Quentin Tarantino was willing to do whatever it took to pull off his vision of recreating the Hollywood of his childhood for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, including hiding in a broom closet to make a surprise appearance at a local government meeting.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood takes place in 1969, following actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double/best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they interact with fictional and real figures, including Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and Charles Manson’s followers. Tarantino went to great lengths to make Los Angeles look as it did in 1969 for the movie.

The Hollywood Reporter has shared an exclusive excerpt from the book The Making of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood by Jay Glennie, releasing October 28, which details how Tarantino surprised members of a Hollywood neighborhood council meeting to get the ability to shoot on eight blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, one of Los Angeles’ busiest streets.

The excerpt details how location manager Rick Schuler decided to make Tarantino’s appearance at the meeting a surprise, but that required the Oscar-winning writer/director to be out of sight until it was time.

“When his turn on the agenda finally arrived, after he’d had a chance to warm up the panel and explain the needs of the production, Schuler said there was somebody else who wished to say a few words. ‘When Quentin walked in, their jaws just went straight to the floor,’ Schuler recalled. ‘He had been hiding in the closet for nearly an hour, and I had no idea if he was going to be pissed at me! But he looked at me and I nodded, and he started talking. Without notes he explained to them that he was brought up in Hollywood. He now owned a theater in the neighborhood. He is doing a movie about Hollywood and celebrating Hollywood and needed their backing and support.'”

Tarantino and Schuler got unanimous approval to shut down Hollywood Boulevard for the movie’s production.

More From The Making Of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

There are plenty of other tidbits from Glennie in the excerpt shared by The Hollywood Reporter. Highlights include DiCaprio inviting his father, who still dressed like a hippie from the 1960s, to set; the stunt coordination for Brad Pitt’s driving scenes; and Margot Robbie getting to do a scene with an iconic movie prop.

If you are interested in reading more from Glennie’s book, which features an introduction by Tarantino, it is now available for pre-order.

Our Take On Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Legacy

Though the movie was released in 2019, and many fans eagerly await what is supposed to be Tarantino’s 10th, and final, movie, the director has lingered on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

He wrote a novelized version of the movie and a sequel based on Pitt’s character, The Adventures of Cliff Booth. While David Fincher is directing the new movie, it is still very much in Tarantino’s universe, as evidenced by a fun Easter egg from a set video.

It is clear that Tarantino holds a special place in his heart for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.