Quentin Tarantino Sets Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Novel for 2021

More than a year since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood had its successful theatrical release, Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has officially teamed-up with HarperCollins for a two-book deal that includes the novelization of his 2019 acclaimed comedy-drama film, as well as a nonfiction book about ’70s cinema. The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novel is expected to be first published in the summer of 2021, starting as a Harper Perennial mass market paperback, alongside e-book and digital audio edition. A deluxe hardcover edition will then be released in the fall of next year. Check out the key art cover for the paperback edition of the upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novel below!

Click here to purchase 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood!

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The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novel will chart the lives of Tarantino’s two protagonists – TV actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth – both forward and backward in time. It will also feature a more extended look at Rick and Cliff’s time in making Spaghetti Westerns in Italy. The novel will also get to introduced some characters that weren’t seen in the film including the late Burt Reynolds, Pete Duel, Jim Brown and Fred Williamson.

“In the seventies movie novelizations were the first adult books I grew up reading,” Tarantino said in a statement (via Deadline). “And to this day I have a tremendous amount of affection for the genre. So as a movie-novelization aficionado, I’m proud to announce ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ my contribution to this often marginalized, yet beloved sub-genre in literature. I’m also thrilled to further explore my characters and their world in a literary endeavor that can (hopefully) sit alongside its cinematic counterpart.”

As for his nonfiction book, Cinema Speculation will be a deep dive into the movies of the 1970’s, a rich mix of essays, reviews, personal writing and tantalizing “what if’s,” from one of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, and its most devoted fan.

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Set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood focuses on a male TV actor named Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) who’s had one hit western series and is looking for a way to get into the film business. His sidekick Cliff Booth (Pitt) — who’s also his stunt double — is looking for the same thing. The horrific murder of Sharon Tate (Rick’s neighbor in the film, portrayed by Robbie) and four of her friends by Charles Manson’s cult of followers serves as a backdrop to the main story. The movie is said to be similar to a “Pulp Fiction-like tapestry” that covers a group of characters during that summer.

The film had earned a worldwide grossed of more than $370 million. On top of positive reviews from critics and audiences, the film had also won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy as well as 10 Oscar nominations with Brad Pitt winning Best Supporting Actor.