Quentin Tarantino has been talking about a potential Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood novelization for a while now. Back in April, he told the Pure Cinema Podcast ( via IndieWire), “I hadn’t thought about that until recently. But now I’m thinking a lot about it. I might be writing a novelization to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.” Now, that novel is about to be reality.
According to Deadline, Tarantino inked a deal with HarperCollins’ imprint Harper to write two books. One is the aforementioned novelization of his 10-time Oscar nominated film. The second is a non-fiction work titled Cinema Speculation. The publisher described the latter ( via Deadline) as a “deep dive into the movies of the 1970s, a rich mix of essays, reviews, personal writing, and tantalizing ‘what if’s,’ from one of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, and its most devoted fan.”
Sony Pictures Releasing
The Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood novelization will follow two lead characters from the film: TV actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman and best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). It features appearances by real-life actors like Burt Reynolds, and ex-football stars Jim Brown and Fred Williamson.
“In the seventies movie novelizations were the first adult books I grew up reading,” Tarantino told Deadline. “And to this day I have a tremendous amount of affection for the genre.”
Tarantino is a tremendous storyteller, which has us extra excited about this novel. It’s a big deal for fans of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood desperate for more of that world. It’s only semi-fictional, after all. And Tarantino’s reverence for the time period will surely pave the way for a fascinating, touching book.
The Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood novel comes out next summer, with a deluxe hardcover edition set for that fall.
Featured Image: Sony Pictures Releasing