Tarantino’s Lost Projects: ‘Double V Vega’

Almost more interesting than the films Quentin Tarantino has chosen to do are the ones he has either been rumored to be behind or has stated himself that he would like to do.   In honor of Quentin Tarantino week here on the site, we thought it was time to go back and look over some of these lost projects.   Some of them never got past the concept stage.   Some might even still be lingering somewhere in the back of QT’s mind.

Of all the on-again-off-again projects in Tarantino’s filmmaking career, none have been more up and down than ‘Double V Vega,’ the continuing adventures of The Vega Brothers.   After the release of ‘Pulp Fiction’ in 1994, the writer/director began talking up how he wanted to revisit the characters he set up in that film and ‘Reservoir Dogs.’   For those of you who don’t know, Michael Madsen’s character in ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ Mr. Blonde AKA Vic Vega, is the brother of John Travolta’s character, Vincent Vega, in ‘Pulp Fiction.’   Despite the film’s actual title, many just referred to it as ‘The Vega Brothers,’ and for 15 years now, it has been one that every Tarantino fan has been awaiting official word on.

In 2002, the UK Sun had word from a source that the film was moving along:

Expect the charm to come from Travolta and the crazy stuff from Madsen. It will follow the pair’s exploits around a club they own, set in the late Eighties. There is also an argument between the brothers over a woman. In true Tarantino fashion, it will be a film full of twists, plenty of action with gangsters a plenty. Tarantino hopes to complete writing The Vega Brothers early next year so he can start shooting in the summer.

In 2004, Tarantino spoke about the potential film in an in-depth interview with Rolling Stone.   After the critical and financial success of ‘Kill Bill,’ Tarantino was in the mood to really challenge himself.   At that time, he wanted to do his war movie, which would eventually become ‘Inglourious Basterds,’ he wanted to do a straight action movie, and he wanted to do his first sequel.

It’s a sequel to both Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, actually, it’s a sequel and it’s a prequel. It’s the Vega Brothers, played by Michael Madsen and John Travolta. I have been trying to do it for years, and the more time I take, the older these two guys get. But I’ve come up with an idea that won’t much matter how much they age….the magic of movies. It’s going to be great. It’ll be funny, and these guys are so great, alright, they’re going to be like two oversized mob-men fighting over the last bowl of pasta, that we can’t go wrong. It’s just going to be John and Michael, and I hope to make this my next movie. We’re laying down the pipework for it now.

However, at this same time, Tarantino was telling other sources that, even though he had the idea, he didn’t have a story.   Tarantino told a radio station in San Antonio that without the story, there was no point trying to get the film made.   It was at this point that Tarantino fans realized ‘Double V Vega’ would definitely NOT be his next movie after ‘Kill Bill.’

In 2005, there was a small snippet of information where Tarantino said he had finally gotten his head around how to write the story.

Even though the character’s have gotten older…I just have to have the ambition to write it.

In late 2006, CHUD conducted an interview with Michael Madsen, and the subject of the possible Vega Brothers film came up.   While he didn’t offer up any idea when the film would begin production, he did give a little more details than had been previously divulged.   Here is what he had to say about the project and its potential synopsis.

Well, first he said he would do it, then he said he wasn’t going to do it. Then he called me and said, ‘You know, I’ve figured out a way to do it. It can’t be a prequel because you and John don’t look the same. “It wouldn’t make sense as a sequel because you’re both dead.’ And he gave me an idea that would be really outrageous – that John and I would be the twin brothers of Vic and Vincent. We come from Amsterdam to LA to avenge the deaths of our brothers. I think that’s pretty interesting. For me, I’d love to do it.

Again, nothing came out of this, and months went by without any word.   In April of 2007, we would receive what would more than likely be the final word on the matter. While doing an interview on Opie and Anthony, Tarantino had this information to give about the potential film.

I even had a title for it. It was called Double V Vega. It actually would have taken place during the time Vincent was in Amsterdam, when he was running one of Marcellus’ clubs in Amsterdam. And Vic goes to visit hi.

But we’re a little older now, and since they both died – it would have to be a prequel.   I actually came up with a way I could have done it, even being older and dead where they all had older brothers and both of their brothers got together because the two guys died. And they wanted revenge or something like that. But now, they [the actors] are too old for that.   I got to say, it’s kind of unlikely now.

And that seems to be it on the subject.   There is no telling where this project lies in Tarantino’s mind.   Judging from the last interviews he did about ‘Double V Vega,’ it seems like a done deal with Vincent and Vic Vega remaining in their coffins and off the sequel radar.   While the chances of ever seeing a Vega Brothers film is extremely unlikely, you can never say never.   Who knows what potential storylines could open the doorway for this film to finally get off the ground?