Quentin Tarantino’s Lost Chapter of Kill Bill Debuts in Fortnite

LOS ANGELES, California — Director Quentin Tarantino‘s long-held dream has begun to materialize as the animated short titled “Yuki‘s Revenge” premieres in the popular video game Fortnite. The new chapter also features in “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair,” which has a limited theatrical run starting on December 5.

The short, which runs for eight minutes, brings back Uma Thurman as The Bride. Tarantino collaborated with Epic Games using their Unreal Engine and motion capture technology to capture Thurman’s performance and adapt it into the game.

At a special launch held at the Vista Theater in Los Angeles, Tarantino shared how the partnership with Epic Games developed. “They got together with me to talk about some situation where my characters and Fortnite do something kind of groovy,” he explained. Originally, he expected to discuss licensing his characters for the game. Instead, Epic wanted to create something original.

Tarantino revealed that he had a chapter called “Yuki’s Revenge” written in the first draft of “Kill Bill,” which ultimately didn’t make it to the final film due to pacing issues. He described it as “too crazy, too violent, and just too much action.” The story explores the backstory of Gogo, who has a twin sister named Yuki.

Thurman surprised attendees when she joined Tarantino to discuss how motion capture technology helped translate her character into Fortnite. “It’s so novel to wear the camera on your head, but I completely forgot about it; just started to live in the moments of the scenes we were doing,” she stated.

In addition to the new animated short, “The Whole Bloody Affair” combines both “Kill Bill Vol. 1” and “Kill Bill Vol. 2” into one four-hour feature film. It showcases the journey of The Bride as she seeks vengeance on those who wronged her.

During the event, Tarantino discussed the technical aspects of producing the project with Unreal Engine, highlighting how it allowed real-time character rendering and realistic performances. “To me, it was just like directing a scene,” he noted.

Epic Games emphasized this collaboration as more than just a marketing opportunity; they saw it as a way to blend the worlds of gaming and cinema. During the premiere, a behind-the-scenes featurette provided insights into creating “Yuki’s Revenge.” The idea was to present the film inside Fortnite’s metaverse.

With the hybrid project, both Tarantino and Thurman aspire to reach fans of both “Kill Bill” and Fortnite. Tarantino remarked, “I want both the ‘Kill Bill’ fan and the Fortnite fan to be totally effing happy about this collaboration.”

As anticipation builds for the new Fortnite season, it is set to not only include movie references but perhaps usher in a new era for cinematic storytelling through innovative gaming platforms.