The Real Reason Quentin Tarantino Is Quitting Hollywood

Acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino has had a career in filmmaking that has now spanned over three decades, and it has never been conventional. Some of the filmmaker's earliest hits, such as "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction," helped an entire generation reimagine the possibilities of the medium. However, it looks like the auteur has one last trick waiting for fans — quitting while he is ahead.

The issue of Tarantino's supposed impending retirement came up during a visit to "Real Time with Bill Maher." The director had stopped by to discuss a new paperback novel he had recently published to accompany "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." Maher wasted no time expressing his appreciation for both the book and the critically acclaimed film, which he called Tarantino's "peak" and his favorite movie by the director.

That conversation led to Maher asking Tarantino point-blank why he had announced that he would stop making films after completing his 10th movie. The director had a simple explanation that Maher couldn't help but push back against. While nobody knows what will happen after Tarantino's next film premiere, his remarks gave some insight into the real reason why he is quitting Hollywood.

On "Real Time with Bill Maher," the host asked Tarantino specifically why he would want to quit while "at the top of [his] game." Tarantino responded that potentially reaching the peak of his creative powers had contributed to his desire to get out of the game, explaining, "That's why I want to quit! Because I know film history and from here on in, directors do no get better."

When Maher pressed the point, Tarantino admitted, "I don't have a reason that I would want to say out loud that's going to win any argument," but felt that over his 30-year career, he had given everything to his projects. The director then pointed to other famous filmmakers, including "Dirty Harry" director Don Siegel, arguing that if they had ended their careers at the right point, they would have left a more favorable impression.

Reports about Tarantino's plan to retire after completing 10 films have circulated for years, although the director has allowed for some loopholes, such as the possible "Star Trek" project he was once attached to. Whatever ends up happening, it does raise the stakes for the director's next, and possibly final film, which remains unannounced.