Overview
- Tarantino told The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast that There Will Be Blood ranked fifth on his 21st‑century list and called Paul Dano a “big giant flaw,” labeling him “weak sauce,” a “weak sister,” and “the weakest f***ing actor in SAG.”
- He argued the film failed as a two‑hander opposite Daniel Day‑Lewis and suggested Austin Butler for the role, a comparison widely noted as impractical since Butler was a teenager when the movie was made.
- Support for Dano poured in from peers, including The Batman: Part II co-writer Mattson Tomlin, who praised Dano as both actor and director, and actor Simu Liu, who called him “an incredible actor.”
- Dillon Freasier, Dano’s There Will Be Blood co-star, told TMZ the film was “perfect” with “everyone… perfectly cast,” and commentators argued Dano’s on‑screen fragility was an intentional and effective counterpoint.
- Coverage highlighted Dano’s BAFTA nomination for the role and his acclaimed body of work, while outlets said they had sought comment from representatives with no new statements from Tarantino or Dano disclosed.