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In the season finale of The Penguin (you can read our recap here if you need a refresher), Oz Cobb brought an end to his feud with Sofia Gigante by exposing her role in the destruction of Crown Point and ensuring "The Hangman" is returned to Arkham.

It's there that Sofia receives a letter from her half-sister, Selina Kyle, the vigilante who we first saw suit up as Catwoman in 2022's The Batman.

The stage has been set for both characters to share the screen but, as we write this, it's more likely to happen in The Penguin season 2 rather than the recently delayed The Batman Part II (which is now untitled).

IndieWire recently spoke to Cristin Milioti about her future as the character and asked what about Sofia she hopes to explore moving forward.

"I don’t know," she admitted. "It just seemed like there are infinite possibilities of where she could go.

The holiday season just turned delightfully darker for horror lovers. Dread, the specialty label renowned for its unforgettable genre titles, is rolling out an unmissable Black Friday sale. From 29th November to 5th December, horror buffs can indulge in 50% off the entire Dread catalogue. Whether you’re a collector, gift seeker or simply looking to amplify your festive fright nights, this sale is the ultimate opportunity to bring home some of the most thrilling and terrifying films at a fraction of the cost.

Fans can explore Dread’s extensive library of horrors, which spans supernatural chills, psychological frights, and slasher showdowns. The deal is simple: use the code BF2024 at checkout, and enjoy half-price access to a treasure trove of cult classics, hidden gems, and recent hits. Here are just a few highlights to help guide your shopping spree.

Among the highlights is Terrifier, featuring the now-iconic Art the Clown,...

"Don't tell me we came all this way for nothing..." Dark Star & Uncork'd Entertainment have revealed an official trailer for this indie horror film called The North Witch, the next freaky creation from indie genre filmmaker Bruce Wemple (he also made The Hangman earlier this year). Written by Anna Shields, this chilling tale invites horror fans into an eerie, suspenseful journey set against the foreboding wilderness.

Warning: The following contains full spoilers for The Penguin finale, Aka episode 8.

HBO’s The Penguin limited series has come to an end, and while we know Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb will return in The Batman Part II, the series has given us far too compelling a character in Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone — or Sofia Gigante as she’s now known — to not see her story continue as well.

More from TVLineThe Penguin Boss Talks Sofia and Vic's Finale Fates, That Letter and a Potential Season 2 - Grade It!The White Lotus Season 3: Walton Goggins, Natasha Rothwell,...

In the season finale of The Penguin (you can read our full recap here), Oz Cobb brings an end to his feud with Sofia Gigante by exposing her role in the destruction of Crown Point and ensuring "The Hangman" is returned to Arkham.

It was his fault she ended up there the first time, of course, and actor Cristin Milioti has shared her take on why Oz decided against just killing Sofia in an interview with Cosmopolitan.

"That's what makes them good adversaries. They both know how to sentence the other one to a fate worse than death. He really nails it, which is terrible," she explains. "I'm just continually blown away by Lauren's brilliance. There's this phrase, shocking yet inevitable, and that is kind of what their dynamic feels like."

"They're so familial in a way that they know exactly how to get to each other and it's what...

The first season of HBO’s The Penguin ended with some shocking revelations that had a big impact on the wider Batman world. These revelations set the stage for future stories and the upcoming movie sequel.

The most shocking part of the end was when the Bat-signal came out of nowhere, breaking the show’s silence about Gotham’s vigilante hero. This visual clue suggests that Batman might play a bigger part in future stories, especially in “The Batman: Part II,” which is set to come out in October 2026.

In the last episode, Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot hits the peak of his career. He looks out over Gotham from a penthouse after gaining more power. But his moment of victory is quickly overwhelmed by the bright bat signal that cuts through the sky at night.

The series has shown how Gotham has become increasingly chaotic, with fights between gangs...

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the season finale of "The Penguin."

Call it the Sophie's Sophia's Choice hanging overhead the entirety of "The Penguin." The HBO series was given the tall task of spinning off from Matt Reeves' acclaimed blockbuster "The Batman," continuing the story of Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb in the immediate aftermath of the Riddler's devastating flood that changed the face of Gotham City overnight. Not only did showrunner Lauren LeFranc have to retroactively add all sorts of layers to a mobster who felt more like a collection of gimmicks -- extremely entertaining gimmicks, don't get me wrong, but gimmicks nonetheless -- than an actual character the first time around. But she and her writing team also had to expand the story's world-building, adding even more antagonists for the Penguin to bounce off of at every turn. Enter Sophia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), the heiress of...

