Every movie Quentin Tarantino has tried to remake
You can usually recognise a Quentin Tarantino movie just from watching a few clips. Since he released his debut feature, Reservoir Dogs, the filmmaker has honed a distinctive style that has ensured his legacy in cinema history. Using highly stylised scenes of violence, unique camera angles, humourous dialogue and a preoccupation with retro aesthetics and media, which he often references, Tarantino’s filmmaking techniques have become widely praised.
In many ways, his movies are all a love letter to his favourite films, an amalgamation of genres and nods to other directors, whether that be the classic westerns of Sergio Leone influencing The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained or ‘60s exploitation movies shaping Death Proof. One of Tarantino’s early jobs saw him working in a video store, constantly surrounded by thousands of titles that he quickly became interested in. From cheesy ’50s B-movies to the latest Hollywood blockbuster, Tarantino consumed as much as he could, seemingly existing off a diet of VHS tapes.
The filmmaker once revealed that he only wanted to make ten films to ensure his legacy as one of the world’s most spectacular directors. He has been offered many opportunities to direct movies over the years that he has inevitably turned down, perhaps due to a lack of creative freedom or because he couldn’t quite master the script perfectly. Tarantino has considered remaking several classic films, too, but in the end, he’s settled on projects based on original ideas.
There are six movies he has contemplated remaking in the past, with some reaching the early stages of development and others simply remaining just an idea. The first instance of Tarantino potentially directing a remake came in the ‘90s when he was busy establishing himself with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. He was thinking about turning the ‘60s spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. into a feature film, but he eventually changed his mind. The popular series could’ve been great source material for Tarantino, but in the end, he preferred the idea of making Jackie Brown, which was released in 1997.
However, a slightly more interesting potential project came about that same decade – a remake of Lucio Fulci’s Sette note in nero, an Italian giallo film. This would’ve been Tarantino’s first foray into the horror genre, but he never developed the idea very far, simply liaising with Sony Pictures about potentially making the movie. He gave up and moved on to Kill Bill instead.
It wasn’t until 2007 that Tarantino found himself contemplating another remake. He was actually hired to direct a new version of Westworld, which would’ve been his first sci-fi movie. The 1973 movie was groundbreaking at the time due to its use of innovative computer-generated effects, and it’s fascinating to think how Tarantino would’ve put his own spin on it. Arnold Schwarzenegger was set to star, but a range of issues, such as creative differences, led Tarantino to be fired. In the end, the film was adapted into the popular HBO show.
Shortly after, he was attached to a remake of the sexploitation classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, directed by Russ Meyer. The original 1966 film starred Tura Satana, one of Tarantino’s favourite actors, and she was reportedly working on the script with the filmmaker. Interestingly, the director wanted to cast an unusual trio: Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears and Eva Mendes. Sadly, the project never got very far off the ground.
The last movie Tarantino has attempted to remake is Marek Kanievska’s Less Than Zero, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name. There’s not much to report here – it seems as though Tarantino never got much further than simply discussing his interest in the film.
The movies Quentin Tarantin tried to remake:
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Sam Rolfe, 1964-68)
- Sette note in nero (Lucio Fulci, 1977)
- Westworld (Michael Crichton, 1973)
- Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (Russ Meyer, 1966)
- Less Than Zero (Marek Kanievska, 1987)
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