Quentin Tarantino Reveals His All-Time Favorite James Bond Movie

Quentin Tarantino has always been open about his love for the classics, often admitting that his filmmaking style is a patchwork of the legendary directors who came before him. Born in the early sixties, he spent his youth soaking up the work of giants like Spielberg, Scorsese, and Coppola.

While he eventually became a household name for his own unique vision, there was a time when he almost stepped into the world of the most famous spy in cinema history. James Bond has been a constant presence throughout Tarantino’s life, with over two dozen films released since he was born.

In a 2004 interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Pulp Fiction director confessed his deep affection for the franchise, specifically the early Sean Connery era. He even revealed that his favorite 007 flick is the 1963 classic From Russia With Love, and it turns out he once had a plan to direct a Bond movie himself.

Tarantino’s big idea was to tackle Casino Royale right after Pierce Brosnan finished Die Another Day. He actually ran into Brosnan and pitched him the concept, hoping the actor would be up for one last gritty, stylized mission.

Tarantino told Leno that while the Bond movies of that era were great, he felt they had become a bit like spoofs of the original character and wanted to bring back a more authentic, dangerous feel.

He was even willing to play by the rules of the longtime producers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, promising he wouldn’t do anything to ruin the series. Unfortunately for fans of cinematic “what-ifs,” the Fleming estate had already sold the rights to the Broccolis a few years prior.

Tarantino later told Deadline that his version would have been a standalone period piece set in the sixties, but the producers had already locked everything down to prevent exactly the kind of outside-the-box project he was proposing.

As of February, Tarantino is staying true to his word about retiring after his tenth film, though the road to that final project has taken some wild turns. He made headlines just yesterday when a surprise teaser for The Adventures of Cliff Booth dropped during the Super Bowl.

While he didn’t direct the film—passing those duties to his longtime friend David Fincher—Tarantino wrote the script, which serves as a $200 million sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

The new movie, which is set to hit Netflix later this year, sees Brad Pitt reprising his Oscar-winning role alongside a massive cast including Elizabeth Debicki and Timothy Olyphant. As for his actual “final” directing project, Tarantino has been much more secretive since scrapping The Movie Critic last year.

Do you think a 1960s-set James Bond movie directed by Quentin Tarantino would have been a masterpiece, or was the world better off with the gritty reboot we eventually got with Daniel Craig? Share your thoughts in the comments.