Paul Thomas Anderson stunned by Quentin Tarantino retirement claims: 'I don't know how he takes himself seriously'

The Phantom Thread filmmaker claims he will direct for as long as he is able

Paul Thomas Anderson fans have no need to fret - the director has stated he won't retire from directing as long as he is able to make films, a sentiment not shared by Quentin Tarantino.

The director - whose credits include Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood - was asked how long filmmakers can sustain a level of artistic dominance during a discussion of his most recent film Phantom Thread with Bill Simmons back in December when he made the admission.

“Apparently there was a kind of health report that went out to Directors’ Guild of America members, and it said something to the extent that the average life expectancy for a DGA member is 57 years,“ he joked, adding: “It can take a lot out of you. You’ll see other filmmakers that you like whose best work is here or there and in the middle or at the end.”

Anderson referenced Tarantino's plans to retire after making his tenth film (he's currently working on the ninth, the 1969-set Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise) - something he struggles to take seriously.

He said: “I know Quentin [Tarantino] likes to say, ‘I’m making 10 movies and then I’m quitting.’ But I could never do that. I don’t know how he could say that or how he could take himself seriously when he says that.

“This is what I want to do as long as I’m able to do it. As long as I’m able to do it, I’m going to do it. I think things can become peculiar when directors don’t act their age maybe or seeing them try to keep up with the kids or trying to be hip. That’s never a good look.”

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