History of Quentin Tarantino in Timeline
Quentin Tarantino is a highly influential American filmmaker, actor, and author celebrated for his distinctive cinematic style. His films are marked by graphic violence, stylized dialogue laden with profanity, and abundant pop-culture references, fostering a devoted cult following and achieving significant critical and commercial success. Considered by some to be the most influential director of his generation, Tarantino's accolades include multiple Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. His movies have collectively earned over $1.9 billion globally.
1960: Influence from Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless
Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 version of Breathless, was cited as a formative influence on Quentin Tarantino's career.
1960: Opinion on Psycho
Quentin Tarantino considers the 1983 film Psycho II to be superior to the original 1960 film Psycho.
March 27, 1963: Quentin Tarantino's Birth
On March 27, 1963, Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Connie McHugh and Tony Tarantino.
1977: Setting of 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth'
In 2026, Quentin Tarantino wrote and produced the film The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, set in 1977.
1981: Admiration of Blow Out and Roadgames
In 1981, Quentin Tarantino admired the film Blow Out, directed by Brian De Palma. He also listed the Australian suspense film Roadgames as another favorite film.
1983: Opinion on Psycho II
In 1983, Quentin Tarantino considers the film Psycho II to be superior to the original 1960 film Psycho.
1983: Captivation with Jim McBride's Breathless
In 1983, Quentin Tarantino was captivated with Jim McBride's remake of "Breathless" and with Richard Gere's protagonist. The film's references, in particular the comic book Silver Surfer, inspired him to have the character's poster on Mr. Orange's apartment wall in Reservoir Dogs.
1987: Appreciation of Elaine May's Ishtar
In 1987, Quentin Tarantino appreciates Elaine May's film Ishtar, despite its reputation as a box-office flop.
November 19, 1988: Appearance on The Golden Girls
On November 19, 1988, Quentin Tarantino appeared as an Elvis impersonator in an episode of The Golden Girls, titled "Sophia's Wedding: Part 1". The residuals from this role helped support him during the preproduction of Reservoir Dogs.
January 1992: Release of Reservoir Dogs
In January 1992, Quentin Tarantino's crime thriller Reservoir Dogs was released. Tarantino wrote, directed, and acted in the film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews.
1993: Sale of Natural Born Killers Script
In 1993, Quentin Tarantino sold his script for Natural Born Killers, receiving only a story credit after it was rewritten. He later disowned the film.
1994: Palme d'Or Win for Pulp Fiction
In 1994, Quentin Tarantino won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Pulp Fiction.
1994: Feud with Denzel Washington
In 1994, during the filming of Crimson Tide, Tarantino had an on-set feud with Denzel Washington over what was described as "Tarantino's racist dialogue added to the script". Washington apologized to Tarantino a few years later.
1995: Relationship with Mira Sorvino
From 1995 to 1998, Quentin Tarantino dated actress Mira Sorvino and was her date at the 68th Oscars ceremony.
1995: Premiere Magazine article
In 1995, Premiere magazine included an interview from a biography by Jami Bernard with his biological father, Tony Tarantino, someone he had never met, which angered Quentin Tarantino.
1995: Formation of Rolling Thunder Pictures
In 1995, Quentin Tarantino formed Rolling Thunder Pictures with Miramax to release or re-release several independent and foreign features.
October 1997: Assault on Don Murphy
In October 1997, Quentin Tarantino physically assaulted Don Murphy in a restaurant in West Hollywood after the publication of the book "Killer Instinct". Murphy subsequently filed a $5 million lawsuit against Tarantino which ended with the judge ordering Tarantino to pay Murphy $450.
1997: Miramax shut down Rolling Thunder Pictures
In 1997, Miramax shut down Rolling Thunder Pictures due to poor sales.
1997: Spike Lee's questioning of Tarantino's use of racial slurs
In 1997, Spike Lee questioned Quentin Tarantino's use of racial slurs, especially the N-word, in his films Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown.
1997: Incident with Chris Connelly
In 1997, during the Oscars ceremony, Quentin Tarantino grabbed Mira Sorvino and confronted Chris Connelly, then-MTV News host, for writing a story about his father and spat at him.
March 1998: Separation from Mira Sorvino
In March 1998, Quentin Tarantino and Mira Sorvino separated, releasing a statement that they still loved each other but had reached a mutual decision to go their separate ways.
