The tenth and final film from Quentin Tarantino is still a long way off, as the acclaimed director has been working on The Popinjay Cavalier, a swashbuckling stage play which will star Sacha Baron Cohen. While chatting with THR, the actor dropped a few details about the play and revealed that the pair have been trying to work together for the last 20 years.
Sacha Baron Cohen on The Popinjay Cavalier
Cohen explained that when one of the world’s best directors asks him to do something, he’ll agree without a second thought, as it can only teach him to make better films (or plays) himself.
“And so if Quentin comes along and says, ‘I want to do a play,’ I say yes. Then I actually read the play and I thought it was fantastic. And I felt, why not?” he said. “So currently, I’m doing nine hours of sword-fighting training a week. And I would just clarify, rather than be a puppet, Quentin did suggest that there would be some element of collaboration.“
The actor added that he’s seen “a little bit” of the play so far, but a collaboration between Tarantino and himself has been a long time coming.
“Quentin and I have been talking about doing a project for at least 20 years,” he said. “We talked about doing The Scarlet Pimpernel about 20 years ago. Borat came out and Quentin and I would have dinner monthly and I almost did a part in [his 2012 Western] Django Unchained. In the end, I had to drop out because I ended up doing Les Misérables. But I came very close to doing a scene with Kerry Washington. I even had a prosthetic chin made because Quentin was very adamant that I would resemble this character he’d liked from the ’40s.“
About the Play
The Popinjay Cavalier is being described as a “swashbuckling comedy” and is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The story is set in 1830s Europe, with the official synopsis calling it a “sweeping celebration of theatre and its heightened romance, told with Tarantino’s signature style and unmistakable wit.“
The play is set to debut at London’s Phoenix Theatre in February 2027.
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During a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Tarantino said he’s written a script he likes, but until he’s finished with the play and has some family time, he won’t be touching it.
“I’ve written a script that I really like, but I want to do the play and see who I am,” he said, “then I’ll go back and spend time with my family and live a little and then see what I want to do.“
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