Quentin Tarantino continues his media blitz for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood by stirring up some more drama. Not only has he pissed off the family of late martial arts master and 70s film star Bruce Lee, but now he’s coming for Kung Fu Panda.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Tarantino went off on the animated children’s movie about a dopey panda voiced by Jack Black who dreams of being a kung fu legend. When discussing the indelible mark his own films have left on pop culture, he said: “Frankly, Kung Fu Panda is just a straight-up parody of Kill Bill. In every way!” Tarantino continued that it’s clear the creators saw his script and it inspired the kid flick and subsequent TV show, but he expects no royalties. “They’re doing me a favor,” he joked. “They’re keeping me pop-culturally relevant. Priceless.”
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While there are some similarities between the films, it’s hard to fathom why a director of Tarantino’s caliber and success would be at all bothered by a kids’ movie being even vaguely similar to his R-rated revenge tale, especially considering Kill Bill has been parodied in a ton of pop culture, from Family Guy to a porn flick. It’s… probably not that deep. But, sure, Quentin, keep doing you.
Alex Zaragoza is the senior culture writer at VICE. Follow her on Twitter.
