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More plot details revealed for Quentin Tarantino's Manson Family film

Quentin Tarantino will start filming his ninth feature film in 2018 in Los Angeles.
Quentin Tarantino will start filming his ninth feature film in 2018 in Los Angeles.

Just before the news of Charles Manson’s death, Sony confirmed that it has secured the distribution rights to Quentin Tarantino’s Manson Family movie.

The director has been shopping his script around various studios for months, having severed his working relationship with The Weinstein Company following the sexual abuse scandal surrounding his friend Harvey Weinstein.

Ever since the release of Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Tarantino has released his movies through Weinstein’s companies, first Miramax then TWC, but now he’s moved on to ensure his next film is not tainted by the association.

The movie will be the acclaimed director’s first film since 2015’s The Hateful Eight, and it seems his script will offer a similar sort of revisionist history.

According to Vanity Fair, the film will be set during the summer of 1969 when Charles Manson and his family orchestrated the murders of Sharon Tate and some friends at the home the pregnant actress was renting in California.

Though the story will not focus on Manson himself, rather two wannabe film stars hoping to make their break in Hollywood:

“Set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969, Tarantino’s upcoming movie, according to a source who read the script, focuses on a male TV actor who’s had one hit series and is looking for a way to get into the film business. His sidekick— who’s also his stunt double —is looking for the same thing. The horrific murder of Sharon Tate and four of her friends by Charles Manson’s cult of followers serves as a backdrop to the main story.”

It’s certainly a plausible way for Tarantino to approach the Manson story without focusing solely on those killings. The cult leader was associated with some well respected names within the entertainment industry including Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and music producer Terry Melcher, who was the previous occupant of the house Sharon Tate was staying at when she was murdered.

In this June 10, 1981 file photo, convicted murderer Charles Manson is photographed during an interview with television talk show host Tom Snyder in a medical facility in Vacaville, California (AP Photo, File)
In this June 10, 1981 file photo, convicted murderer Charles Manson is photographed during an interview with television talk show host Tom Snyder in a medical facility in Vacaville, California (AP Photo, File)

According to Deadline, Tarantino has approached a couple of his former stars to appear in the movie including Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained). Tom Cruise is another big name star the director has reportedly spoken to about joining what he hopes is a stellar ensemble cast.

Tarantino can certainly afford some A-list names considering the reported $100 million production he’s managed to get Sony to agree to. That’s the same amount he got for 2012’s Django Unchained which went on to make $425.4 million at the international box office.

With production expected to begin in June 2018 in time for a 2019 release – the year that will mark the 50 year anniversary of the Manson Family’s infamous murders – Sony are no doubt betting on the movie achieving the same.


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