It’s a casting coup like none other! Brad Pitt and Leonardo Di Caprio are set to come together for the first time in a film and it’s going to be helmed by Quentin Tarantino. Sony Pictures made this rather big announcement on Wednesday.
The film will be titled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and according to the press release, Tarantino describes it as “a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor...Sharon Tate.”
“I’ve been working on this script for five years, as well as living in Los Angeles County most of my life, including in 1969, when I was seven years old,” said Tarantino in a statement. “I’m very excited to tell this story of an LA and a Hollywood that don’t exist anymore. And I couldn’t be happier about the dynamic teaming of DiCaprio & Pitt as Rick & Cliff.”
The film in all likelihood will also talk about the “Manson Family” murders since, Sharon Tate, who was married to filmmaker Roman Polanski, was murdered by members of the Charles Manson family in 1968 while she was pregnant.
Previously, Tarantino has independently cast both DiCaprio and Pitt in his films. While Pitt was a part of Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds (2009), DiCaprio starred in Django Unchained (2012) - both of which were Oscar favourites.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is scheduled to release on August 9, 2019.