Quentin Tarantinohas done a bit of everything in his career as director, producer, and writer, but he’s best known for his work on film, and one of his most acclaimed works almost became a TV miniseries for the weirdest reason.Quentin Tarantino’s moviesstand out for their heavy use of blood and violence, but also for his undeniable screenwriting talent, with most praise going towards the way he writes dialogue. Throughout his career, Tarantino has explored different genres, even going as far as to tell alternate versions of historical events.
Falling into that category isInglourious Basterds, in which Tarantino explores an alternate version of World War II and Adolf Hitler’s fate.Inglourious Basterdsfollows two storylines with the same goal: kill as many Nazis as possible, including Hitler.Inglourious Basterdswas a critical and commercial success, winning multiple awards and becoming one of Tarantino’s best works. However,Inglourious Basterdscould have been very different, as it almost became a TV miniseries for one weird reason, yet it’s very fitting with Tarantino.
Tarantino Almost Made Inglourious Basterds As A Miniseries Because He Couldn’t Stop Writing
Tarantino Was A Bit Too Inspired While Working On Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino spent over a decade working on the script ofInglourious Basterds, which he was sure was going to be his masterpiece.Inglourious Basterdsbecame a bigger movie than he anticipated, and by 2002, he had three nearly finished scripts, which he said were some of the best writing he had ever done, but he was struggling to write an ending (viaUSA Today). Tarantino then started working on bothKill Billmovies, after which he returned toInglourious Basterdsand considered making it as a TV miniseries.
Tarantino said that people believed he was going through writer’s block, but it was actually the opposite, and he couldn’t stop writing.
Speaking to fellow filmmaker andGrindhousepartner Robert Rodriguez in 2021 as part of the latter’sDirector’s Chairseries,Tarantino explained why he almost madeInglourious Basterdsas a TV miniseries. Tarantino said that people believed he was going through writer’s block, but it was actually the opposite, and he couldn’t stop writing. Tarantino shared he had a 100-page script and “no end in sight”, and as much as he tried to tame it, he couldn’t do it. BecauseInglourious Basterdsbecame so big, Tarantino thought the best format for it would be a miniseries.
Tarantino also revealed that he shared his idea for theInglourious Basterdsminiseries with fellow filmmaker Luc Besson, who wasn’t thrilled about it. After Besson told Tarantino that he was one of the few filmmakers who made him want to leave his house, Tarantino reconsidered his idea and chose to makeInglourious Basterdsas a feature film.
Inglourious Basterds As A Miniseries Would Have Been Good, But A Movie Is Better
Inglourious Basterds Got The Perfect Format
Given the different storylines and many colorful characters inInglourious Basterds, it would have worked as a miniseries, but it’s still better as a movie. There’s a lot about Shosanna’s (Mélanie Laurent) story after her escape and before she met Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl) that wasn’t revealed inInglourious Basterds, as well as a lot of history about Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and the Basterds. With that in mind,a miniseries would have allowedInglourious Basterdsto cover moreof each group’s plans and history.
However, when looking atInglourious Basterds, it’s also hard to imagine it as any other thing than a feature-length film. The pace ofInglourious Basterdsis perfect, and watchingthe plans of Shoshanna and the Basterds unfold parallel to each other works a lot betterthan if they had been developed in episodes. Even though Quentin Tarantino struggled to come up with an ending,Inglourious Basterdsultimately got one of the most memorable and satisfying endings, and it might have not happened had it been made as a miniseries.
Sources:USA Today,Director’s Chair.
Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds is a film set during World War II in Nazi-occupied France. It follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers, known as “The Basterds,” led by Lt. Aldo Raine, who engage in ruthless anti-Nazi efforts. Their actions intersect with a French-Jewish theater owner in a plot against the regime.
