The first trailer for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood makes it look like the most Tarantino Quentin Tarantino movie yet

Leonard DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Once Upon A Time trailer)

The first trailer for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is here, and it looks like the movie Quentin Tarantino has been preparing to make all his life.

The ninth film from the acclaimed director, who is known for his obsession with movie history and tropes, takes place in 1969 Hollywood and follows Rick Dalton, a washed-up actor played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his stunt double, played by Brad Pitt. The new footage shows that Tarantino went all out in faithfully recreating the era, complete with the director's beloved Cinerama theater on Sunset Boulevard. Even the title pays tribute to Sergio Leone, an influence on Tarantino.

Margot Robbie also stars in the film as actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered by followers of Charles Manson the year the movie takes place. But although that real-life tragedy hangs over the film, the trailer's got an upbeat tone, complete with DiCaprio dancing on a variety show and Pitt fighting Mike Moh as Bruce Lee after informing him that accidentally killing a person will, in fact, land you in jail. The footage teases a killer soundtrack, laugh-out-loud dialogue, a celebration of the art of filmmaking, and, more than likely, horrifying violence. In other words, it's definitely a Tarantino movie.

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The trailer doesn't highlight the film's full, ridiculously impressive cast, but it also consists of Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, James Marsden, Tim Roth, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Damian Lewis, Bruce Dern, and Luke Perry.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood hits theaters on July 26. Watch the trailer below. Brendan Morrow

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.