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Quentin Tarantino is correct: It would be a mistake to make ‘Kill Bill 3’

Wed 5 July 2023 15:30, UK

The Kill Bill saga, the masterful and bloody duology from Quentin Tarantino, has long stood as a shining testament to the director’s unique cinematic style. A maelstrom of gore, wit and exquisitely choreographed fighting, the two volumes paint a sprawling, revenge-driven narrative that follows Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo in her single-minded quest to hunt down her former associates. A cult favourite since the moment of its inception, the dual-feature has become one of the director’s most recognisable and revered creations.

After the release of Jackie Brown in 1997, Tarantino went into something akin to hibernation. He had spent the better part of a decade causing shockwaves with his debut feature, following that up with the Palme d’Or-winning and cinematic landscape-changing Pulp Fiction in 1994, then marking his third directorial effort with an adaptation of an Elmore Leanord book often considered one of the best film versions of a book ever made. Before Jackie Brown had even hit cinemas, the Tennesse-born director had already achieved the cult celebrity status that he still enjoys over 20 years later.

With three ‘serious’ films under his belt and enough clout to bring in the necessary cash, by the time the 21st century was underway, Tarantino was equipped to tackle his dream project; his own personal homage to samurai cinema, martial arts films and the wuxia genre. Already locked and loaded with references like 1973’s Lady Snowblood and the yellow jumpsuit from Bruce Lee’s final outing in Game of Death, the director pursued his most shamelessly on-the-nose, garishly loud cinematic endeavour yet. The result was an epic tale of vengeance that needed to be split into two full-length films to serve the blood-spattered story justice. With its simplistic plot, immediately appealing aesthetic and awe-inspiring fight sequences, it became the most accessible and watchable instalment in Tarantino’s oeuvre.

By the end of the second volume, it was also clearly finished. Where could a story called Kill Bill possibly go once Bill has been killed? Nevertheless, fans always want more of a good thing, and even the director himself would occasionally fan the flames. Recently, however, Tarantino dispelled the swirling rumours of a potential third volume to his Kill Bill saga. In an interview with DeMorgen, he finally addressed the speculations surrounding a potential sequel featuring Uma Thurman’s daughter, Maya Hawke. “I don’t see that. My last film is about a film critic, a male critic. And he plays in the ’70s,” said the director, effectively extinguishing the dream of Thurman and Hawke teaming up in a Kill Bill follow-up. Back in 2022, Thurman herself hinted at stagnation in plans for a third volume, stating, “I don’t see it as immediately on the horizon.”

As mentioned, Tarantino had previously hinted at the possibility of revisiting the Kill Bill universe, revealing that he had even discussed a sequel with Thurman. The potential project was speculated to include ideas that didn’t make the cut for the first two films. Meanwhile, Vivica A. Fox, the actor behind Vernita Green, added fuel to the fire when she spoke about the enduring fascination with the Kill Bill narrative. She suggested Tarantino’s “weird quirkiness” and the inherent magic of the films were key attractions for fans wanting more. This speculation reached fever-pitch when Fox starred in a music video with singer SZA that paid homage to Kill Bill, prompting further conjecture of a potential sequel.

Tarantino’s recent confirmation that we won’t be seeing the Bride or her kin will come as a huge disappointment to many. However, whilst they can’t be blamed for lamenting one more katana-wielding adventure, I’m here to tell the fans: it’s a good thing Quentin Tarantino won’t make Kill Bill 3.

Why it’s a good thing Quentin Tarantino won’t make Kill Bill 3

Remember, the two-volume film was conceived, shot, and released in close proximity, effectively serving as two halves of a single narrative arc. Indeed, Tarantino’s self-imposed ten-film limit only makes sense if Kill Bill is treated as one cohesive entity rather than two separate movies. Look, I’ll be first in line to take issue with this, especially as there is no official way even to watch the films in one sitting. It’s been 20 years, Quentin — give us the four-hour-long edit already! Nevertheless, a third volume, released so many years after its predecessors, risks coming across as an ill-conceived and crass attempt to milk the popularity of the franchise.

I’ll go one step further and make my case that a third Kill Bill would actually reduce Tarantino’s cinematic triumph to the cynical level of Hollywood’s more generic sequels and reboots. The prospect of a third volume feels like a blatant fan-service move, far removed from Tarantino’s signature style and ethos, and ultimately represents the antithesis of what the auteur director’s cinema is all about — artistic, original, passion-driven cinema. Kill Bill 2 wasn’t even a sequel. It was just that the Bride’s story was too damn long (in a good way, I may add) to fit into the reasonable under-three-hour runtime. So any argument along the lines of “Tarantino’s already done a sequel” completely disintegrates under the most minor of scrutiny. He hasn’t, and he shouldn’t.

The decision to abandon plans for a third Kill Bill instalment is, ultimately, a creative win. It preserves the integrity of the original narrative, intended as one singular saga and released within less than a year of each other. The introduction of another chapter would just dilute the impact and potency of the original volumes. The news that Tarantino’s focus is firmly on his next project, a 1970s-set film in the world of porno mags called The Movie Critic, is something to be much more excited about.

As avid Tarantino fans, we should celebrate this refusal to pander to demands for a Kill Bill 3 and, instead, eagerly anticipate what new cinematic delight the director has in store for us — even if it represents his last.