Welsh filmmaker Jamie Adams says bringing Quentin Tarantino and Kylie Minogue to his hometown of Porthcawl to work on his new movie felt like “an out of body experience.” Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA also joined the cast of Tangled Up in Blue, whose stars’ arrival in the seaside town earlier this year caused a local buzz.
The film follows a talent manager, played by Tarantino, who has spent 40 years managing legends before becoming stranded at a hotel bar between an old flame and a lost soul. Adams filmed much of the movie in Cardiff and Porthcawl, including at the pub once run by his father.
Adams said he shared a pint with Tarantino at the pub, formerly called the Ship and Castle, alongside an old friend. The filmmaker described the experience as “surreal and beautiful.” Tarantino had not visited Wales before, Adams said.
The collaboration grew out of a film Adams shot in France last year using his improvisational approach, in which scenes are often created spontaneously rather than performed from a pre-written script. Adams said Tarantino enjoyed the process and compared it to French New Wave cinema. After Adams suggested making a more personal film in his hometown, Tarantino was enthusiastic about coming to Wales.
Minogue, who has described herself as “half Welsh,” also had family ties to the area. Her mother, Carol Jones, and Welsh-speaking grandmother, Millie Jones, came from near Porthcawl and Maesteg before emigrating to Australia in the 1950s. Adams said Minogue rarely had the opportunity to visit and readily accepted the invitation.
The project is not Adams’s first to bring well-known performers to south Wales: Jennifer Grey starred in his 2019 film Bittersweet Symphony. He said the improvisational format gave the cast freedom to explore characters in ways that may not be possible on other productions.
Tangled Up in Blue has no confirmed release date. Adams is aiming for summer 2027 and hopes to hold a premiere in Cardiff with the cast in attendance.
Sources: BBC News UK.