Quentin Tarantino's Final Movie Scores Massive Win: Is Box Office Triumph Assured?
With a $20 million tax subsidy, there's a chance that Quentin Tarantino's tenth (and supposedly final) film could rule at the box office.
When it comes to the biggest directors in the world, chances are that Tarantino will be mentioned in the same breath as Christopher Nolan or Martin Scorsese — all directors who are IP in and of themselves. With a worldwide audience and a knack for out-of-leftfield stories, Tarantino is one of the most celebrated contemporary filmmakers. And, if things go his way, the "Pulp Fiction" director will be retiring pretty darn soon.
For years, Tarantino, who last treated audiences to "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" in 2019, has been saying that his cinematic career will wrap up with a tenth film. After years of delivering hits, his final film is ready to enter production. Titled "The Movie Critic," Tarantino's latest is based on a real-life film critic who wrote for a pornographic magazine in the '70s. While details on the production are slim, Tarantino did provide information on what the critic was like (without revealing their identity) in a chat with Deadline. "He was as cynical as hell," the "Django Unchained" filmmaker shared. "He was very rude, you know. He cursed. He used racial slurs. But his [expletive] was really funny. He was as rude as hell."
While production on "The Movie Critic" hasn't started, Tarantino's latest is set to receive a $20.2 million tax subsidy from The California Film Commission, per The Hollywood Reporter. The outlet says that the film will generate around $128.4 million in qualified in-state funding. While it's unclear what a final budget looks like for "The Movie Critic," it's clear that a decent amount of faith is being put into Tarantino's final flick. But can it live up to the director's other box office successes?
What does the $20 million tax subsidiary mean?
Quentin Tarantino has always been a pull at the box office, with his irreverent ideas and direction always compelling audiences to give his latest a try. His 2019 film, "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," made a whopping $377 million in an era that supposedly didn't reward R-rated, adult-oriented, star-heavy films. (That narrative has since been dispelled thanks to the $850 million — and counting — gross of Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer.") To date, the director's highest-grossing entry is 2012's ultra-violent "Django Unchained," which nabbed a whopping $449 million worldwide.
With a substantial tax credit from California's film commission, which is one of the highest subsidiaries given out in recent memory, "The Movie Critic" has what it takes to be another big-budget financial juggernaut for Tarantino. With qualified expenditures north of $128 million, it's possible that "The Movie Critic" boasts one of the largest budgets Tarantino has ever received. For reference, 2019's "Once Upon..." nabbed $18 million in tax credits, with a final budget of reportedly $90 million. Seeing as "The Movie Critic" is on track to receive more credits than Tarantino's last pic, it wouldn't be unfair to assume that his latest poses a significant budget.
While "The Movie Critic" does seem like one of Tarantino's more intimate and "grounded" projects, a sizable budget could signal an expansive and star-studded cast, not unlike "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," which featured the likes of Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and more. It's unclear who will join Tarantino for his latest, but a sizable budget could mean one of two things: a star-studded cast and lavish, authentic visuals. Seeing as "The Movie Critic" is set in the '70s, it stands to reason that it'll make use of vintage cars and sets, which can certainly prop up its budget.
What will Quentin Tarantino's final film gross at the box office?
Knowing that cameras haven't started to roll and a cast hasn't been (publically) finalized, it's difficult to estimate what "The Movie Critic" could cost. However, it will be interesting to see what Quentin Tarantino's so-called final film will gross at the box office. The last year has proven that audiences are willing to show up for mature, R-rated stories with heavy subject matter, so it wouldn't be surprising if "The Movie Critic" was just as successful as "Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood." If Tarantino can get an A-lister, or a supporting cast filled with heavy weights, it's possible that star power and confident marketing could make "The Movie Critic" one of the director's most successful cinematic outings.
While speaking with Deadline (back in May of this year), Tarantino revealed that he had someone in mind for the lead role, but wasn't completely committed. "I haven't decided yet but it's going to be somebody in the 35-year-old ball park. It'll definitely be a new leading man for me," the director teased. "I do have an idea of somebody I can imagine doing it really well," Tarantino added.
If marketing can drive home how this is Tarantino's final film, it's all but possible that "The Movie Critic" could have a debut on par with the $40 million maiden weekend that "Once Upon..." had. As long as "The Movie Critic" has a manageable budget and compelling marketing, it should be able to gross over $150 million worldwide just based on Tarantino's name alone. The director's name recognition is enough to compel audiences to show up, and with positive word of mouth, the film could even top "Once Upon...," ending his filmmaking career with a financial bang.