Quentin Tarantino is a director known for his distinct filmmaking style, his focus on quality over quantity, and his ability to attract A-List talent. From Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson to Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, the director has cast the biggest of the biggest. Yet, one major Hollywood star has curiously remained absent from his filmography: Tom Cruise
This surprising absence could have been resolved in 2019 when Tarantino considered Tom Cruise for a role in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” lived for movies and stunts, two things synonymous with Tom Cruise. So, it’s not shocking Quentin Tarantino nearly cast Cruise in the role.
Quentin Tarantino considered casting Tom Cruise in place of Brad Pitt in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
In a previous podcast with Happy Sad Confused, the American director shared with fans how the makers had a discussion over casting Tom Cruise for Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
“We talked about it. He (Tom Cruise) is a great guy and we really hit it off. [A collaboration] could happen on something else. The reality is, was it always these two guys? It’s the casting coup of the decade” – Quentin Tarantino on his casting
While Tarantino was amazed at the idea of casting Tom Cruise for the role, Brad Pitt was still his first choice for Cliff Booth. He had envisioned DiCaprio and Pitt to star in the movie together. However, Hollywood can take any turn at any moment and thus, he had backup in his mind.
“So the reality is I had maybe eight different pairings of actors that could go together in a realistic way in this kind of situation. Now the ones that I got were definitely my number 1 [choices], but I could never just be confident about that, I had to have a few different backups and a few different exploratory ways to go” – Quentin Tarantino continued on the podcast
Tarantino’s dream cast worked together for the movie, and it turned out to do wonders at the box office.
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt might work together in Quentin Tarantino’s last movie
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt have starred together only once. Their collaboration dates back to 1994 in Interview with the Vampire. However, rumors have that the two actors can collab once again for Quentin Tarantino’s last project. Tarantino and Pitt are all set to reunite in The Film Critic, the director’s tenth and final film.
Further, according to a report from The Insneider (via ComingSoon), the Mission Impossible megastar is in talks to join the director’s final project. Will Tarantino be the maestro bringing these two powerhouses together for one final cinematic dance? Only time will tell, but the mere possibility has tongues wagging and anticipation soaring.
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is available to stream online on Hulu and DirectTV.