2001: Production of Iron Monkey
In 2001, Quentin Tarantino produced the US release of the Hong Kong martial arts film "Iron Monkey", which grossed over $14 million worldwide.
2003: Relationship with Sofia Coppola
From 2003 to 2005, Quentin Tarantino was in a romantic relationship with filmmaker Sofia Coppola. The two have remained friends since their breakup.
2003: Howard Stern Interview
In 2003, during an interview with Howard Stern, Quentin Tarantino defended Roman Polanski against charges of raping a 13-year-old in 1977, claiming Polanski's actions were "not rape".
2004: US Release of Hero
In 2004, Quentin Tarantino brought the Chinese martial arts film "Hero" to the US. It opened at number-one at the box office and eventually earned $53.5 million.
2005: Relationship with Sofia Coppola
From 2003 to 2005, Quentin Tarantino was in a romantic relationship with filmmaker Sofia Coppola. The two have remained friends since their breakup.
2005: Icon of the Decade Award
In 2005, Quentin Tarantino was awarded the honorary Icon of the Decade at the 10th Empire Awards.
2005: Inclusion on Time 100 list
In 2005, Quentin Tarantino was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
2006: Release of Hostel
In 2006, Quentin Tarantino presented "Hostel", which opened at number-one at the box office. He also presented 2006's "The Protector".
2006: Production of Freedom's Fury
In 2006, while in negotiations with Lucy Liu for Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino and Lucy Liu helped produce the Hungarian sports documentary "Freedom's Fury", released in 2006, about the Blood in the Water match at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
August 2007: Tarantino's appreciation of Filipino cinema
In August 2007, while teaching at the 9th Cinemanila International Film Festival in Manila, Quentin Tarantino cited Filipino directors Cirio H. Santiago, Eddie Romero, and Gerardo de León as personal icons from the 1970s, expressing admiration for Republic of the Philippines cinema.
2007: Sally Menke collaboration
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino described editor Sally Menke, as "hands down my number one collaborator".
2007: Production of Hostel: Part II
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino was a producer of the film "Hostel: Part II".
2007: Inclusion on The Daily Telegraph's list of "Top 100 Living Geniuses"
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino was included on The Daily Telegraph's list of "Top 100 Living Geniuses".
October 2008: Filming of Inglourious Basterds Began
In October 2008, filming began on Quentin Tarantino's film, Inglourious Basterds.
2008: Production of Hell Ride
In 2008, Quentin Tarantino produced "Hell Ride", a revenge biker film directed by Larry Bishop.
August 2009: Release of Inglourious Basterds
In August 2009, Quentin Tarantino's film Inglourious Basterds was released. The film opened to positive reviews and had the highest box office gross in the US and Canada for the weekend upon release.
2009: Meeting Daniella Pick
In 2009, Quentin Tarantino met Daniella Pick in Israel while promoting Inglourious Basterds.
2009: Tarantino discusses retirement plans
In 2009, Quentin Tarantino stated that he planned to retire from filmmaking at 60 to focus on writing novels and film literature. He also expressed skepticism about the film industry going digital.
2009: Feud with David Letterman
In 2009, prior to appearing on Late Show with David Letterman to promote Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino had a heated phone call with Letterman over a previous interview with Tarantino's ex-girlfriend. The issue was resolved years later with a grudging apology from Tarantino.
February 2010: Purchase of New Beverly Cinema
In February 2010, Quentin Tarantino bought the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, vowing to keep it showing films shot on 35 mm.
2010: Death of Sally Menke
Editor Sally Menke, who worked on all Quentin Tarantino films until her death in 2010, was described by Tarantino in 2007 as his most important collaborator.
2011: Production of Django Unchained
In 2011, Quentin Tarantino began production on "Django Unchained", a film set in the Southern United States in 1858, about the revenge of a former slave. The film was inspired by Tarantino's desire to create a Spaghetti Western set in America's Deep South during the Antebellum Period.
2011: Honorary César Award
In 2011, Quentin Tarantino was given an Honorary César by the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma.
2011: Recognition at Critics' Choice Awards
In 2011, Quentin Tarantino was recognized at the 16th Critics' Choice Awards with the inaugural Music+Film Award, acknowledging his choice of music in his films.
