Quentin Tarantino Shelves ‘The Hateful Eight’

Quentin Tarantino had planned on filming ‘The Hateful Eight’ for his next feature, but after a script leak came to light yesterday, the enigmatic director has apparently decided to shelve the project. According to a story by Deadline’s Mike Fleming, Jr., after giving his script to a small circle of six people, including three actors he wished to consider for parts in the film, Tarantino discovered that his first draft screenplay for The Hateful Eight had been leaked online  when his agent started receiving calls from agents hoping to pitch their clients to join Tarantino’s newest western. Said Tarantino, “I give it out to six people, and if I can’t trust them to that degree, then I have no desire to make it. I’ll publish it. I’m done. I’ll move on to the next thing. I’ve got 10 more where that came from.”

Among the people Tarantino has confirmed received the script him are Reggie Hudlin, a producer on Django Unchained, and actors Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern and Tim Roth. The writer/director firmly stated that he knew that Tim Roth did not leak it to anyone but suspected that one of the other actors’ agents may have spread the script, which was apparently not watermarked (a standard security practice meant to prevent this sort of thing).

As mentioned, Tarantino has said he plans to publish the screenplay while pursuing other film projects, but left open the possibility of revisiting it in the future. Perhaps understandably, he’s thus far refused to divulge any information on what those other projects might be.

Curiously, Tarantino said it wasn’t the fact that his screenplay was publicly available that bothered him, but rather the principle of the fact that it leaked in the first place. “I am not talking out of both sides of my mouth, because I do like the fact that everyone eventually posts it, gets it and reviews it on the net. Frankly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I like the fact that people like my s***, and that they go out of their way to find it and read it. But I gave it to six motherf***** people! Starting this week, I’ll be setting meetings with publishers.”