Quentin Tarantino spent five years writing the script forOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodand we now have our first official look at the movie. The story, as the title suggests, takes place in Hollywood in 1969, which was a turning point in American history. The backdrop of Tarantino’s latest project is the Manson Family’s gruesome murder spree, which, among others, took the life of actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant and Roman Polanski’s wife at the time.
Margot Robbieis playing Sharon Tate in the movie, and the new images, both behind-the-scenes and from the movie, reveal that she looks a lot like the late actress. One picture has her walking down the street as the film crew follows her, while the other shot is of Robbie’s Tate dancing in her bedroom. While the Manson Family and Tate connection will be a part ofOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, it will not be the main part of the story. 1969 was also a big change for the entertainment industry.
Once Upon a Time in HollywoodfeaturesLeonardo DiCaprio as faded TV Western star Rick Daltonand Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, Dalton’s long-time friend and stunt double. The two are trying to make the transition from television to the big screen, but the times are changing and the two find themselves in a Hollywood that they don’t recognize any more. The two can be seen meeting agent Marvin Schwarzs, who is played by Al Pacino, at the iconic restaurant Musso and Frank Grill. There’s another shot of DiCaprio in action as Dalton on the fictional TV series FBI.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton is also seen hamming it up on a variety show from the mid-1960s with some backup dancers. The final photo fromOnce Upon a Time in HollywoodfeaturesBrad Pitt’s Cliff Boothwalking through some dust. While the photos do not give us a whole lot to go off of, they do paint a pretty interesting picture of whatQuentin Tarantinoworked so hard to get made. This is going to be a return to thePulp FictionandJackie Brown-type of storytelling that the director has not tackled in quite some time.
In addition to Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Brad Pitt,Once Upon a Time in HollywoodstarsDamon Herriman as Charles Manson, Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen, Mike Moh as Bruce Lee, Luke Perry, Tim Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Clifton Collins Jr., James Marsden, Tim Roth, Rumer Willis, James Remar, Bruce Dern, Lena Dunham, Scoot McNairy, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Keith Jefferson, Zoe Bell, and Nicholas Hammond. There’s a lot of actors packed into this dense story and our first look at some footage should be arriving shortly since the movie hits theaters on July 26th. You can see the first photos fromOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodbelow, thanks toVanity Fair.
