Looks like Tarantino has secured Eli Roth for Inglorious Bastards.
Now I know what you are thinking. Eli Roth? The director of Hostel? Why would Tarantino hire him to direct this?? Relax. Eli will be acting!
Hostel director Eli Roth will play a baseball bat-swinging Nazi hunter in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards, which starts production this fall in Europe for the The Weinstein Company and Universal Pictures.
Brad Pitt is in talks to play Aldo Raine, leader of a rogue band of Jewish-American soldiers who wreak havoc on the bad guys in Nazi-occupied France.
Roth is in talks to play Sgt. Donnie Donowitz.
It also looks like DiCaprio is off the consideration list. Seems Tarantino wants a German to play the role of the German officer. I think DiCaprio could pull it off and would add more clout to this film, but who knows how Tarantino’s mind works.
Roth has spent some time on the other side of the camera but what he is known for is his writing, directing and producing. And even there he isn’t exactly A List, but still known enough to be on the radar.
So is he doing this just for fun? Looking to get more into acting?
Slow news day….?
So does Brad Pitt joins in.
Roth’s role in the film would be one of the main cast. Besides Aldo, the part Roth would be playing is second in importance of the Bastards. Take that as you will.
First of all, Rodney, which is it? Is Eli Roth actually joined “The Bastards” as an actor or is he just being asked? Coming Soon says he’s “in talks”. That says to me he hasn’t officially joined yet.
Second, I may not thought much of Hostel II, but Roth did hit it out of the park with the first one as well as Cabin Fever so while Roth won’t be directing The Bastards, I have to say *if* (and it isn’t, but *if*) it was so, the last person on this planet to bitch would be me. I’m all for Roth moving on to other things be it horror or suspense…
Third, how big is the part? It isn’t *that* unusual for directors to have director friends in cameos from time to time (some examples include John Landis putting Steven Spielberg in Blues Brothers; Spielberg putting Francis Trouffaut in ‘Close Encounters’ The Cohens putting Sam Raimi in ‘Miller’s Crossing’) so if it’s a part that’s only a few minutes or less, that’s great.
“Seems Tarantino wants a German to play the role of the German officer”
So let him. If he gets either Gonz Otto or Til Scweiger, that will be fine. Hell, even B film actor Matthias Hues would fill in nicely. (Hell yes I’m serious)
Honestly, this announcement doesn’t do much for me. I have been less than impressed with his work so far. I think he definitely has talent and could be a very good if not great director, but he’s just not there yet.