Tarantino’s latest close to finding a studio, Tom Cruise up for role

His longtime partnership with Harvey Weinstein having been brought to an end by Weinstein's sexual assault scandal, Quentin Tarantino has been searching for a new studio home for his latest film, a mysterious project that is set in 1969 Los Angeles and is said to have something to do with Charles Manson.

Nearly every studio had been hoping to get their hands on the project, but according to the trades the choice is down to three finalists: Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. While each of them made their own promising pitches to the filmmaker, WB really went all-out with their attempt to woo him: 

When Tarantino arrived at the studio’s Burbank lot, he found the circular entrance in front of the administration building adorned with cars from the late 1960s. The Warner Bros. logo circa 1969 was on the marquee outside the studio, and the executive conference room was outfitted with vintage furniture from the era and mock posters for the movie. 

To get the project, a studio will have to agree to several terms Tarantino has put in place, including the fact that he wants a budget around $100 million, expects first-dollar gross (a cut of the pre-tax revenue), and has to have final cut.

While Tarantino considers studios, he has also been assembling a list of potential cast members. Margot Robbie is in the running to play actress / Manson family victim Sharon Tate, while Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are contenders for roles. Tarantino recently met with Tom Cruise about playing one of two lead male roles.

I've been a huge fan of both Tarantino and Cruise for a long time, so that's a collaboration I would love to see happen. I really hope Cruise ends up signing on for this.

Tarantino will be producing the film with David Heyman. Shannon McIntosh and Georgia Kacandes will serve as executive producer and line producer, respectively.

Story details are being kept secret, but in response to so many people calling this his "Manson movie" Tarantino has said, "It’s not Charles Manson, it’s 1969." 

Deadline has been told that calling this a Manson movie is 

akin to calling Inglourious Basterds a movie about Adolf Hitler, when the Nazi leader was only in a scene or two. …

Those who've read it said the script has heart and a strong commercial appeal, and if there is a film of Tarantino’s it can be best compared to, it would be Pulp Fiction, which also was set in Los Angeles. 

Filming is expected to begin in mid-2018 for a 2019 release.