Ever since the debut of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, there’s been speculation that an extended version of the film might be released: Though the cut of the movie that ended up in theatres was already 2 hours and 40 minutes long, hours more worth of footage was shot. And now, Once Upon a Time star Brad Pitt confirmed that we might get to see what was left on the cutting room floor—he told a reporter for The New York Times that Tarantino is considering repackaging the film as a miniseries.
Earlier this year, Tarantino re-released his 2015 film The Hateful Eight as a four-episode Netflix miniseries that included previously unseen footage. And, as Pitt told The Times’ Kyle Buchanan, the director is considering pulling the same move for Once Upon a Time. “Yeah, he’s talked about it,” said Pitt. “It’s a pretty arousing idea.”
Tarantino’s very first cut of the film clocked in at 4 hours and 20 minutes long, which is definitely long enough for a miniseries. And some of the cut footage sounds really, really neat. Charles Manson actor Damon Herriman told Esquire that he shot another scene for the film. James Marsden’s Burt Reynolds was cut from the film entirely, and producer David Heyman told IndieWire that child actor Julia Butters had a cut scene that, had it been included in the film, would have put her in contention for an Oscar. And according to Buchanan, Tarantino may have some promises to keep.
Gabrielle Bruney is a writer and editor for Esquire, where she focuses on politics and culture. She's based (and born and raised) in Brooklyn, New York.
