he would say. Right?

The truth is that Tarantino boasts an unrivalled virtual canon of projects proposed, abandoned, speculated about, casually addressed and merely imagined. Only Martin Scorsese - remember when he was juggling biopics of both Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin? - has been associated with more potentially tasty dishes that never made it on to the dinner table.

Tarantino reckons he might stop at 10 features. In the alternative universe where all his proposed projects came to fruition he has maybe 30 or 40 titles to his name. Where...

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