Quentin Tarantino scores Al Pacino for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

At the rate that Quentin Tarantino is scooping up actors for ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, there may not be anyone left by the time production begins. The upcoming flick already boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent, and now Variety reports that none other than Al Pacino has joined up with the ensemble cast.

The outlet reports that Al Pacino is set to play Marvin Shwarz, the agent to Leonardo DiCaprio‘s character of Rick Dalton, a former Western TV star who is struggling to stay relevant in Hollywood. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD also stars Brad Pitt as Dalton’s longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth. “Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore,” Tarantino has said. “But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor…Sharon Tate.” The bloody reign of terror of the Manson Family is said to provide a backdrop to the story, and in addition to Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is also set to star Margot Robbie, Burt Reynolds, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Madsen, and Tim Roth. Yesterday found another crop of actors joining up, including Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen, Luke Perry as Scotty Lancer, Emile Hirsch as hairstylist Jay Sebring, Dakota Fanning as Manson Family member Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Clifton Collins Jr. as Ernesto the Mexican Vaquero, Keith Jefferson as Land Pirate Keith, and Nicholas Hammond as Sam Wanamaker. While that may seem like more than enough, you can expect more casting news in the coming days, especially as the role of Charles Manson has yet to have been filled.

Quentin Tarantino spoke about ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD at CinemaCon (along with Leonardo DiCaprio) and spilled a few small details about the upcoming film. “It’s all is very hush-hush and top secret and under wraps. So, I can’t really go into any big details of the story. But, what I can tell you is that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood takes place during the Hollywood era of 1969,” Tarantino said. “It takes place at the height of the counterculture explosion. It takes place at the time of the hippie revolution and it takes place at the height of new Hollywood. And, during this summer, little by little, block by block, we will be transforming Los Angeles into the psychadelic era of Hollywood in 1969 to be prepared for 2019.” The director added that the film “is probably the closest to PULP FICTION I’ve done, as opposed to a movie that really is a Los Angeles movie and it deals with a couple of lead characters, but a lot of wild supporting characters that kind of make a blanket throughout the town.“

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is set for an August 9, 2019 release.