Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (stylized as Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood) is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures and Heyday Films, it is an international co-production between the United States and the United Kingdom. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Margaret Qualley, and Al Pacino. The film is set in 1969 Los Angeles where an aging television actor and his stunt double embark on an odyssey to make a name for themselves in the film industry. It features a large ensemble cast who star in "multiple storylines in a modern fairy tale tribute to the final moments of Hollywood's golden age."

First announced in July 2017, the film is the first of Tarantino's not to be associated with producer Harvey Weinstein, after Tarantino cut ties with The Weinstein Company following sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein that October. Sony Pictures won the distribution rights, having met several of Tarantino's demands including final cut privilege. Pitt, DiCaprio, and Robbie, as well as several Tarantino regulars such as Zoe Bell and Kurt Russell, joined the cast between January and June 2018. Principal photography lasted from that June through November around Los Angeles. It is the last film to feature actor Luke Perry, who died in March 2019.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2019, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on July 26, 2019 and on August 14, 2019 in the United Kingdom. The film had an overall positive reception by critics, who found it a heady and an engrossing nostalgia piece and love letter to 1960s L.A.

Plot
In February 1969, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), who starred in a black-and-white TV Western series called Bounty Law in the late '50s and early '60s, finds his career is faltering. He dwindles into a drawling functional alcoholism alongside Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), Rick's longtime stunt double and best friend. Rick laments that his career is over. Cliff, by contrast, is a war veteran who lives in a derelict trailer next to the Van Nuys Drive-In but seems happy and satisfied. Cliff is also rumored to have murdered his wife, and gotten away with it. While passing the day by, Cliff participates in a fists-meets-martial-arts duel on the set of The Green Hornet. Later, Rick, playing a black-hatted villain on the new series Lancer, gets into a philosophical chat about acting with his 8-year-old girl costar, who's a budding feminist method actor.

Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), along with her husband, Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha), have rented the house next to Rick's on 10050 Cielo Drive. At a Playboy Mansion party Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis) hangs out with Mama Cass (Rachel Redleaf). McQueen, talking to Rick, fills in the backstory of Sharon, Roman, and their friend Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch), the hairdresser who is still in love with Sharon — and, according to McQueen, is hanging around with them because he's biding his time, waiting for Roman to screw up his marriage.

After a standout performance in Lancer, Rick is offered by casting agent Mike Schwartz (Al Pacino), to shoot a Western in Rome. The prospect fills him with despair; he thinks spaghetti Westerns are the bottom rung of the entertainment totem pole. He takes Cliff with him, and he spends six months there, making a few more films; he comes back with an Italian wife. Back in Hollywood, while escorting the flirtatious Pussycat (Margaret Qualley) to the Spahn Movie Ranch, Cliff learns Pussycat is a member of the Manson Family, notorious for stalking and preying on the locals, and that Charles Manson has established the ranch as a safehouse.

Cliff and Rick return to the ranch and walk into a murder plot where Manson's female army have kidnapped Tate and several others, with the intent to kill them. Rick, Cliff and Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) brutally defeat the Manson Family cult in a shoot out/kung-fu showdown. Tate is saved but Cliff dies, despite his career having not amounted to his ambition, Rick acknowledges it is the end of an era and that the Hollywood spirit will live on.

Cast

 * Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton:
 * Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth:
 * Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate:
 * Kurt Russell as Randy:
 * Timothy Olyphant as James Stacy:
 * Dakota Fanning as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme:
 * Luke Perry as Wayne Maunder:
 * Margaret Qualley as Pussycat:
 * Al Pacino as Marvin Schwartz:
 * Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen:
 * Bruce Dern as George Spahn:
 * Emile Hirsch as Jay Sebring:
 * Scoot McNairy as Business Bob Gilbert:
 * Damon Herriman as Charles Manson: Herriman previously portrayed Manson in the television series Mindhunter.
 * Austin Butler as Charles "Tex" Watson:
 * Lena Dunham as Catherine Share:
 * Nicholas Hammond as Sam Wanamaker:
 * Spencer Garrett as Allen Kincade:
 * Mike Moh as Bruce Lee:
 * Maurice Compte as Land Pirate Mao
 * Lew Temple as Land Pirate Lew
 * Lorenza Izzo as Francesca Cappucci whom he meets in Italy:
 * Rafał Zawierucha as Roman Polanski:
 * Costa Ronin as Wojciech Frykowski:
 * Samantha Robinson as Abigail Folger:
 * Rumer Willis as Joanna Pettet:
 * Dreama Walker as Connie Stevens:
 * Victoria Pedretti as Leslie Van Houten
 * Madisen Beaty as Patricia Krenwinkel
 * Maya Hawke as Flower Child
 * Clifton Collins Jr. as Ernesto "The Mexican" Vaquero
 * Zoë Bell as Randy's wife
 * Keith Jefferson as Land Pirate Keith
 * Eddie Perez as Land Pirate Eddie
 * Rachel Redleaf as Cass Elliot

