One of the most popular filmmakers working in Hollywood today is Quentin Tarantino, who has written and directed a line of critically acclaimed movies dating back to 1992's Reservoir Dogs. In the 30 years since his directorial feature film debuted, Tarantino has repeatedly claimed that he will stop directing movies with his eventual 10th theatrical feature. However, the actual math regarding how many films Tarantino has already directed is a point of contention, with some counts already placing the Academy Award-winning filmmaker over his projected end point.
Here is why Tarantino intends to stop his directorial filmmaking career with his proposed 10th film, what he plans to do next and how many films he has technically helmed so far.
Why Quentin Plans to Only Make 10 Films
Tarantino has explained that his decision to retire from directing features is a way to close out his filmmaking work while he is still at the top of his game, leaving the audience "wanting more." Tarantino has compared this move as a sort of professional grand statement to close out his career on an auspicious note rather than potentially lose his passion and effectiveness for the craft. Tarantino feels that many celebrated filmmakers experience a decline in their quality and relevance -- a pattern he hopes to avoid.
Following this projected retirement, Tarantino plans to continue his work in the entertainment industry, albeit refocused in different mediums rather than writing and directing films. Tarantino has hinted at a long-standing nonfiction project that will examine 1970 as a pivotal year in the history of cinema. Tarantino has also alluded to a career writing books and plays in his filmmaking retirement, staying active as a creator outside of the director's chair.
How Many Films Has Quentin Tarantino Already Made?
By Tarantino's count, he has helmed nine feature film projects so far, with 2019's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood serving as his penultimate film. This would make whatever Tarantino helms next -- be it a remake of Reservoir Dogs or his own spin of Star Trek -- his final filmmaking project. However, other counts already have Tarantino past this target, depending on what are considered individual entries in his filmography. The count currently includes Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Death Proof -- originally released as the second half of the anthology movie Grindhouse -- Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
While Tarantino's revenge saga Kill Bill was released as two separate films, Tarantino regards both installments as halves of a single entry in his career. To underscore this stance, Tarantino has released a new cut of Kill Bill, combining the two volumes into a single film. If one counts each volume of Kill Bill as a separate film, Tarantino has already reached his 10-film count with Once Upon a Time with Hollywood.
Apart from projects as the sole director, Tarantino wrote and directed the fourth and final vignette in the 1995 anthology film Four Rooms; he also prominently appeared as one of the characters in the movie. Additionally, Tarantino served as a "guest director" for 2005's Sin City, directing a sequence involving Dwight having an imagined conversation with the deceased Jackie Boy during a car ride. However, as Tarantino did not direct and write either film in their entirety, they are both left out of the official count.