December 2012: Release of Django Unchained and Academy Award
In December 2012, "Django Unchained" was released, becoming Quentin Tarantino's highest-grossing film to date. He also won his second Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film.
2012: Lifetime Achievement Award from Rome Film Festival
In 2012, Quentin Tarantino received a lifetime achievement award from the Rome Film Festival.
2012: Sight and Sound directors' poll
In the 2012 Sight and Sound directors' poll, Quentin Tarantino listed his 12 favorite films including Apocalypse Now, The Bad News Bears, Carrie, Dazed and Confused, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
November 2013: New Western film announcement
In November 2013, Quentin Tarantino announced he was working on a new Western film, although it would not be a sequel to "Django Unchained".
2013: Most-studied director in the United Kingdom
In 2013, a survey revealed that Quentin Tarantino was the most-studied director in the United Kingdom in essays and dissertations on film.
2013: Interview on Channel 4 News
In 2013, during an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Channel 4 News while promoting Django Unchained in the UK, Tarantino reacted angrily when questioned about the link between movie violence and real-life violence.
January 11, 2014: Title of the film revealed
On January 11, 2014, the title of Quentin Tarantino's new film was revealed to be "The Hateful Eight".
January 2014: Script leak and consideration of abandoning production
In January 2014, the script for "The Hateful Eight" was leaked. This breach of confidence caused Quentin Tarantino to consider abandoning the film production and instead publishing it as a novel.
April 19, 2014: Live reading of The Hateful Eight script
On April 19, 2014, Quentin Tarantino directed a live reading of the leaked script for "The Hateful Eight" at the United Artists Theater in the Ace Hotel Los Angeles for the Live Read series. Tarantino stated that the reading would be of the first draft and that he was writing two new drafts with a different ending.
2014: Tarantino's involvement in New Beverly programming
Starting in 2014, Quentin Tarantino took a more active role in programming film screenings at the New Beverly, showing his own films as well as prints from his personal collection.
January 2015: Filming went ahead as planned
In January 2015, filming of "The Hateful Eight" went ahead as planned with the new draft.
October 2015: Attendance at Police Brutality Rally
In October 2015, Quentin Tarantino attended a rally in New York protesting police brutality, where he made a speech addressing the issue.
December 25, 2015: Release of The Hateful Eight
On December 25, 2015, "The Hateful Eight" was released as a roadshow presentation in 70 mm film-format theaters.
December 30, 2015: Digital theater release of The Hateful Eight
On December 30, 2015, "The Hateful Eight" was released in digital theaters after its initial roadshow presentation.
2015: Political Views and Support
In 2015, Tarantino expressed that Barack Obama is his favorite president and voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
June 30, 2017: Engagement to Daniella Pick
On June 30, 2017, Quentin Tarantino became engaged to Israeli singer Daniella Pick.
July 2017: Plans for Manson Family Murders film reported
In July 2017, it was reported that Quentin Tarantino's next project would be a film about the Manson Family murders.
October 18, 2017: Interview on Harvey Weinstein Allegations
On October 18, 2017, Quentin Tarantino gave an interview discussing sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Tarantino revealed that Mira Sorvino told him in the mid-1990s about her experience with Weinstein and that he confronted Weinstein at the time.
2017: Weinstein Scandal
In 2017, Quentin Tarantino expressed regret for not pressing Harvey Weinstein further regarding his misconduct.
February 3, 2018: Uma Thurman's Allegations and Tarantino's Response
On February 3, 2018, Kill Bill actress Uma Thurman said that Harvey Weinstein had sexually assaulted her, and that she had reported this to Tarantino. Tarantino confronted Weinstein, as he had previously, demanding he apologize and banning him from contact with Thurman for the remainder of the film's production.
February 2018: Announcement of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
In February 2018, it was announced that the film about the Manson Family murders would be titled "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." Leonardo DiCaprio was cast as Rick Dalton, Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, and Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate.
November 28, 2018: Marriage to Daniella Pick
On November 28, 2018, Quentin Tarantino married Daniella Pick in a Reform Jewish ceremony in their Beverly Hills Home.
