One of Tarantino’s best movies has a secret sequel, and very few people know it: the movie came out a few months later, and it’s really cool.

Jackie Brown is Quentin Tarantino’s only film without an original screenplay. And this is the main reason why it has a secret sequel!

Jackie Brown It is actually an adaptation of the novel Creole Punch By Elmore Leonard, a prolific writer who wrote dozens of novels throughout his career. Several of them feature the character of Ray Nicolette, an FBI agent played by Michael Keaton in Tarantino’s film. However, before the release Jackie BrownSteven Soderbergh also made a feature film based on another book by the same author, Out of Reach, which also featured Ray Nicolette. After that, he came up with the idea: to hire the same actor for the same role…

However, before playing the character, Michael Keaton At first he rejected the offer Quentin Tarantino, went so far as to try to convince her that she wasn’t the right actor for the role. However, the director of Pulp Fiction did not give up and resorted to a very practical solution: getting drunk to change his mind – an anecdote ensued. Michael Keaton In an interview with Empire in 2016.

“We walk down Sunset Boulevard, Quentin makes us drink Jagermeister. First, who drinks Jagermeister? Anyway, I don’t know what happened, but here I go home and I have to make a movie.“

The next morning he had to explain to his agent, confused but delighted that he had got the part – he didn’t know why!

“So I say, ‘I guess I do'” He said about the conversation with his representative. “My agent is excited and says, ‘Really?’ For what ?’ And I say: I don’t know, I woke up an hour ago and I don’t remember.“

That’s how he ended up starring with Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert De Niro. Jackie Brown.

• The day Quentin Tarantino met Pam Grier

Keaton has one condition to reprise his role

On the other hand, during the shooting of his film (and before the release Jackie Brown), Steven Soderbergh Looking for an actor for a role in his own film. knowing that Michael Keaton Already portraying it for a feature film Quentin TarantinoHe eventually contacted the latter to get pictures of Keaton in the role before making a decision. Convinced, he decided to call her.

However, several problems arise: firstly, Jackie Brown is a Miramax production and Unavailable Universal Production: Will the first studio agree to “loan” the character to the second for free? And then we had to convince the main stakeholder, Michael Keaton.

“No one had done that at the time, and that’s what I loved when Soderbergh called“, explained the actor, adding that he wanted the character to be so familiar.If not, it’s like you’re at Starbucks and you see Ray Nicollette and you don’t even think about it.“

however, Michael Keaton There was one prerequisite for accepting the role, as he explained to EW:

“I’m a big fan of Steven Soderbergh and the script was really good– he says about the film with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. “I said, ‘I will do it on one condition. At least he has to have the same wardrobe, the same haircut, the same look, so we can say, “Oh, this guy.” The idea of ​​reintroducing a character in a completely different film, in a completely different studio, with a completely different director, that’s what’s fun about it for me.“He also jokes:I was Jennifer Lopez’s boyfriend before Alex Rodriguez. I always wanted to remember that.“

Steven Soderbergh He quickly agreed, but the question remained how Miramax would react. And it was Tarantino who was able to convince the Weinstein brothers, then at the head of the studio, that it was necessary Michael Keaton also appears Unavailable And that they do not ask for any compensation for this.

Ultimately, the two films, released a few months apart, achieved great critical success as well as similar box office success. Jackie Brown (released December 1997) grossed $74.7 million (against a budget of “only” $12 million) and earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the late Robert Forster. Unavailable (released June 1998), meanwhile, grossed $77 million (on a $48 million budget) and received two Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.

• Jackie Brown: Samuel L. Jackson’s very busy schedule on the set of Quentin Tarantino

However, due to budget differences, Soderbergh’s film was considered a commercial disappointment unlike Tarantino’s. However, it later became iconic, just like its counterpart.

Jackie Brown is currently airing on MyCanal. Unavailable, in turn, must be rediscovered on VOD.