Daniel Richtman is reporting that Paul Walter Hauser got an offer for the lead role in Quentin Tarantino's “The Movie Critic,” pre-strike.
Hauser, a talented actor, would be a fool to turn this one down. He would actually be a good fit. The highlights in his filmography include “Richard Jewell,” “I, Tonya,” and “BlackKklansman.”
The role Hauser would most certainly be playing is that of film critic Jim Sheldon. Tarantino’s writings under the pseudonym Sheldon on the New Beverly website have gone totally under the radar. This made-up character is said to be a critic for the Hollywood Press.
Tarantino has described the character as “Travis Bickle if he were a film critic”. So, a loner, isolated individual, who happens to review movies for an underground porn rag. Sounds great.
The film, which is set in 1977, was aiming to shoot this fall, but the strike has halted its momentum. There have been no other details in regards to plot, casting and additional characters. There is a rumor that Samuel L. Jackson is also in the film.
There had also been a report that Tarantino wanted Bruce Willis to appear for a “cameo role” in his 10th and final film, which he confirmed is not a “revenge” story like his last few films.
The screenplay for “The Movie Critic” has been completed, so it’s not a matter of if, but when, the strike ends for this film to start production in Los Angeles. If the strike goes on beyond the fall then we’re probably looking at a mid-2024 shoot.