There’s been a lot of speculation that Quentin Tarantino‘s next project would revolve around Charles Manson and his murders. But there hasn’t been anything to verify it or at least give us a hint that it would be about the infamous cult leader. Now it appears that all the reporting and speculation has been wrong. Well, at least not entirely wrong.

Based on a new interview that director gave, Tarantino’s developing film would be about 1969, the year when the Manson Family murders started to appear in headlines. There is also word that multiple studios are now vying for the right to distribute the untitled film. More on the story below.

While hosting a Q&A awards screening of The Beguiled earlier this weekend, Tarantino went on to clarify what his next film would be about. “It’s not Charles Manson, it’s 1969,” Tarantino said.

Deadline says that the film would be set Los Angeles in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Based on that little bit of information, and the fact that it is not entirely about Charles Manson, we have to assume that it is about those in his orbit, cult followers, or those who have been affected by his murders. But that is just speculation on my part.

Based on those early casting rumors, the film would star Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, the late wife of Roman Polanski, and one of Mason’s murder victims. Other rumored actors include frequent collaborators like Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson. Deadline also adds that Tom Cruise is being looked at for a possible small role in the film.

So as the cast and script come together, Tarantino will also have to look for a new place to distribute his films. The director parted ways with The Weinstein Company, who has distributed all of his films, following numerous victims accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault, including rape.

According to IndieWire, there are five studios who are contending for the right to distribute the film (not including Disney). Variety says Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. are among the three frontrunners but say that there is a chance that Tarantino could choose a dark horse. But it seems that some of these studios are going to great lengths to woo Tarantino to pick them. Warner Bros. adorned their circular entrance with 1960s nostalgia like cars of the late ’60s, setting up their executive office with vintage furniture from the era and mock posters for the movie, even putting the WB logo circa 1969 on full display to show just how interested they are in bringing Tarantino to the fold.

Sony did something a little more low-key but something equally impressive by showing a multimedia presentation that laid out the groundwork on how the studio would handle the release of the film. No word yet on what Paramount did.

Sources tell Variety that Tarantino wants a $100 million production budget and that he’s expecting first-dollar gross, meaning he will get a cut of the pre-tax revenue taken in by the studio, as well as final cut on the film. Though it is unclear if any of the studios would agree to one or both of those conditions. However, it was those conditions that scared off the competition, leaving Paramount, Sony, and WB left to fight over the rights to distribute Tarantino’s upcoming film.

Of course, we will keep you up to date on the progress of the film when we learn more about it.

[Source: IndieWire | Variety | Deadline]