Tarantino Wanted to Direct Justified: City Primeval Episodes, Here’s Why He Didn’t
A conversation over margaritas almost led to the surprising collaboration.
Justified was released in 2010 and ran for six seasons. The show told viewers about federal marshal Raylan Givens, who was constantly targeted by criminals and colleagues alike due to his strict moral code and old-fashioned views on justice.
The series received positive reviews from critics and viewers, and in 2022, FX Networks ordered a sequel called Justified: City Primeval.
As it turned out, a few episodes of the series could be filmed by Quentin Tarantino himself, who expressed great interest but ultimately could not participate due to personal circumstances.
Timothy Olyphant, the main star of the show, revealed how Tarantino almost filmed episodes of Justified: City Primeval and why he later turned it down:
“He almost directed [it.] We were drinking margaritas… He was asking something about an actor who was in Justified and I was like ‘It’s funny talking about this, because we’re getting ready to do this reincarnation of it.’ […] He’s like… ‘Could I direct that?’ I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem.’”
Tarantino then read the script and chose the fourth and seventh episodes.
The whole team was excited at the prospect of working with a great director, but then Tarantino's wife Daniella became pregnant and the director said that he needed to be with her during this time and therefore could not be on the set.
Fans can only admire the director for his serious approach to fatherhood, but it's still a shame that Tarantino never had a hand in the episodes of the show – that would surely go down in television history.
Many fans may be surprised by the director's willingness to work on a television project, but this is far from the first time Tarantino has taken an interest in the TV show.
Previously, he directed an episode of ER in 1995 and a few episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2005.
Judging by the director's comments, he seems to be a fan of the series, so viewers should not lose hope. Perhaps if Justified: City Primeval is renewed for a second season, Tarantino may return to the conversation and still film a couple of episodes.
Source: Happy Sad Confused