Quentin Tarantino has long expressed the belief that filmmakers have a limited shelf life, and that’s why he’s committed to retirement after his tenth film (both Kill Bill films count as one, apparently). If you’ve been keeping up with the auteur’s ultraviolet filmography, then you’ll know what this means: yes, Tarantino’s next film is supposedly set to be his last.

Yesterday, we got our first hint at what this film might be, with the reveal of its title and some vague plot details. That comes on top of everything that Tarantino himself has said about his last act over the years, from stirring rumours about the potential of Kill Bill 3, to coming full circle and rebooting Reservoir Dogs. Want to know more? We've gathered everything we know so far below.

THE TITLE

On Tuesday (March 15), the Hollywood Reporter revealed that the script Tarantino has written for his tenth feature film is titled The Movie Critic. At least, that’s what sources say, and it could be subject to change as production begins.

WHAT THE MOVIE CRITIC IS ABOUT

Further details about The Movie Critic’s script are being kept under wraps for the time being, making the plotline as mysterious as the contents of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase. What we do know is that the story is said to take place in late 1970s Los Angeles (picking up from the 1969 LA setting of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and revolves around a female lead character. Sorry film bros!

Of course, the title also raises some questions about the film’s themes. Could it be a violent revenge flick, hitting back at all the critics that ever wronged Tarantino and “shutting their butts down”? Or will it be a more loving portrait of that side of the film industry, given the filmmaker’s own foray into criticism in recent years?

IT COULD BE ABOUT PAULINE KAEL

Pauline Kael is widely regarded as one of the most influential and divisive movie critics of all time, and was deeply intertwined with the Hollywood of the 1970s. Tarantino has already established himself as a fan of Kael’s work – despite beginning his career after hers had ended – and her love of subversive cinema that involved sex and violence makes her a clear influence. Unsurprising, then, that many people suspect the titular movie critic in Tarantino’s last film to be based on Pauline Kael, who passed away in 2001.

WHEN IS THE FILM COMING OUT?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Tarantino is preparing to direct The Movie Critic this autumn. The film doesn’t currently have a studio attached, but could reportedly start shopping around for studios as early as this week.

Needless to say, a release date is TBC.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CAST

Essentially, nothing for the time being. If The Movie Critic is, in fact, Tarantino’s last film though, then you can be sure that most of the industry’s biggest stars will be lining up for the briefest of cameo appearances.

WHY THE MOVIE CRITIC MIGHT BE TARANTINO’S ‘LAST FILM’

For years, Tarantino has maintained that he’ll put a cap on his cinematic output, claiming that he plans to pack it in after his tenth film or his 60th birthday. Since The Movie Critic would be his tenth film, even accounting for the Kill Bills, and he turns 60 later this month, it seems like there’s a pretty good chance it will actually be his last.

Why does Tarantino want to retire in the first place? Well, he’s elaborated many times, but it basically boils down to a quote from his 2012 Playboy interview. “Directors don’t get better as they get older,” he said. “Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film fucks up three good ones. I don’t want that bad, out-of-touch comedy in my filmography, the movie that makes people think, ‘Oh man, he still thinks it’s 20 years ago’. When directors get out-of-date, it’s not pretty.”