The Penguin is the latest chapter in Matt Reeves’ Batman crime saga, following Oswald Cobblepot, played by Colin Farrell, who returns to his role from The Batman: Part I. The show has been a huge hit with both critics and audiences, topping viewership charts for six weeks straight, and it’s expected to stay popular through the rest of the season.

While Farrell’s performance as the classic Batman villain is winning praise, Cristin Milioti’s surprising breakout role as Sofia Falcone has also become a fan favorite.

Sofia Falcone starts out with straightforward goals. Known as “The Hangman,” she’s spent 10 years in Arkham Asylum due to her “serial killer” tendencies. As the story unfolds, we learn that her father, Carmine, and Oswald set her up. Carmine was the real killer, and he framed Sofia to keep her quiet since she was the only one who suspected him.

Sofia returns from Arkham mentally unstable,...

Last week’s episode of ‘The Penguin’ left viewers hanging. We know that Sofia Gigante has teamed up with Salvatore Maroni, and they both want to get rid of Oz Cobb for both personal and business reasons.

In most of episode 6, Sofia and Salvatore search hard for any weakness in Oz by going through his past. Sofia realizes that Oz’s biggest strength is that he doesn’t seem to care about anyone.

His brothers are gone, and Oz has tricked everyone into thinking his mother is also dead. After talking to Oz’s friend Eve, Sofia finds out that Oz is actually hiding in Crown Point.

The episode ends with a scene of Vic and Francis, Oz’s mother, dancing in an old, rundown apartment. Meanwhile, Sofia sneaks up on them, ready to attack with a crowbar.

Sofia could easily kill both of them, especially if she surprises them.

Last week’s episode of ‘The Penguin’ left the audiences on quite the cliffhanger. We know that Sofia Gigante has joined forces with Salvatore Maroni and their common goal is simple – eliminate Oz Cobb as both are professionally and emotionally invested in his death.

During the majority of episode 6, we see Sofia and Salvatore desperately looking for any kind of weakness by rummaging through remnants of Oz’s personal life. Sofia aptly notices that Oz’s greatest strength is that he seemingly has no one that he cares about.

His brothers are dead, and Oz cleverly leads everyone to believe that his mother is dead as well. After talking with Oz’s “ladyfriend” Eve, Sofia discovers that Oz is actually hiding in Crown Point.

The episode ends with a shot of Vic and Francis, Oz’s mother dancing in the old derelict apartment while Sofia manages to sneak up on...

This article from the HBO and Max miniseries The Penguin Season 1 Episode 6 titled “Gold Summit” contains significant spoilers.

The Penguin episode titled “Gold Summit” is the most explosive of the season. The 52 minutes and 20 seconds of pure DC Comics bliss begins with Oz and his flourishing operation. Gotham’s underground network is bearing fruit—in this case, mushrooms, known as “Bliss.”

The group extracts the red liquid and forms a crystal to make Walter White proud. Notably, Oz uses Gotham’s poorest residents, paying them well to sell drugs across all territories. Meanwhile, Sofia is engaging in a night of sadomasochism with her mental health Pcp, Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi).

As she unties Rush, she heads to the kitchen, where Sal Maroni cooks one of his wife’s favorite dishes. She reports that they lost Victor in the tunnels and that Oz is moving his product into Sullivan territory.

The Penguin is receiving rave reviews from both fans and critics alike. It has quickly become a major hit for Max and is widely regarded as one of the best comic book series ever, a sentiment shared by audiences and reviewers.

Among the aired episodes, Episode 4, titled “Cent’anni,” stands out as a highlight. This episode serves as an origin story for Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone, delving into her complicated family dynamics, particularly her relationship with her violent father, and explaining how she ended up in Arkham.

Milioti’s performance was exceptional, leaving viewers in awe.

Additionally, Episode 4 boasts an impressive rating of 9.5/10, making it the third highest-rated episode in the history of DC television series, which spans over 72 years since the debut of Adventures of Superman. Only two episodes have scored higher, with ratings of 9.6/10.

