Quentin Tarantino’s First Play Will Open in 2027

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Quentin Tarantino’s fans are eager to see his tenth and final film – a project he’s declared will be his last as a director. However, it seems the wait will continue, as Tarantino has just revealed his next project isn’t a movie at all.

I just saw a preview of Quentin Tarantino’s first ever stage play, and let me tell you, it’s a blast! Called The Popinjay Cavalier, it’s being billed as a really fun, chaotic comedy full of mistaken identities and disguises – think classic swashbuckling adventures, but for the stage. The producers are promising a wild ride, and honestly, I think they’re going to deliver.

I’m really excited for The Popinjay Cavalier! While they haven’t said exactly where in London’s West End it will be playing yet, they’ve confirmed it’s definitely coming to the West End. The biggest mystery right now, though, is who’s going to be in the cast – we’re all waiting to hear those announcements!

This marks Quentin Tarantino’s debut as a playwright, but he’s no stranger to Broadway – he previously appeared as an actor. Back in 1995, riding the wave of success from Pulp Fiction, Tarantino was in a revival of the 1966 play Wait Until Dark. The play centers on a blind woman who is the target of three criminals. While the film version of Wait Until Dark famously starred Audrey Hepburn, Marisa Tomei played the lead role in Tarantino’s stage production.

Quentin Tarantino hasn’t announced any plans for his next film, and it’s unclear when – or if – he’ll direct another one. He’s stated that his next movie will be his last directorial project, though he may continue to pursue other creative endeavors like plays. His most recent film as a director was 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

The film is getting a sequel, titled The Adventures of Cliff Booth, seven years after the original. While Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay, he didn’t direct it. Brad Pitt, who starred in the first film, was keen to bring Tarantino’s script to life and convinced director David Fincher – a frequent collaborator on films like Seven and Fight Club – to take the helm. Netflix plans to release the movie later this year.

You can sign up for more information on tickets at the play’s official website.

Every Quentin Tarantino Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

10. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Quentin Tarantino is known for gradually building tension through extended dialogue and scenes, creating a feeling that’s almost explosive. When this approach works, it’s incredibly satisfying and exciting. However, it doesn’t always succeed, and some parts of even his generally strong film, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, fall flat. Uma Thurman is fantastic as the Bride, and it was smart to keep her enemy hidden in the first movie. But when David Carradine appears as Bill in Vol. 2, much of the suspense built up previously disappears. He doesn’t quite live up to expectations, and the film as a whole, aside from a few standout moments – like the amazing sword fight between Thurman and Daryl Hannah – doesn’t fully deliver.

9. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

The explosive finale of Inglourious Basterds is arguably Quentin Tarantino’s most brilliant tribute to the impact of film. The movie within the movie literally becomes a weapon, blurring the lines between filmmaking and warfare in Nazi-occupied Germany. While all of Tarantino’s films are over-the-top, Inglourious Basterds feels particularly unrestrained. Its five distinct sections almost function as separate movies, and storylines like Shosanna Dreyfus’s (Melanie Laurent) pursuit of revenge sometimes clash with the more sensational and cartoonish violence perpetrated by the titular group of Jewish-American soldiers. Eventually, Tarantino’s stylistic choices begin to feel more self-indulgent than enjoyable for the viewer.

8. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

I still think the ideal version of Kill Bill would be a single, three-hour film combining both parts, but the first volume (Vol. 1) contains most of the movie’s highlights, especially the incredible, extended fight sequence in the House of Blue Leaves. Tarantino’s skill with long, flowing shots and complex camera work really shines in action scenes like this, allowing viewers to fully appreciate the detailed fight choreography created with the help of martial arts expert Yuen Woo-ping.

7. Django Unchained (2012)

Quentin Tarantino’s first proper Western blends elements of blaxploitation, horror, and superhero stories, essentially telling the origin story of a revenge-driven hero (Jamie Foxx, with plenty of cool intensity) in the South before the Civil War. Like many of Tarantino’s later films, it’s a bit too long – the climax is interrupted by a strange, unnecessary 15-minute scene where Tarantino appears as a not-very-believable Australian miner. However, at its best, the film is fantastic, featuring some of the strongest performances of Tarantino’s career. And my opinion? Christoph Waltz is even better here, as the bounty hunter who mentors Foxx’s character, Dr. King Schultz, than he was in Inglourious Basterds.

