Quentin Tarantino Plans to Retire After His Next Film — "It's Time to Wrap up the Show"
Published March 16 2023, 1:13 p.m. ET
When it comes to the art of filmmaking, beloved director Quentin Tarantino is in a league of his own. Over his 30-year career, the Knoxville native birthed films such as Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction, the Kill Bill franchise, and more.
Quentin has also flexed his skills as an actor, producer, and writer on many of those projects and beyond, solidifying him a true visionary.
That said, it’s common for fans to look at the trajectory of a filmmaker's career and how they plan to leave their mark upon retiring. For years, there has been talk about Quentin stepping away from filmmaking, but it appears that the time may have come.
So, why is Quentin Tarantino retiring? Here’s the 4-1-1.
Why is Quentin Tarantino retiring? He said that his 10th film — later revealed to be 'The Movie Critic' — will be his last.
Movie fans want answers as to why Quentin is stepping away from filmmaking, and it’s pretty simple. He believes that it’s time to “wrap up the show” after an over 30-year career.
“I’ve been doing it for a long time, I’ve been doing it for 30 years,” Quentin told CNN's Chris Wallace in November 2022. “I’m an entertainer. I want to leave people wanting more. And I don’t want to work to diminishing returns. I don’t want to become this old man that’s out of touch.”
Quentin continued, “I'm already feeling like an old man that is out of touch when it comes to current movies that are out right now. And that’s what happens.”
At the time, Quentin admitted that he had no idea what his 10th and last film would be, but sources told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2023 that The Movie Critic will be his last directed work.
Interestingly, the sources say that while the full synopsis of the film won't be disclosed until a specific time, the film is being described as having a female lead and set in Los Angeles during the late ‘70s.
Is there a chance that Quentin Tarantino will rethink his stance on retiring?
Truth be told, anything is possible. Historically, many great entertainers and public figures who shared that they would retire didn’t quite follow through.
For example, Tom Brady said that he would officially retire as a football quarterback on Feb. 1, 2022. However, he retracted his statement 40 days later and returned to play the season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After successfully winning the Superbowl with the Buccaneers in 2021, Tom later announced his retirement in February 2023.
Not to mention, rap legend and icon Jay-Z said in 2003 that “The Black Album” would be his last, but of course, he has since released various projects, including a joint album with his wife, Beyoncé.
Tom Brady and Jay-Z
That said, Quentin may be dead set on retiring, but there's a possibility that he may release one or a few more projects before truly stepping back.
When you have a deep love and passion for what you do, it’s hard to step back. And most times, it takes bringing all your dreams to fruition before doing so.
If Quentin does decide to bow out of the filmmaking world, we’d like to thank him for all of his contributions over the years.