The Penguin is a hit series that everyone loves. The story is unfolding brilliantly,...

The Penguin is doing amazing among the fans and critics. This is what everyone knows by now. The series has managed to become a proper hit for Max and is one of the best comic book series of all time, which is a fact that everyone agrees with, whether they are critics or fans.

Among the episodes that have aired so far, Episode 4, “Cent’anni,” is the one that stands out the most.

The episode was an “origin story” for Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone, which explained her complex relationship with her family, especially her brutal father, and how she ended up in Arkham. The actress provided a stellar performance, and everyone was absolutely stunned by the episode.

But, that’s not the end of it. With a 9.5/10 rating, Episode 4 of The Penguin is the third best-rated episode in the history of DC’s television series, i.e., in more than 72 years,...

“The Penguin” showrunner Lauren LeFranc “completely respects” John Turturro’s choice not to reprise the role of Carmine Calcone in “The Batman” spinoff series because of violence.

Turturro, who played the mob boss in the Matt Reeves film, told Variety that along with scheduling conflicts, he also didn’t have a draw to return for the HBO series because “in the show, there was a lot of violence towards women, and that’s not my thing.” He was replaced in a flashback episode by Mark Strong.

“I completely respect an actor who doesn’t want to take on a role for whatever their personal reasons,” LeFranc told TheWrap. “I only want people to join our show who are excited and want to further the story we’re trying to tell. I think Mark Strong did a really fantastic job. He made the character his own and also really honored what John Turturro did.

As James Gunn focuses on establishing his Dcu from the ground up, Matt Reeves is concurrently developing his own cinematic universe centered around Batman. Titled The Batman Epic Crime Saga, this universe takes a more grounded approach to the Caped Crusader and his world.

The saga began with the release of The Batman: Part I, featuring Robert Pattinson in the lead role, and a sequel is already in development, slated for a 2026 release.

In addition to the films, several spinoff shows were planned, including The Penguin, which is currently airing and has become a massive hit, particularly with its fourth episode titled “Cent’Anni.”

This episode delves into Sofia Falcone’s (Cristin Milioti) backstory. Throughout the series, she was portrayed as being held in Arkham Asylum for being The Hangman, a psychopathic serial killer. However, “Cent’Anni” reveals that she was framed by her own family when she began to uncover that...

While Gunn is busy building up his Dcu from the ground, Matt Reeves is also building his own cinematic universe focused on Batman. Dubbed ‘The Batman Epic Crime Saga’ this cinematic universe explores the Caped Crusader and his role from a more grounded perspective.

The universe started with the release of ‘The Batman: Part I’ starring Robert Pattinson, and there’s a sequel in the works, bound for a 2026 release.

But besides the movies, some spinoff shows were also planned. ‘The Penguin’ which is currently ongoing, turned out to be a massive hit among audiences especially the show’s fourth episode titled “Cent’Anni.”

“Cent’Anni” sees Sofia Falcone’s (Cristin Milioti) backstory. We know that over the course of the series she was held in Arkham Asylum due to being ‘The Hangman’ psychopathic serial killer, but the episode showcases that she wasn’t guilty of these crimes. Sofia Falcone was set...

After spending an hour learning about Sofia and how she ended up being framed as The Hangman, the fifth episode of The Penguin, "Homecoming," brings us back to Oz’s story. It’s time to see how he regroups.

Caution: This post contains Spoilers for The Penguin episode 5

We pick up off the back of the events at the end of Episode 3. Oz sets fire to his beloved car, and Vic has a chance to apologize for messing up. Oz is quick to forgive Vic, probably because Vic proved his loyalty by coming back when he could have left twn.

Now Oz needs to regroup. That’s not going to be easy with Sofia grabbing power as the head of the Falcone crime family.

The Penguin episode 5 review, "Homecoming": Oz attacks the Maroni family

The first thing Oz needs to do is deal with the Maronis, who believe he's betrayed them.

This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "The Penguin."