Additionally, Michael Vincent McHugh, Julia Butters, Martin Kove, Brenda Vaccaro, Nichole Galicia, Craig Stark, Marco Rodríguez, Ramón Franco, Nas Mehdi, Raul Cardona, Sydney Sweeney, Clu Gulager, Mikey Madison, Inbal Arimav, Natalie Cohen, Kate Berlant, Kansas Bowling, Parker Love Bowling, Daniella Pick, Lisa Dee, Robert Broski, James T. Schlegel, Brian Patrick Butler, Tom Hartig, Chad Ridgely, Rebecca Rittenhouse, and Harley Quinn Smith have all been cast in undisclosed roles. Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, James Marsden, James Remar and Danny Strong filmed scenes for the film, but were ultimately cut.

Production
On July 11, 2017, it was announced that Quentin Tarantino had written a screenplay for a film about the Manson Family murders, which he would direct as his next project. Harvey and Bob Weinstein would be involved but it was not known whether their studio, The Weinstein Company, would distribute the film as Tarantino sought to cast the film before sending out a package to studios. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence were revealed to be two names Tarantino had approached to star in the film. On the same day, it was separately reported that Margot Robbie was in talks to potentially portray actress Sharon Tate, Samuel L. Jackson was also in talks to portray a major role, and that Pitt was in talks to portray the detective investigating the murders.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations, Tarantino severed ties with Weinstein and sought a new distributor, after having worked with Weinstein for his entire career. At this point Leonardo DiCaprio was revealed to be among a short list of actors Tarantino was considering for the film. A short time later, there were reports that the studios were still bidding for the film set in Los Angeles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, that Tom Cruise was also in talks for one of two lead male roles, and David Heyman had joined the film as a producer, who would produce along with Tarantino and Shannon McIntosh. On November 11, 2017, Sony Pictures announced they would be distributing the film, having beaten Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Annapurna Pictures and Lionsgate for the rights. To secure the rights to distribute the film, Sony Pictures had to agree to Tarantino's demands, which included "a $95 million production budget, final cut and 'extraordinary creative controls'", plus 25% of first-dollar gross. Another demand was that the rights to the movie revert to him after 10 to 20 years." During a publicity interview by The Hollywood Reporter, Margot Robbie, when inquired about her potential involvement in the Tarantino-helmed film, noted that "Nothing's official [...] but I would kill to work with him."

In January 2018, DiCaprio signed to star in the film, taking a pay cut to collaborate with Tarantino again. It was also revealed that Al Pacino was being eyed for a role. On February 28, 2018, the film was officially titled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with Pitt cast in the role Cruise was also up for. DiCaprio and Pitt were both paid $10 million dollars for their work in the film. In March 2018, Robbie signed to co-star in the film as Sharon Tate, while Zoë Bell confirmed that she would also appear in the film. In May 2018, Burt Reynolds, Tim Roth, Kurt Russell, and Michael Madsen joined the cast with the latter three in small roles. Timothy Olyphant was also cast. In June 2018, Damian Lewis, Luke Perry, Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, Clifton Collins Jr., Keith Jefferson, Nicholas Hammond, Pacino, and Scoot McNairy joined the cast.

Additional casting which included the additions of Spencer Garrett, James Remar, Brenda Vaccaro and Mike Moh was announced in July. In August 2018, additional castings were made, including Damon Herriman as Charles Manson, and Lena Dunham, Austin Butler, Danny Strong, Rumer Willis, Dreama Walker, and Margaret Qualley cast in supporting roles.

Principal photography began on June 18, 2018, in Los Angeles, California, and wrapped on November 1, 2018. Reynolds died in September 2018 before filming any of his scenes; Bruce Dern was cast as George Spahn in his place.

Release
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2019. It is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on July 26, 2019, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was originally scheduled for release on August 9 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Tate–LaBianca murders.

A teaser trailer was released on March 20, 2019, featuring 1960s music by The Mamas & the Papas ("Straight Shooter") and by Los Bravos ("Bring a Little Lovin'"). The official trailer was released on May 21, 2019 and featured the songs “Good Thing” by Paul Revere and The Raiders, and "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" by Neil Diamond.

Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 8.28/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrillingly unrestrained yet solidly crafted, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tempers Tarantino's provocative impulses with the clarity of a mature filmmaker's vision." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 88 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".