Despite Superheros, giant monsters, and other larger-than-life fantasy largely ruling the real estate at Comic Con this year (and really most years), you can always leave it to Quentin Tarantino to easily steal much of the spotlight without any CGI or space-traveling set pieces.

Sporting the Dutch Southern Tarantino Babies T-shirt, QT took the stage with Jamie Foxx, Walton Goggins, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, and Don Johnson to discuss his newest film. Here’s a rundown of what was discussed, and where best to go for full, on-the-spot reports.

• Naturally some non-Django questions came up, including a query on the state of Kill Bill 3, to which Tarantino responded very noncommittally, “I always said I would wait ten years. Kill Bill 3‘ is a work in progress…”

The thing is, we’re about 10 years out from the production of Kill Bill, but he’s got a solid two years before we’re really a decade out from the release of both parts of the original.

• The 8 minutes of footage shown to the absolutely massive Hall H crowd was the same thing shown at the most recent Cannes, and is essentially an extended version of the trailer…

Beginning with the scene in which Dr. King Schultz “acquires” Django from his traveling chain-gang, it expands on the two getting to know each other, with a focus on Schultz’ ignorance of Southern custom and the concept of racism at its core. From their bargaining over Schultz’ arrangement to have Django point him towards his Brittle Brothers bounty, it moves to a training scene of the two firing at a snowman. From there the footage has the two visiting a plantation and Django making his first kill.

…You can read a more detailed/spoilery description at Cinema Blend.

• Tarantino explained that Jonah Hill returning to the cast was not to replace his replacement Sacha Baron Cohen (that character has simply been scrapped), but to take a role as a “Regulator” a pre-Klan group that policed slaves. Apparently their scene is one Tarantino’s funniest ever (according to him, at least).

Other thoughts and info let loose by Tarantino and his cast?

• Tarantino and Foxx took some time and had some struggles getting comfortable with the casting. The director was iffy on such a huge celebrity managing the part, but Foxx was willing to strip himself down and draw on his own experiences with racism as a youth in Texas. He ran down his experiences with tough directors like Stone and Mann to THR as well.

• Foxx and Tarantino both defended the content of the film with QT suggesting he could never make something more fucked up than the reality, and Foxx saying hes certain we’re all grown up enough to handle a film in this arena.

• Jamie Foxx rides his own horse in the film, one which he happened to have bought a little over four years ago. His name is Cheetah, but in the film he’s “Tony,” and QT says he has a big role.

• Much was made of Waltz’s character’s Yoda-like relationship with Django, though that dynamic flips to some degree when they enter the nastier places in the South and Dr. Schultz is shocked by atrocities on display. Waltz calls it a “unique and fabulous relationship forged in the course of fantastic adventures.”

• Kerry Washington jumped on the role for challenges of speaking German, riding on horseback, and working with Tarantino. She sings a German lullaby (because she can’t whistle, as originally written) and that there is still unusual strength written into her damsel-in-distress character.

• Don Johnson decided he wanted to play a big, Foghorn Leghorn-like character, which is why he and QT finally pulled the trigger on working together.

“Screencrush” on Instagram

Film references in the panel: The Flame Of New Orleans, The Spoilers, Minnesota Clay.

Both Tarantino Archives and Cinema Blend have live-blogs you can check out for more bits of trivia about this, one of the most geek-anticipated films of the year. I know my pants are thoroughly shat.

Source | Indiewire, Total Film