Four weeks into "The Penguin" and there has been nary a reference to Robert Pattinson's masked, bat-themed vigilante colloquially referred to as "Vengeance" among Gotham's criminal element -- though that's not to say that the events of director Matt Reeves' "The Batman" have been brushed under the rug. Far from it. Obviously, the series is set during the immediate aftermath of the 2022 movie, when the most disadvantaged citizens are still reeling from the Riddler's plan to flood the entire city and mobsters like Colin Farrell's scene-stealing Oswald Cobb are hoping to take advantage of the abrupt power vacuum. That means it was all but inevitable for the late Carmine Falcone to make an appearance at some point this season, and that moment finally arrived in the lengthy flashback storyline of this last episode, titled "Cent'Anni." That was only...

The Penguin's latest episode, "Cent'Anni," opens by taking us back a few minutes before Vic's arrival in the previous episode. The truth about Oz Cobb's betrayal is finally revealed to Sofia Falcone thanks to Sal Maroni's wife, and she now knows that he murdered her brother Alberto. 

Sofia is rescued by Dr. Julian Rush and, in a flashback, we revisit the time Oz spent as Sofia's driver. They were on good terms, and a journalist later approaches her to ask about the fact several women with ties to her father's businesses have been found hanging...just like her mother. 

At dinner, we learn Carmine is disappointed in his son and feels he's too soft. As a result, he plans to break tradition and one day make Sofia the head of the family. However, his faith in his daughter wavers when she starts asking questions about her mom's death (she...

When executive producer Matt Reeves first talked to showrunner Lauren LeFranc about creating “The Penguin,” he encouraged her to take the same approach he did with “The Batman”: Do a deep dive into the Batman comics to find inspiration, but with the freedom to create something new.

“Matt never wanted to do a straight up adaptation of a comic book,” said LeFranc. “It’s fantastic that those stories exist, but I’d like to create new stories. I wanted to create new canon.”

There is no better example of what LeFranc did with this freedom than how she flipped the script on the character of Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), who, in the shocking conclusion of Episode 4, gasses the Falcone family in the mob family’s palatial estate. It’s not only an astonishing end to the episode; it’s a surprising unlocking of the character — a side of Sofia...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for The Penguin Season 1, Episode 4, “Cent’anni.”] The Penguin‘s latest installment, “Cent’anni,” explored the backstory of Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), revealing whether her reputation as “The Hangman” truly precedes her as Oz’s (Colin Farrell) backstabbing seemed to be the last straw for the former Arkham patient. As the episode plays out, picking up where the previous week’s installment left off, Sofia is left injured as Oz speeds away with Victor (Rhenzy Feliz). Phoning Dr. Rush (Theo Rossi), Sofia fades into a dream-like state as viewers are treated to her flashbacks, among which is the death of her mother, labeled as a suicide by hanging when Sofia was a child. When a reporter approaches her during a charity lunch, Sofia begins to question her dad’s role as evidence hints at his guilt over killing various women in a similar fashion. Oz, who was driving Sofia around at the time,...

Major spoilers ahead for The Penguin episode 4

Let's give a round of applause for The Penguin episode 4, "Cent'Anni," because the Sofia Falcone-centric hour was perfetto! Cristin Milioti's performance was Emmy-worthy as we watched the dutiful daughter of Carmine Falcone be stripped of her status and thrown in Arkham Asylum because she learned what kind of man he really was.

Remember last episode when Oz said that he was sorry for selling her out to Carmine but he couldn't regret his climb up the ladder or how it changed his life for the better? Well, seeing exactly what his decision put her through really hit home just how deep his betrayal was. And it's left me questioning just how much Oz knew because he's slippery as an eel!

Sofia bore witness to that as he turned and pled his case to Nadia Maroni right in front of her. He was...

This post contains spoilers for episode four of "The Penguin."

Over its first three episodes, "The Penguin" included several subtle Easter eggs that allude to wider Batman lore. The character of Rex Calabrese, of whom Oz talks so highly in episode one, is a villain from the "Batman" comics, while that same episode gave us a neat spin on Robin's origin story using the show's biggest supporting character. There are even more hidden nods to Bat-history throughout "The Penguin," with names of writers and producers appearing on documents and areas of Gotham named after prominent "Batman" writers of years past.

But on the whole, the show has tried its best to stay away from overt references to the Dark Knight himself. Prior to its debut, showrunner Lauren LeFranc made clear that she was crafting a standalone series that would not rely on Robert Pattinson's hero from "The Batman...

This article from the HBO and Max miniseries The Penguin Season 1 Episode 4 contains significant spoilers.

