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Why The Hateful Eight Was The Most Exciting Thing To Come Out Of Comic-Con

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(Above) photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

You’d be forgiven for failing to look beyond the likes of ‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’ and DC’s ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Suicide Squad’ at this year’s Comic-Con. But for a moment let’s just consider Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’.

His ninth film – a Wyoming-set, post-Civil War Western – surprised some with its inclusion at the event, but it had every right to be there and made the most of its appearance.

In fact, it may just have been the most interesting thing to have come out of this year’s Comic-Con, and that’s even without having seen the exclusive seven-minute footage that was shown.

Check out the half-hour panel below, then try telling us we’re wrong.

So here are some of the reasons why we think ‘The Hateful Eight’ was the best thing to emerge from San Diego Comic-Con.

It’s A Tarantino Film (Obviously.)

Regardless of your take on the meticulous director, the cast alone is one to take note of. Familiar names include Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen. It’s the type of line-up synonymous with the acclaimed auteur’s ability to gather up various talents, old and new, fresh-faced and worn out, and get the most out of them.

He may have his haters, but whatever QT tackles, whether it’s crime (’Reservoir Dogs’), war (Inglorious Basterds’), or action (’Kill Bill’), he always has something interesting to say and with that comes a helluva lot of ambition.

Tarantino’s style is, frankly, unmistakable. He crafts every frame of every film with love, which is why most are cemented firmly in pop culture. And ‘The Hateful Eight’ will be no exception.

The Panel Is Essentially QT Talking Movies For 30 Minutes

While this is admittedly nothing new, it’s been some time since we heard the film buff talk about his love for movies, considering the fury that engulfed him after the leaked ‘Hateful Eight’ script last year.

He’s been aching to discuss not only his latest movie, but engage in a discourse about anything film-related, as you can tell by the footage.

It’s arguably the most interesting and informative of the convention.

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It’s Exclusively Released In 70mm On Christmas Day

For casual filmgoers this may not seem like a big deal, but for anyone who’s passionate about going to the movies, the idea of QT releasing this in 70mm rather than Digital is huge (literally).

Come Christmas Day, it’ll certainly be a treat for anyone who gets to see it, with ‘The Hateful Eight’ exclusively hitting US cinemas equipped with 70mm projectors before going Digital two weeks later on 8 January, 2016.

Because the format of 70mm is used for wide, high-resolution filming, it’ll capture both the epic scope and gorgeous nostalgia of the Western genre perfectly.

It could turn out to be the most visually stunning movie of the year. We’re just hoping there will be some UK 70mm screenings to drool over…

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The Cast Is Awesome

Renowned for his stellar ensembles, ‘The Hateful Eight’ consists of many well-known, talented faces – and many of them were at the Comic-Con panel.

Regular collaborators Sam L. Jackson, Michael Madsen and Tim Roth were there, along with a returning Kurt Russell (from 2007′s ‘Death Proof’). Also making an appearance was the legendary Bruce Dern, as well as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walt Goggins, and Demian Bichir.

You can’t go wrong with casting this good, as his previous movies have perfectly demonstrated. But there’s no sign of Christoph Waltz attached, which is a bit of a shame.

It’s Had Great Reviews Even Before It Began Shooting

With the first draft of the script having leaked in January, 2014, Tarantino got all worked up and decided to can the film entirely.

However, he chose to round-up some of his pals (a majority that still appear in the film) to perform a live reading. Suffice to say it went rather well, and after a change of heart, the opinionated director decided to opt back into the production. Since then he’s rewritten most of it, but just how different it is, we won’t know until its release.

The reaction to the live reading naturally generated huge buzz. It’s clearly a project QT feels extremely passionate about and connected to. The positive publicity won’t have done any harm, either.

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(Above) photo credit: Joe Alvarez

The Inclusion Of Channing Tatum

While Hollywood’s golden boy wasn’t anywhere to be seen in Hall H alongside Tarantino and co., there continues to be rumours that he’ll appear in the film. But it’s unlikely he’ll be a major character as once speculated.

It seems odd that, if he was in the film, why he failed to be present at Comic-Con and why it’s not been officially confirmed. It’d be great to see him involved in some capacity, only adding to the already mouth-watering cast.

Yet with under six months until release, IMDb still list the ‘Jump Street’ actor as the top-billed name… We’re keeping our fingers crossed.

As you can tell, we’re extremely excited for this one. Are you?

‘The Hateful Eight’ is in UK cinemas on 8 January, 2016.

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Picture credits: Entertainment Weekly, The Weinstein Company, WENN