‘Only What We Carry’: Quentin Tarantino Takes Biggest Acting Gig Since ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ Opposite Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella & Charlotte Gainsbourg

Some might be shocked, just like us, to learn that Quentin Tarantino has just landed a meaty acting role in the new Jamie Adams (“She Is Love” and “Wild Honey Pie!”) drama “Only What We Carry,” which has quietly wrapped in France with co-stars Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

As pointed out by Deadline in their reporting on the project, this would mark his biggest acting gig since the 1996 Robert Rodriguez-directed (script was penned by Tarantino with a story created to comic book writer Robert Kirkman of “The Walking Dead” and “Invincible“) vampire crime caper, “Dusk Till Dawn,” where Tarantino played the psychopathic brother of George Clooney, as they bump into a bar full of bloodsuckers while keeping a family hostage until they meet up with their criminal cohorts only for Tarantino to be turned into a vampire himself. Mostly, Tarantino has been relegated to minor cameos in various movies over the years, including his own alongside notable appearances in “Planet Terror” and “Sukiyaki Western Django.”

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Others mentioned among the cast of “Only What We Carry” are French actor Liam Hellmann (“Ibiza”) and U.S. singer Lizzy McAlpine. The French-set drama takes place in the windswept coast of Normandy and is said to be “a meditation on love, loss, and the quiet courage it takes to move forward.”

We also learned some character/plot details from the reporting as Pegg, the film’s lead, plays Julian Johns, “a once-formidable instructor whose former student Charlotte Levant (Boutella) returns home to face the ghosts of her past. Joining them are John Percy (Tarantino), Julian’s old friend whose sudden arrival stirs long-buried truths; Josephine Chabrol (Gainsbourg), Charlotte’s protective sister; Vincent (Hellmann), a restless artist caught between love and loyalty, and Jacqueline (McAlpine), a young aspiring dancer whose presence forces everyone to confront the weight of what they’ve left behind.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine to shoot an Eric Rohmer styled picture in Normandy, a dream that included collaborating with an exceptional international ensemble cast and crew. It turns out that by embracing the freedoms of independent cinema, that dream has come true. I’m forever grateful to the cast and crew of Only What We Carry for this moment,” Adams said in an official statement.

There is an interesting connection between Tarantino and the two “Star Trek” alumni, as he was once tasked by Paramount Pictures to develop his own “Trek” movie with screenwriter Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”) that was ultimately scrapped, but got some recent praise from Pegg (who co-wrote “Star Trek: Beyond” that introduced Boutella’s Jaylah, who eventually became a crew member of the Enterprise). We also should note that Edgar Wright made the fake British exploitation hororr trailer “Don’t” that featured Pegg (in multiple roles) for Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez‘s “Grindhouse.”

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“Only What We Carry” is produced by Charles Benoin, Hellmann, and Jouri Smit. However, we’re in the dark when Adams’ drama will debut and if it’ll attempt a festival run once post-production is completed.