The new HBO and Max miniseries event The Penguin finally answers the series’ two most pressing questions: How and why did Sofia end up at Arkham Asylum, and how did Oz help send her there? The characters have been hinting at these questions for weeks, but greater context has been needed.

The Penguin season 1, episode 4, titled “Cent’Ann,” is a standout moment for star Cristin Milioti, one that should garner her an Emmy nomination. The episode begins by revisiting the end of the previous episode from a different perspective. Nadia (Shohreh Aghdashloo) exposes Oz for playing both sides.

While Sofia kneels beside Oz, Nadia reveals that Oz visited Sal at Blackgate Penitentiary. How will Sal and Nadia now control the new stash house? However, the biggest bombshell Nadia drops is that Oz killed Sofia’s brother.

Since the start of The Penguin, it' been clear that there was more to Sofia Falcone than we've seen. Episode 4, "Cent'anni," delves into her backstory and reveals why she stopped trusting people.

Caution: This post contains Spoilers for The Penguin episode 4

While The Penguin is about the rise of Oz in the criminal underworld, there’s another major player in his story. Sofia quickly proved to be a spanner in the works since her release from Arkham Asylum. This episode is deeply traumatic and emotional. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for her as she’s forced through “treatments.”

It’s been clear for a minute that Sofia isn't actually The Hangman serial killer the news has made her out to be. It’s time to learn who was really behind the hangings and how Sofia was set up to take the fall.

The Penguin episode 4 review: "Cent'anni"

From the start,...

A new teaser for The Penguin revealed why Sofia Falcone was in Arkham Asylum.

Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti, was first introduced in the new Max series. Following the death of her father, in The Batman, Sofia enters the scene ready to take on the empire he left behind.

However, before the show's events, she was imprisoned. While people have casually called her "The Hangman," the details of her crimes haven't been fully explored yet.

Read full article on The Direct.

The Penguin: Is Carmine Falcone the Actual Hangman? - Main Image

When Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) is first introduced in The Penguin, it’s revealed that she’s a former patient in Arkham, and she’s earned the moniker of The Hangman; a serial killer who's killed several women.

With the next episode set to explore her origin though, some speculate that Sofia was actually framed—and by someone very close to her to boot.

Is Carmine Falcone the Actual Hangman?

Fans have speculated for a while that Sofia’s Arkham sentence was more than meets the eye, and one prevailing theory among the community is that it’s actually Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong) who is the Hangman, and Sofia was the one who was made to take the fall.

One big clue is that Carmine in The Batman (played by John Turturro) actually went so far as to...

In The Penguin's third episode, we were introduced to the drug Sofia Falcone and her late brother Alberto were planning to flood Gotham City with.

Called "Bliss," it's an alternative to "Drops" and hails from Arkham State Hospital. While confined there, "The Hangman" figured out that the drug - made from a rare mushroom - provides a euphoric effect for the user.

Add the idea of psychoactive compound to Arkham and chances are you think of Dr. Jonathan Crane. Better known to comic book fans as the Scarecrow, he's known for creating a Fear Toxin which leaves exposed to it in a state of absolute terror. It stands to reason then that he could also create a drug capable of calming Arkham's inmates.

However, we believe someone else might have been behind the creation of the "Bleeding Tooth Fungus."

Poison Ivy is a very real possibility and botanist Pamela...

In the first episode of The Penguin, while accessing a folder full of documents on the who’s who of Gotham at the Iceberg Lounge, Oz was caught red-handed by Alberto Falcone. But Oz managed to calm Alberto down and got him to talk about his drug business. After learning about a shipment of Drops that’ll revolutionize the industry, Oz shot Alberto and killed him. Then he spent the rest of the episode befriending a kid he met on the street, Vic, and disposing of Alberto’s body in such a way that nobody could trace it back to him. Things got complicated when Sofia Falcone was released from Arkham, and she instantly became suspicious of Oz’s involvement in Alberto’s death. In fact, she was this close to realizing that Oz was the one who had murdered Alberto, but Oz managed to make Alberto’s death look...

To earn a spot in Arkham Asylum, you have to do something pretty bad in Gotham. And, given the way people react to Sofia Falcone’s return in “The Penguin,” she definitely did something bad — something that earned her the nickname of “The Hangman.”

