Quentin Tarantino on Recruiting Brad Pitt for 'Inglourious Basterds'

Tarantino says that shortly after he finished the script for 'Inglourious Basterds,' he flew to the vineyard in France where Pitt was living, in hopes of persuading the A-list actor to play Lieutenant Aldo Raine in the film.

The writer/director says the two talked for hours into the night, popping wine bottles of Rose. "We killed five bottles just talking about the film and life," Tarantino tells us.

'Inglourious Basterds' is Nazi-era movie that follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers whose mission is to take down a group of Nazis. In addition to Pitt, Diane Kruger and "The Office" actor B.J. Novak also star in the film that is set to hit theaters August 21.

Kruger says of Tarantino, "He's mad, eccentric, crazy, running around...yet, he's incredibly focused."

As for working with Pitt, her costar in the 2004 film 'Troy,' the actress tells us, "In 'Troy,' I was so green and inexperienced and completely overwhelmed. ... It was fun, knowing each other [on 'Inglourious Basterds'], it was easy."

Published 8/11/09 by