Why Quentin Tarantino Thinks A Miniseries Would Be A Good Fit For His Scriptwriting Style

Some of the most critically-acclaimed shows of our time are miniseries, and it’s easy to see the appeal: they offer the complex characterization that TV can be so much better than films at providing, but with the same promise of a satisfying resolution sooner rather than later. Viewers get a break between episodes so they won’t have to pause at any point to use the bathroom, and they know they won’t have to wait a year or two (if ever) for any sort of cliffhanger to be resolved.

It’s easy to look at Tarantino’s films and imagine the formats changed a little differently. “Inglourious Basterds” in particular feels like it could’ve easily been a miniseries if Tarantino had wanted to go down that route, with its many converging storylines and massive cast of characters. The story of how Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) survived in the aftermath of her family’s death, which was cut from the movie, could’ve been an episode on its own. 

It helps that Tarantino already uses an episodic format, often splitting his movies into “chapters” as if he’s writing a novel. He’s described his scripts as “not novels, but they’re novels written with script format.” And although books get turned into movies all the time, shows like “Game of Thrones,” “Station Eleven,” and “The Queen’s Gambit” have proven that TV is often the best medium for adapting novels, not film. Movies may be better suited for adapting short stories and novellas, as films like “Arrival” and “The Mist” have made clear.