So, who and/or what exactly is The Hangman? Well, the character does have comic roots. She’s first introduced in the 1996–97 comic book limited series “Batman: The Long Halloween” by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. And indeed, her real name is Sofia Falcone.

But, she doesn’t actually become The Hangman until the continuation series, “Batman: Dark Victory.” In that story, she takes on the alias and begins a year-long killing spree, targeting Gotham City Police Department employees — more specifically, she goes after those who were associated with Harvey Dent, better known as Two-Face (he killed Sofia’s father in the comics).

The name Hangman is fairly self-explanatory,...

The Penguin's first episode, "After Hours," opens by recapping the events of The Batman and giving us a glimpse at the destruction and death The Riddler's attack on Gotham City led to.

Only a week has passed and Oz Cobb makes his way to Carmine Falcone's office in the Iceberg Lounge where he recovers various valuables and documents his dead boss used to blackmail many of the city's most powerful people (along with dirt on his associates). However, he's then confronted by Alberto Falcone, heir to the empire, and recovering drophead. 

A tense conversation follows in which Oz pretends he was only there to bring that stuff, including Salvatore Maroni's prized ring, to Alberto. Fondly remembering growing up in the same neighbourhood as gangster Rex Calabrese, Oz is incensed when Alberto laughs at his ambitions and guns his new boss down. 

Moving the body, Oz finds a group of...

I’m not saying HBO’s The Penguin is derivative, but it’s the second TV show in less than six months in which Colin Farrell plays a character obsessed with the glamour of black-and-white Old Hollywood movies — specifically using clips from Gilda to evoke nostalgia for a period that our hero is too young to have experienced firsthand, a poignant yearning for a world with mystique and morality that no longer exist.

Built into the semi-recent spate of origin stories for classic TV and movie villains — Norman Bates, the Joker, half of the nefarious Disney catalogue — is an indictment of non-empathetic viewership.

These revisionist approaches to iconic tales assume that, in the process of goading audiences into rooting for figures more traditionally coded as “hero,” there was a failure to acknowledge that even the seemingly worst of figures have their awfulness rooted in very human conditions: loneliness, trauma, treatable mental illness,...

Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb is hustling his way through Gotham again. Take a look at the new The Penguin trailer.

The final days of the San Diego Comic-Con gave us more news than we could process, especially when it came to Marvel. You can read all about their latest shenanigans over here.

While Kevin Feige’s big announcements might have taken the spotlight, the Marvel panel was preceded by The Penguin panel, which saw Matt Reeves and his stars – minus Colin Farrell who joined via video – take the stage to chat all about their upcoming TV series focusing on The Batman villain. During it, HBO released a brand new trailer for The Penguin.

Take a look at the new The Penguin trailer below.

We learned last week that The Penguin will act as a “bridge” between The Batman and The Batman Part II, which is set to start filming this December.

Epic Pictures’ Dread has just released The Hangman, "a terrifying tale of the sinister secrets hiding in the hills of rural Appalachia." The limited theatrical release starts today (with a VOD release on June 4th) and we have an exclusive clip you can watch right now!

"The official synopsis for the film reads: To mend their troubled relationship, a middle - aged door - to - door salesman, Leon, takes his teenage son on a camping trip into deep rural Appalachia. Little do they know of the mountainous region’s sinister secrets. A local cult has summoned an evil demon born of hate and pain, known to them as The Hangman, and now the bodies have begun to pile up. Leon wakes up in the morning to discover that his son is missing. To find him, Leon must face the murderous cult and the bloodthirsty monster that is The Hangman.

Quentin Tarantino got the stagecoach wheels rolling on The Hateful Eight when he announced it less than one year after Django Unchained hit theaters. In fact, the announcement wasn’t the only thing that was close. The Hateful Eight actually started as a sequel to Django, with parts of it stemming from an abandoned novelization of his revisionist western.

For this western, Tarantino would use western TV show tropes–chiefly the bottle episodes where a band of vigilantes took the lead hostage–as a launching point. He thought, “What if I did a movie starring nothing but those characters? No heroes…Just a bunch of nefarious guys in a room, all telling backstories that may or may not be true. Trap those guys together in a room with a blizzard outside, give them guns, and see what happens.” And what happened was a lot of anger, a lot of snow and a lot of vomit.