Kevin CostnerandQuentin Tarantinoaren’t exactly a natural fit in the minds of cinephiles. Costner, the actor and sometimes director, is loved for his heroic protagonists and ability to effortlesslyembody the spirit of the American frontiersman. On the other hand, Tarantino is a wunderkind filmmaker whose passion for cinema history has developed into a distinct talent for genre-bending notoriously low-brow entertainment into vibrant (and often absurdly violent) Oscar-winners. While the two similarly lean into stories about the Old West, it may still come as a shock that Costner has nearly starred in several of Tarantino’s films.
Tarantino has had unbelievable success as a writer and director,working with plenty of heavy-hittersin the acting world. He’s cast Hollywood stars Robert De Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman, Christoph Waltz, and countless others. However, when Costner was being pursued by Tarantino for roles inKill BillandDjango Unchained, the actor turned him down both times. So, what’s gotten in the way of their collaboration, and could it finally happen with Tarantino’s 10th, and final, movie before his (supposed) retirement?
Did Costner Turn Down ‘Kill Bill’ Because of Its Violence?
The first time Tarantino approached Costner was back in the early 2000s. The director was searching for someone to play the titular villain intheKill Billtwo-parter. At that point in time, Tarantino was on a roll with his career, having already released the wildly successful (and now classic) filmsReservoir Dogs,Pulp Fiction, andJackie Brown— all over the course of five years. He and his movies were celebrated by critics and fans alike, but when he wanted Costner for his next project, the actor still turned him down.
So, what happened? It doesn’t look like there’s any bad blood between the two filmmakers. In fact, Costner was interested in working with Tarantino. Unfortunately,when it came toKill Bill, Costner couldn’t take on the part simply because of scheduling conflicts. Ready to get back into directing following the disappointment ofThe Postman, he started to work on the filmOpen Rangeas both its director and leading man. As a result, he was too busy for two projects, and decided thatOpen Rangewas the best opportunity as it allowed him to further develop his artistic vision as a director rather than just working as an actor in Tarantino’s movie. Thus, Costner remained in the familiar Western genre instead of taking onthe Kung-Fu actioneras Bill, the part ultimately going to David Carradine (Kung Fu,The Lone Riders).
Comparing the two movies now, it’s impossible not to notice their different depictions of violence.Kill Billholds nothing back, making for abloody revenge filmlike no other. ButOpen Rangedeconstructs the idea of Western violence, emphasizing it as only a necessary last resort instead of exaggerating (and arguably glorifying) it as a narrative tool the way Tarantino does throughout his filmography. However, neither party has mentioned the ironic distinction between their work, so it likely didn’t contribute to Costner decliningKill Bill. Plus, both of their films were successful, meaning the rejection worked out for them in the end.
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Costner Also Dropped Out of ‘Django Unchained’
Even though it didn’t work out withKill Bill, Tarantino still wanted to work with Costner. Nine years later,Django Unchained,a revisionist Westernfollowing the team-up of an escaped slave and bounty hunter trying to free the former’s wife, started the casting process, and the director immediately thought of theYellowstonestar. Fortunately, this time around, Costner was more than interested.
The actor was offered the role of Ace Woody, a vicious slave-fighting trainer and the right-hand man of the film’s main antagonist, Calvin Candle (Leonardo DiCaprio). Clearly, Tarantino wants to see Costnerplay the bad guy. Reportedly, Costner had entered negotiations for the part. However, at some point, he decided to drop out, and Tarantino, struggling to find a replacement, eventually scrapped the character entirely. Instead, he used Ace Woody to form a composite character, Billy Crash, played by Walton Goggins.
Again, some may wonder if the brutality of Tarantino’sDjango Unchainedhad anything to do with Costner’s second rejection. Ace Woody was meant to engage in someseriously disturbing violence(as evidenced by Billy Crash), and it could have been a possible deterrent for the actor. However, as far as we know,Costner’s reason for turning Tarantino down for a second time also came down to scheduling conflicts. At the time, he was attached toMan of Steeland the miniseriesHatfields & McCoys.Since the latter would reunite Costner with Kevin Reynolds, the filmmaker behindFandango,Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, andWaterworld, it’s not surprising that he opted out of Tarantino’s film.
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Yet again, Costner’s choice was for the best.Django Unchainedwon two Academy Awards (among five total nominations),whileHatfields & McCoystook home five Emmys and preceded Costner’s later work in the modernTV Western franchise,Yellowstone.
Tarantino Still Wants To Cast Costner
Tarantino’s continued rejections from Costner are an intriguing trend, but why the director keeps offering him roles is a much more interesting question. He’s one of the most famous filmmakers in Hollywood today who regularly produces award-winning movies. He could work with pretty much anyone he wanted. However, if fans and critics alike know anything about Tarantino, it’s thatthe love and nostalgia he holds for cinema is one ofhis biggest inspirations, bleeding (literally) into all of his projects.
In a 1994interview withVanity Fair, the obsessive cinephile spoke about being able to work with actors hewatched and revered while growing up. For him,Kevin Costner is one of those stars he has always dreamed of casting in his own movies. Back in 1985, he gushed that Costner’s small adventure filmFandangowas only in theaters for one week, but he still made sure to go and see it five times. While it’s definitely a good movie, Tarantino was more focused on its lead, wanting to dress, talk, and justbelike Costner as much as he could.
All these years later, and the director is still hoping to be able to collaborate with one of his favorite on-screen performers. He’s always claimed that he would make 10 movies total (Kill Bill’s two parts count as one, apparently) before retiring from the business. That means there’s only one opportunity left for Costner to join the line-up for a Tarantino feature. And, since the filmmaker is in no rush tobring his last project to productiondue to his new real-life role as a father, it could mean the pair is finally able to find a time to collaborate that works for both of their schedules.