2018: Controversial Interview Resurfaces
In 2018, Tarantino's 2003 Howard Stern interview resurfaced, drawing criticism for his comments about Roman Polanski. He later issued an apology, acknowledging his error in defending Polanski.
July 2019: Theatrical release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
In July 2019, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was theatrically released after premiering at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The movie received critical acclaim, and Quentin Tarantino earned ten Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards.
2019: Cannes Film Festival Press Conference
In 2019, during the Cannes Film Festival press conference for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino responded indignantly to a journalist's question about Margot Robbie's limited lines in the film.
January 2020: Splitting Time Between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles
As of January 2020, Quentin Tarantino and Daniella Pick were splitting their time between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, leading him to learn Hebrew.
February 22, 2020: Birth of First Child
On February 22, 2020, Quentin Tarantino's son was born in Israel.
June 2020: Recognition as critic on Rotten Tomatoes
In June 2020, Quentin Tarantino became an officially recognized critic on the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.
2020: Two-Book Deal with HarperCollins
In 2020, Quentin Tarantino signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins.
June 2021: Declaration of Atheism
In June 2021, Quentin Tarantino declared that he was an atheist.
June 2021: Podcast Announcement
In June 2021, Tarantino announced plans to start a podcast with Roger Avary, named after Video Archives.
June 2021: Publication of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' Novelization
In June 2021, Tarantino published his first novel, a novelization of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, receiving positive reviews.
June 2021: Joe Rogan Experience Interview
In June 2021, on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Tarantino expressed regret for not pressing Harvey Weinstein further regarding his misconduct before the 2017 scandal. He also commented on his past relationship with Weinstein, whom he once looked up to.
2021: Purchase of Vista Theatre
In 2021, Quentin Tarantino announced that he had also purchased the Vista Theatre in Los Angeles, stating that he intends to keep it a first-run theatre, and that like The New Beverly it will only show movies on film.
July 3, 2022: Birth of Second Child
On July 3, 2022, Quentin Tarantino's second child, a daughter, was born in Israel.
July 19, 2022: Video Archives Podcast Premiere
On July 19, 2022, the Video Archives podcast, hosted by Tarantino and Roger Avary, premiered.
November 1, 2022: Publication of Cinema Speculation
On November 1, 2022, Tarantino published Cinema Speculation, a book about films of the New Hollywood era.
November 2022: Plans for television series revealed
In November 2022, Quentin Tarantino revealed plans to shoot an eight-episode television series in 2023, with no further details provided at the time.
2023: Visit to Israeli Military Base
In response to the 2023 October 7 attacks, Tarantino visited a military base in southern Israel to "boost the morale" of Israeli troops.
August 2024: Support for Kamala Harris in 2024 Election
In August 2024, Quentin Tarantino expressed his intention to vote for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election on Bill Maher's podcast Club Random.
January 2025: Tarantino at 2025 Sundance Film Festival
In January 2025, at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Quentin Tarantino stated he was in "no hurry" to make his final film, preferring to wait at least a year, prioritizing to instead write a stage play.
April 2025: Property Purchase in Tel Aviv
In April 2025, Quentin Tarantino and Daniella Pick bought a property in Tel Aviv worth $13.8 million, planning to build a home there.
December 2025: Criticism of Actors
In December 2025, during his appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino criticized the acting of Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard. Tarantino's comments received harsh criticism from others in the industry.
2025: Director to sweep Critics Award
For his work on Pulp Fiction, Tarantino became the first director to ever sweep "The Big Four" critics awards (LA, NBR, NY, NSFC).
March 2026: Production of The Popinjay Cavalier
By March 2026, Tarantino began production on the play The Popinjay Cavalier, which is set to debut at the West End theatres in early 2027.
March 2026: Announcement of Tarantino and Stallone miniseries
In March 2026, it was announced that Quentin Tarantino and Sylvester Stallone would co-direct and co-write a six-part miniseries featuring gangsters, showgirls, boxing, and music. The series is set to be shot in black and white, using 1930s cameras.
2026: Relocation to London
In August 2025, Tarantino announced he and Pick would be relocating to London in 2026, in preparation for his first West End play.
2026: Production of The Adventures of Cliff Booth
Quentin Tarantino wrote and produced the 2026 film, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood set in 1977, he chose not to direct it and handed the project to David Fincher.
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