Yesterday we lost a Hollywood legend in Burt Reynolds, who passed away at the age of 82. A working actor until the end of his days, Reynolds was set to have a role in Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. Although the movie has been in production for several weeks, Reynolds was, unfortunately, never able to shoot any of his scenes before his passing.
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THR learned from sources that Reynolds was all set to start shooting his scenes in a matter of weeks, and his niece Nancy Lee Hess said he “was looking forward to working with Quentin Tarantino, and the amazing cast that was assembled.” Reynolds was set to play George Spahn, the owner of the ranch where the Manson family made camp during the evens of the Manson Family murders.
HOLLYWOOD centers on a former Western TV star (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) who take one more crack at making it big in a Hollywood that's growing increasingly foreign to them. Reynolds would have been part of an impressive ensemble cast that includes another Hollywood legend, Al Pacino, as well as DiCaprio, Pitt, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Damian Lewis, Emile Hirsch, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth and many more. It's not clear if Tarantino and Sony will recast the role, but if they do they may take some time before announcing who will take his spot.
It's a shame Reynolds didn't get a chance to work on Tarantino's movie, and he surely would've done wonders with the filmmaker's brand of dialogue. I don't know how big or important his role was in the movie, but should they decide to recast, I can imagine it will be near impossible to find someone who can match the likes of Reynolds.