Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie featured in a deep dive into Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
For the first time in his career, Academy Award–winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has authorized a definitive “making of” book series exploring his films. Journalist and author Jay Glennie has been granted unprecedented access to Tarantino and his collaborators, beginning with The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. The comprehensive coffee table book will be released on October 28 by Insight Editions. Pre-Order Here.
The project marks the beginning of a three-book deal arranged by Shane Salerno’s The Story Factory with Insight Editions. The follow-ups will chronicle Inglourious Basterds in 2026 and Django Unchained in 2027. Tarantino will also pen the introductions for each volume, and Glennie’s long-term plan is to write large-scale explorations of all ten Tarantino films, including the director’s forthcoming final feature.
Tarantino explained his choice of collaborator by noting that he has long admired Glennie’s work, saying he has read and loved his books, especially The Deer Hunter, and that he believes “there is no better guy to take a deep dive into my movies,” adding that this first volume is a “beautiful, fun, funny, and moving examination of my favorite movie.”
Exclusive Interviews and Behind-the-Scenes Stories
The first book includes new interviews with Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and dozens of cast and crew members. DiCaprio revealed that he felt a deep connection to his role as Rick Dalton because of friends he has known for decades who experienced similar struggles, explaining that “half of them are actors and great actors, and I know that story so well.” He reflected that the careers of many actors come down to “luck and being prepared at the right time,” recalling that he himself nearly spent ten years on Baywatch after an audition, which might have cost him opportunities that defined his career.
Pitt described the uncanny synchronicity he and Tarantino shared while shaping Cliff Booth.
Before a planned screening, Pitt brought over a DVD of Billy Jack as inspiration for the character, only to find that Tarantino already had a 35mm print threaded in his projector. “I had absolutely no idea Quentin was thinking of Billy Jack, and there I am standing with it in my hand on DVD,” Pitt recalled, emphasizing how aligned their visions for the character were from the start.
Robbie also shared a moment that shaped her approach to Sharon Tate, recalling that when she asked Tate’s sister Debra about Sharon’s perfume, she was stunned to be given Sharon’s own preserved bottle. Robbie explained that she always chooses a perfume for her characters, a smell she never wears again, and that Debra’s gesture gave her “a vital connection” to the actress she was portraying.
New Voices and Lasting Legacies
The book also highlights breakout performers like Mikey Madison and Sydney Sweeney, who credit Tarantino with shaping their careers. Madison said she was grateful to Tarantino and casting director Vickie Thomas for their belief in her and described working on the film as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” that she will one day proudly show her children. Sweeney described Tarantino’s directing style as “an experience like no other,” explaining that he builds not just scenes but entire worlds for his actors to inhabit.
Beyond cast reflections, the book includes hundreds of behind-the-scenes photographs, concept art, production memos, costume sketches, and ephemera. It chronicles every stage of the movie’s journey, from script to rehearsals to production, and ultimately its ten Academy Award nominations and two Oscar wins. Glennie said that when Tarantino asked if he wanted to give his films “the Jay Glennie treatment,” he jumped at the opportunity because the director’s work has been the touchstone of his film education, adding that to be invited to collaborate with Tarantino, his casts, and crews is “an honor” he could not pass up.
A Definitive Record of a Modern Classic
Insight Editions CEO Raoul Goff and Publisher Vanessa Lopez said the project is intended not only as a celebration of Tarantino’s career but as an exploration of his artistry, calling him “one of the most influential filmmakers of our time” and noting that these books provide “a unique and intimate perspective on each of these iconic films.”
With more than 400 pages of exclusive material, The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood offers fans the first authorized, in-depth chronicle of Tarantino’s creative process—and the start of a series that will span his entire filmography.
Read more News on Nerdtropolis. Subscribe to our YouTube.
Discover more from Nerdtropolis - Movie News, Reviews, Interviews, and Trailers
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
