Once Upon a Time in Hollywood seems to be mocking its own posters in a rather unique way. Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film takes viewers back to one of Hollywood’s prime eras in the late 1960s while also providing a brief yet intriguing look into the making of movies and television. Of course, a film like this, which not only takes place during an infamous time in Hollywood’s history but also includes portrayals of several real-life people, is bound to stir up some controversy of its own.
One of those small controversies - among a few of the bigger ones, like Margot Robbie’s rather limited dialogue as Sharon Tate and Mike Moh’s depiction of Bruce Lee, specifically in his fight with Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth - was a photoshop edit made to the first official Once Upon a Time in Hollywood image, which featured Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton and Pitt’s Booth standing against a wall. As it turns out, people caught on to the fact that the studio trimmed DiCaprio’s neck fat to make him look skinnier.
Rather than move on from the somewhat minor controversy, it looks like Tarantino decided to call it out in the movie itself. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s post-credits scene contained a Red Apple cigarettes commercial that was reportedly filmed after the movie premiered at Cannes in May. After the commercial cuts in the scene, Rick Dalton complains about the cigarettes (because he doesn’t really like them) and then attacks a cardboard cutout of himself because it shows his double chin, thereby reacting to the real-life image (below).
It’s unlikely that this is a mistake since the scene was filmed shortly before Once Upon a Time in Hollywood released in theaters, which means that everyone involved must have been aware - at least to some degree - of the issue with the original image from last summer. At the time, it was reported that DiCaprio wasn’t aware of the changes nor did he request that they be made, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t poke fun at the change since it’s something that happens quite often in Hollywood.
Of course, this isn’t the only meta-reference or Easter egg in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Given Tarantino’s love for, and knowledge of, film, it makes sense that there are plenty of references to keep viewers interested for a long time to come; everything from Inglorious Basterds references to calling out the most exciting part of the film… before it happens. It’s just that seeing Tarantino and DiCaprio mock the original poster for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is more than hilarious.
Next: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Ending Explained
