Entertainment
Quentin Tarantino Is Working On Everything But What You Want
By TeeJay Small
| Published
If you’re at all familiar with the catalogue of acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, you might have already heard about his bizarre 10 movie rule. The self-imposed rule centers around Tarantino’s commitment to the concept of quality over quantity, as the aging director seeks to keep his pantheon undiluted by dozens of movies of wildly varying worth.
To maintain this high watermark of excellence, he plans to release only 10 feature films before he retires. Many years ago, fans saw this as an admirable concept, ripe for a Criterion box set of nothing but 10/10 bangers. But these days, it looks like that mission statement is doing more to harm Tarantino’s brand than help it.
According to a write-up in Variety, Quentin Tarantino is currently taking a break from helming his 10th and final film in favor of directing his very first stage play. The show, which has been described as a “swashbuckling comedy,” will be titled The Popinjay Cavalier, based on a script from Tarantino himself. If you’re interested in catching it live, it’s already on pace for an early 2027 debut, though no cast details or venues have been announced.
While this play sounds like an interesting side quest for the filmmaker, it is a bit jarring considering he’s currently nine films deep into his 10-film legacy. If he does stick to his retirement plans, this play seems like the exact kind of thing that he should be doing after his untitled final project. To my eye, it seems like Tarantino has become overwhelmed by pressure of his own making, corralling himself into a set of nebulous guidelines.
The freedom to play it loose and experiment has obviously been present throughout many of Tarantino’s greatest hits, including Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and The Hateful Eight. Like many A-list directors, he’s taken some big swings, like swapping genres to deliver a few cutthroat Westerns, or moving production units overseas for a multinational opus. Now that his self-imposed swan song is rapidly approaching, he may be experiencing some heavy existential dread as he weighs which of his many ideas to produce and which to relegate to the “what-if” pile of cinema history.
Scrapped And Potential Projects
Tarantino has already scrapped numerous projects since the release of his ninth film, 2019’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. He was rumored to be working on everything from a Star Trek movie, to a third volume in the Kill Bill series, to a First Blood remake, with Adam Driver to star as Rambo. Each of these projects eventually fell through, as the director labored over his final outing. Eventually, Tarantino confirmed that he was working on a 10th film titled The Movie Critic.
Unfortunately, The Movie Critic was scrapped right before filming was set to take place, leaving the future works of the two-time Oscar winner in limbo. Since then, Tarantino’s script for The Adventures of Cliff Booth has been handed over to David Fincher, and all other Tarantino motion pictures seem to be suspended indefinitely. Last year, Quentin Tarantino elaborated on his choice to hand over the screenplay to Fincher in a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, stating, “I love this script, but I’m still walking down the same ground I’ve already walked. It just kind of unenthused me. This last movie, I’ve got to not know what I’m doing again. I’ve got to be in uncharted territory.”
From Reservoir Dogs To Swashbuckling Comedy
Clearly, the decision of what to do next is weighing heavily on Tarantino. Still, it seems like the clear solution would be freeing himself from the shackles of this 10-film rule, and cutting loose with a flurry of new projects that allow him to explore whatever he wants. Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Stanley Kubrick each have dozens of directing credits on IMDb, and no one questions their lasting legacies.
When asked about his current workload, Tarantino told Variety, “I’m writing a play, and it’s going to be probably the next thing I end up doing. If it’s a fiasco, I probably won’t turn it into a movie. But if it’s a smash hit? It might be my last movie.” So, maybe The Popinjay Cavalier will be the filmmaker’s dramatic closer. Still, it’s hard to imagine a filmography that kicked off with Reservoir Dogs ending with something described as a “swashbuckling comedy.”
Entertainment
Check out some of the best deals under $25 available to buy ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale
Best early deals under $25 ahead of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale
The countdown to Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has begun, and while it doesn’t officially start until March 25, there’s already quite a few early deals worth checking out at the retailer. If you’re not looking to drop a ton of cash during this seasonal sale event, we’ve gathered up some excellent deals under $25 that you can shop right now.
These range from the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, if you’re looking to upgrade your streaming setup this year, to some sweet Lego sets, including the delightfully colorful Lego Botanicals Petite Sunny Bouquet, but there’s much more to explore. As the Big Spring Sale gets closer, we’ll be sure to update this with even more discounts that cross our radar, too.
Mashable Deals
Note: You don’t need to be a Prime member to shop the sale, but Prime members will receive exclusive deals on a variety of items.
Best early Amazon device deal
$24.99
at Amazon
$49.99
Save $25.00
Why we like it
2026 has started off strong when it comes to what’s available to stream, and if you’ve been looking to upgrade your setup to enjoy it all in 4K, the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is worth a look. At the moment, this streaming stick has returned to its lowest-ever price of $24.99 at Amazon, which is 50% off its list price of $49.99. It’s a pretty excellent price to pay for what you’re getting.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus supports 4K Ultra HD picture quality, which helps bring out the colors and crisp details in the shows and films you watch. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio, which provide a little extra boost to picture and sound as well. And with support for Wi-Fi 6, you’ll get to enjoy smooth streaming quality. If it sounds like the streaming package you’ve been searching for, this early deal at Amazon is well worth jumping on.
More early Amazon device deals
Best early Lego deal
$23.99
at Amazon
$29.99
Save $6
Why we like it
The Lego Botanicals Petite Sunny Bouquet is a lovely little set to have up on display this spring, and what better time to grab it than while it’s on sale? At the moment, Amazon has knocked the price of this 373-piece set down to $23.99, allowing you to save a few dollars off its list price of $29.99. If its caught your eye, this is a great time to grab it and piece together a pretty bouquet to have up during the warmer months ahead.