6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Quentin Tarantino’s first film famously begins with a conversation about Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” This clever discussion of pop culture details hints at the style that would define his career. But the choice of that specific song is key: as a first-time director, Tarantino playfully equated himself to a “directorial virgin,” using the scene to signal his filmmaking approach – a speech he actually delivers through the character of Mr. Brown. Even after 25 years, it remains a remarkable debut, highlighting a core principle Tarantino consistently champions: professionalism.

5. The Hateful Eight (2015)

This violent Western follows cowboys and outlaws stuck together in a general store during a blizzard, and it feels like a blend of the best elements from Reservoir Dogs and Django Unchained. The idea that the line between law enforcement and criminals is blurry isn’t new, but the way Tarantino uses simmering racial tensions as the central conflict feels increasingly relevant. (If you’re watching on Netflix, choose the original theatrical cut instead of the longer “Extended Version”.)

4. Death Proof (2007)

Quentin Tarantino has said he considers Death Proof his weakest film, but I respectfully disagree. All of his movies are clearly made by someone who loves cinema, and Death Proof is perhaps his most heartfelt tribute to a specific era of filmmaking – one focused on classic celluloid and the art of film projection, which has largely disappeared since the film’s release. Originally shown as a double feature with Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror under the title Grindhouse, Death Proof also celebrates the days when filmmakers relied on practical effects. Tarantino transforms a stuntman, brilliantly played by Kurt Russell, into a legendary, almost supernatural villain, and the only person capable of stopping him is another stuntwoman: Zoe Bell, who famously doubled for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, playing a version of herself. The title refers to Russell’s seemingly indestructible car, but it also feels like Tarantino paying homage to a lost time of real stunts and effects. That era might be gone, but the magic of movies lives on.

3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Even with its depiction of the famous murders, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is arguably Quentin Tarantino’s most heartwarming film to date. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt deliver outstanding performances as close friends navigating 1960s Los Angeles. DiCaprio plays a television star whose career is slipping, while Pitt is his calm and collected stunt double and driver. The film reflects on a changing era—the close of the 1960s, the evolution of cinema, and perhaps even a turning point in Tarantino’s own filmmaking journey. (You can find our complete review here.)

2. Jackie Brown (1997)

What I love about Jackie Brown is how realistically flawed the characters are. Max Cherry isn’t a cool, intimidating gangster; he’s just a regular, slightly disheveled guy. And Jackie Brown isn’t some criminal mastermind – we even see her practicing how to quickly draw her gun! Even Louis Gara has a relatable moment, forgetting where he parked during a robbery. They feel like real people, and I think some of Tarantino’s later films, while still excellent, could benefit from that same level of humanity. Some viewers were initially disappointed that Jackie Brown wasn’t as flashy or intricate as Pulp Fiction, but Tarantino’s more subtle choices are exactly what make it work. The opening credits, reminiscent of The Graduate, immediately establish Jackie’s character without her saying a word, and scenes like the one with Ordell and Beaumont are phenomenal. Plus, the film concludes with a truly memorable kiss – not because it’s overly passionate, but because it feels authentic and imperfect.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

While Pulp Fiction may not be the most copied film of the ’90s today, it was hugely influential for a time. The fact that so many attempts to recreate its style were unsuccessful highlights just how talented Quentin Tarantino is. The movie itself is a surprising mix of things that shouldn’t really fit together – it’s both a grand story about crime in Los Angeles and a deep look at its characters. It jumps between the wildly fantastical – think mysterious briefcases and secret clubs – and the everyday, like casual conversations about foot rubs and international fast food. It’s epic and intimate, funny and sad, violent and absurd. That’s what makes Pulp Fiction so unique.

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2026-03-11 16:57