Quentin Tarantino isn't interested in video games. He'd much rather sacrifice a console for a brand-new Blu-ray or DVD player instead. That was the case 15 years ago, anyway, but things are clearly different all these years later. At the heart of the latest Fortnite season, Kill Bill content headlines the Battle Pass, and a short film directed in Unreal Engine 5 is playing in cinemas. It's probably the most confusing collaboration in the game's history, as this historically violent filmmaker partners with the most unviolent shooter around.
How did we get here? Where are we going next? The future of Tarantino's career fascinates me. He's imposing a strict 'ten movie' rule right now, claiming that his next movie is his swan song from the industry. We're currently six years removed from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a comedy-drama chronicling the hijinks of washed-up actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). In those years, whispers of scripts, novels, and more float through the rumor mill.
Aside from a continuation of the movie in book form, Tarantino remains out of the director's chair. David Fincher is adapting his script for the Adventures of Cliff Booth, a spin-off that Tarantino didn't want to direct. Speaking at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, he tells the audience that "I'm in no hurry to actually jump into production […] I've been doing that for 30 years." So, you're likely wondering how Fortnite factors into all of this?
Well, it's quite an important landmark in Tarantino's filmography. Kill Bill: Yuki's Revenge is his first piece of work behind a camera in years, even if it's a virtual one. He even lends his voice to it. With a history of seemingly ignoring what games can offer as entertainment, I'm curious why Tarantino is embracing the medium now. Sure, you can probably attribute some of it to a lovely fee. Yet, out of every possible game he could choose, Fortnite is the answer.
To some, collaborating with Fortnite is the equivalent of a death bell. A signal that you're selling out or have no regard for your work's legacy. But Fortnite is a unique beast, because every movie, TV show, and artist is fair game when it comes to the game's ever-changing lore. There isn't a rule book on what is and isn't worth setting foot on the latest Fortnite map. Be it John Wick, the Power Rangers, or Sabrina Carpenter, Epic Games welcomes just about anyone to a healthy dose of Chug Jugs.
At first, I'll admit, I thought maybe Tarantino is, like my socks, washed. Especially when he's spouting out wrong takes about Paul Dano, one of the greatest actors of our time. But as a lover of cinema and pushing the format into fresh ground, there is something deeply compelling about Yuki's Revenge. Unreal Engine 5 is the current foundation for Fortnite, giving way to its crisp visuals and robust gameplay options, whether you're playing on Nintendo Switch or ROG Xbox Ally.
Although it's typically associated with being the bedrock of modern games, Unreal Engine's history with movies is special. Filmmakers are using it to produce entire movies now, with 2018's Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor acting as the first feature entirely composed in Unreal Engine. Lana Wachowski and VFX house DNEG utilize it for The Matrix Resurrections' dojo sequence, while The Matrix Awakens harnesses it as a tech demo for what Unreal Engine 5 is capable of.
It's genuinely exciting. This is the kind of experimentation with tech that James Cameron revels in. Regardless of what you think of the Avatar movies, there's no denying that they're visual spectacles and evidence of how filmmaking is evolving. With Fortnite resting on this kind of technological advancement, it makes me wonder, is Tarantino pivotal to showing that there's more beyond its battle royale game trappings?
I think so. As such a high-profile voice in Hollywood, it's worth noting when someone as committed to celluloid and analog filmmaking begins embracing new methods. According to The Third House's Joshua Wassung, Tarantino isn't doing half measures. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he shares that "his energy was amazing. He gave notes while acting it out. He was even crawling on the floor at times, telling us, 'It's like this.' He was totally in it. That was really inspiring."
Armed with MetaHuman facial rigs, long-time stunt-woman Zoë Bell, and other technological wizardry, Tarantino's digital playground is a new one for him to explore. To help keep his sense of action, a prototype piece of hardware called MuzzleReport details when prop airsoft weapons fire, giving animators the chance to replicate muzzle flashes and bullet impact instantly within a scene. Despite a lack of 35mm grit and leaving live-action behind, Yuki's Revenge still relays Tarantino's touch.
It's full of his hallmarks: split-screen sequences, snappy humour, and blistering action. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a masterwork or anything. You won't see it leaping to the top of my Letterboxd ranking of his work. But there's no denying that what Yuki's Revenge proposes for other filmmakers is enticing. What I'd really love, though, is for some of these lessons learned to feed back to the players.
There's immense potential for Fortnite to offer a director's mode. Grand Theft Auto V's Rockstar Editor is a form of this. I used to mess around with Driver 3's filmmaking tools for hours on my PlayStation 2. Of course, there are some moral and ethical quandaries to consider, as the sheer volume of Fortnite skins means someone will undoubtedly make something questionable. But as a tool to express, to experiment, to embrace the art of cinema? Maybe Tarantino is onto something.