Mashable Deals
More early Lego deals
Best early Bluetooth tracker deal
$14.99
at Amazon
$27.99
Save $13.00
Why we like it
Want a better way to keep an eye on items like your wallet, keys, or bags? It’s worth looking into a Bluetooth tracker, like the Life360 Tile. This helpful little device can be attached to a wide variety of items so you can easily track them if they escape your eyesight. If it sounds like something you need, Amazon’s dropped their price for a limited time to just $14.99 ahead of the Big Spring Sale.
Usually they’re listed for $27.99, so this deal saves you 46% overall. Plus, a variety of different colors have been discounted to this price, so you can pick out the option that best suits you.
More early deals under $25
Entertainment
The Channing Tatum Action Movie That Blew Away The Competition
By Phillip Moyer
| Updated
White House Down stars Channing Tatum as Marine Corps veteran John Cale, who is working as a Capitol Police officer who applied for a job in the Secret Service before getting rejected as unqualified. However, after a paramilitary group seizes the White House, it’s up to Cale to save the president and stop the terrorists from starting a nuclear war.
While not seen as a bad movie, per se, White House Down wasn’t warmly received by critics when it was released in 2013, leaving the film with a 52 percent Tomatometer rating. The film, directed by Independence Day and Moonfall director Roland Emmerich, was praised for the chemistry between Channing Tatum and co-stars Jamie Foxx and Maggie Gyllenhaal, but derided for its overuse of action movie tropes.
Some critics noted the level of self-awareness the movie had, leading them to consider White House Down a parody rather than a straightforward action thriller.
A Box Office Disappointment
Audiences seemed to enjoy the White House Down, with CinemaScore giving the film an A- audience rating. However, those who took to the internet to share their reviews were similarly lukewarm towards the film, as demonstrated by the film’s 62 percent Popcornmeter score.
Regardless of how audiences felt about White House Down, the movie ended up with disappointing box office returns. The film made $205 million worldwide and only $73 million domestically. With a production budget of $150 million, these numbers were probably not enough for the film to break even after marketing and distribution costs are taken into consideration.
Another Film Hurt White House Down’s Chance Of Box Office Success
One thing that probably didn’t help White House Down was the fact that it was released three months after Olympus Has Fallen; another movie about a terrorist attack on the White House. Olympus Has Fallen starred Gerald Butler as a secret service agent tasked with rescuing President Benjamen Asher (played by Aaron Eckhart) after North Korean terrorists take over the White House.
When raw numbers are taken into account Olympus Has Fallen actually performed slightly worse than White House Down. While both films received an A- CinemaScore, Olympus Has Fallen received a 49 percent Tomatometer score and made $170 million at the box office. However, Olympus Has Fallen only cost $70 million to make, making the less-watched film yield a higher financial return.
While White House Down quitely left theaters, never to be heard from again, Olympus has Fallen spawned two sequels, London Has Fallen (2016) and Angel Has Fallen (2019). Neither sequel ended up selling more tickets than White House Down, but each sequel in the Has Fallen film series cost less to produce than the previous film making each entry into the series a box office success.
Channing Tatum’s Career After White House Down
Channing Tatum went on to receive top billing in a wide variety of films after the moderate failure of White House Down.
This includes reprising the role of the undercover cop Jekno in 22 Jump Street, the villainous Jody Domergue in Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight, and the American spy Tequila in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. He also reprised the role of the male stripper Mike Lane in the sequels Magic Mike XXL and Magic Mike’s Last Dance.
Magic Mike’s Last Dance, coincidentally enough, is another poorly-performing movie that has proved its staying power on streaming. The film only made $57 million off of a $45 million budget. However, after being released on Max, the conclusion of Channing Tatum’s stripper trilogy spent several days in the streaming service’s top three films.
While it’s probably far too late for a White House Down sequel to ever materialize, it remains to be seen whether the recent surge in White House Down’s popularity on streaming will lead to Channing Tatum being given more lead roles in straightforward action films.
White House Down is streaming on Paramount+.
Entertainment
Metas VR Metaverse takes one more step into the grave
When Facebook changed its name to Meta a few years ago, the idea was that the VR metaverse would become a huge pillar for the company. I think we can safely say that’s not going to happen.
On its community forums, Meta confirmed that Horizon Worlds, the flagship “hanging out and doing work meetings in VR” app for Quest headsets, will no longer be available in VR after June 15. It’s not going away entirely, as Meta recently reoriented its metaverse efforts toward a Horizon Worlds mobile app. But Mark Zuckerberg’s COVID-era dream of people spending huge portions of their days wearing VR headsets and messing around in Horizon Worlds seems to be dead.
In fairness to Meta, the multi-platform approach to Horizon Worlds isn’t new. It’s been available on mobile and desktop since 2023, and it must be successful enough in the mobile format for Meta to keep supporting and building upon that version of the Horizon Worlds metaverse. But when it was supposed to be a VR system seller, Horizon Worlds was often the subject of mockery online for its underwhelming visual quality, initial lack of legs for avatars, and its reputation as a virtual ghost town.
Mashable Light Speed
Of course, as of right now, that doesn’t mean Meta is giving up on VR. When it announced that Horizon was going mobile earlier this year, Meta reaffirmed its commitment to VR as a format.
“We have a robust roadmap of future VR headsets that will be tailored to different audience segments as the market grows and matures,” Meta said in a press release. “And Meta remains the single biggest investor in the VR industry. Why? Because we believe in VR as a critical technology on the path to the next computing platform.”
The enduring popularity of things like VRChat signals that there is a market for these sorts of virtual hangout spaces, but Zuckerberg’s specific vision of the metaverse just never really took off as intended. At least we got a few memes out of it.
Check out some of the best deals under $25 available to buy ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale
Mave Health aims to improve attention and mood with its brain-stimulating headset
