Quentin Tarantino Almost Cast Isabelle Huppert in ‘Inglorious Basterds’

In the Summer of 2008, Quentin Tarantino, coming off “Death Proof,” started casting calls for his upcoming “Inglorious Basterds.”

One particular actress that he really wanted to be a part of the film was Isabelle Huppert. It’s only today that we learned about this. It was “financial disagreements” that led to her not being cast, but just imagine what a Tarantino-Huppert team up could have been like? Movie heaven.

Finally, a month before the start of filming, as Tarantino was finalizing his casting in Paris, Huppert dropped out of negotiations. Huppert’s role of Madame Mimiyu, the original theater owner, taken instead by Maggie Chung — who was eventually scratched in editing.

According to French Vanity Fair, opinions differ as to what occurred between Huppert and Tarantino. Was the role too tenuous? Ultimately, their sources say it was a question of money.

It’s really too bad, we would have really liked to have seen one of the great actresses of this, or any, generation teaming up with Tarantino. Now it’ll be a never ending mystery of what could have been.

Ironically enough, in May of 2009, when Tarantino presented “Inglorious Basterds” at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, the president of the jury was none other than Huppert. Go figure.