Wrapping earlier this summer, after a reported 130 day shoot, Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" went through quite a few cast changes as it rolled in front of cameras. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kevin Costner, Sacha Baron Cohen, Kurt Russell and Anthony LaPaglia all exited the picture at various points, and while replacements were found, it seems Tarantino had the brainstorm to put himself in the movie too.
"CSI: Miami" actor Rex Linn, who was cast last year as Tennessee Harry in the film, recently chatted with Look At OKC about this experience working on the movie, and how he wound up with an unlikely co-star. “Quentin told me that he liked the scene so much he wanted to be in it, too, and that he would also be taking some of my lines,” Linn revealed. “So, you'll know the scenes when you see them. We'll be on the screen with Don Johnson and Jonah Hill. The scenes may not be long, but you will remember them.”
Tarantino is no stranger to popping up in projects he directs or works on, making appearances in "Death Proof," "Planet Terror" and with his voice and likeness popping up in "Inglourious Basterds." But here it seems a bit more substantial, so we'll have to see how it plays out. But it doesn't end there with the various bits and bobs surrounding the upcoming movie. Another actress has been revealed as part of the cast…and she's related to a pretty big star.
During his interview with GQ, Denzel Washington revealed he has quashed his beef with Tarantino that stemmed from "Crimson Tide" (which QT famously did punch up work on), and his daughter is now working with the director. "My oldest daughter—I see her digging her independence. She doesn't like me talking about it, but she's working with Tarantino," he said adding: "Isn't that interesting how life goes? But I buried that hatchet. I sought him out ten years ago. I told him, 'Look, I apologize.' You've just gotta let that go. You gonna walk around with that the rest of your life? He seemed relieved. And then here we are ten years later, and my daughter's working with him. Life is something."
Lastly, while 'Django' still has to makes its way to theaters, we can still speculate on what Tarantino might do next, right? Well, according to "Wolf Creek" star, Tarantino pal and Aussie John Jarratt, QT is thinking about making a movie on his home turf. "He wants to make this Australian film and I'll keep kicking him until he does," Jarratt told the Herald Sun adding: "He's told me he likes tough grittiness…the kicking and scratching kind of movies we make that I think helped inspire movies like 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Inglourious Basterds.' He likes the way we make movies and likes the way we make low-budget movies that look a trillion dollars and stand up next to the Bruce Willis movie next door."
Of course, Tarantino is very familiar with Aussie cinema history and even lent this expertise and backing to the acclaimed doc "Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation." We'll see how this plays out, but just remember, ideas are always percolating with Tarantino, and "Django Unchained" was something he had been brewing since at least 2007.
Surely, someone will ask him the question when he starts doing press rounds (soon?) for "Django Unchained," which hits theaters on Christmas Day.
