Advertisement

Quentin Tarantino: 'Pulp Fiction' was the closest I came to winning best director

By Marilyn Malara
Director and writer Quentin Tarantino and his girlfriend, costume designer Courtney Hoffman, attend the premiere of "The Hateful Eight" at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on December 7, 2015. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 3 | Director and writer Quentin Tarantino and his girlfriend, costume designer Courtney Hoffman, attend the premiere of "The Hateful Eight" at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on December 7, 2015. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

LONDON, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Quentin Tarantino is hoping for the honor of best director for his latest flick The Hateful Eight, but doesn't bet on it.

The famed filmmaker told the Guardian he may never win the prestigious award, "because I think the closest I ever came to having a movie that would have a sweep, was probably Pulp Fiction."

Advertisement

Despite being a two-time Oscar-winner for best screenplay, he says his movies rarely make a "sweep" or become nominated for a hefty amount of awards at once, lowering the chances he will win the top directing honor.

"The reality is this, the people who win best director, it's part of a sweep," he said. "They win best director, they win best picture, and maybe either actor or actress. There's about four big awards that they win, and that's their year. It's rarely just a completely, out-of-the-blue one, where the director won."

Tarantino's Hateful Eight is set to release in theaters on Christmas Day. The flick stars longtime collaborators Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell and Tim Roth alongside newcomer Channing Tatum. In a recent interview, Tatum admitted to being intimidated when first arriving onto Tarantino's set.

Advertisement

"I think of the first day, I must have looked so geeked-out because the very first shot was this crazy 360 [degree pan]," he said at an L.A. press conference Saturday. "And I'm just like wide-eyed trying to figure out what not to screw up."

Channing said costar Roth offered some friendly advice when he noticed the star-struck actor. "And Tim goes, 'Yep. Yep. You're about to be in a Quentin Tarantino film. Pull it together, Channing,' " he continued. "I looked so scared."

Latest Headlines