Ennio Morricone: Playboy admits misquoting composer in interview calling Quentin Tarantino a 'cretin'

The magazine says Morricone's quotes were 'in part, reproduced incorrectly'

Composer Ennio Morricone winner of the Best Original Score award for The Hateful Eight poses in the press room during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Loews Hollywood Hotel on 28 February, 2016 in Hollywood, California. ((Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images))

German Playboy has walked back an interview in which Ennio Morricone was quoted as insulting Quentin Tarantino.

The publication told Deadline the composer’s words were ‘in part, reproduced incorrectly’ in the article, which claimed Morricone had called the film director a ‘cretin’.

Playboy‘s, publishing group previously stood by the interview while Morricone firmly denied criticising Tarantino.

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, German journalist Florian Boitin, has now spoken out against the interview, which was bylined by freelance music journalist Marcel Anders.

“Up to now, we have considered the freelancer who conducted the Ennio Morricone interview on our behalf to be a renowned print and radio journalist,” Boitin told Deadline.

“In the past, we have had no reason to doubt his journalistic integrity and skills. Based on the information now at our disposal, we must unfortunately assume that the words spoken in the interview have, in part, been reproduced incorrectly.

“We would like to express our regret should Mr Morricone have been portrayed in a false light. We are working to clarify this matter and are exploring legal measures.”

In the interview, Morricone was quoted as calling Tarantino's films "trash" and the director someone "who just steals from others and puts it together again... he's not a director.

"Not comparable to the real Hollywood greats like John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock or Billy Wilder."

The article also quoted Morricone, who won his first Academy Award for his work on Tarantino's 2015 Western The Hateful Eight, as saying he no longer wanted to travel to "this dreadful America with these pompous pomposities, these embarrassments like the Oscars and the whole frippery".

Morricone previously issued a statement praising Tarantino's work and crediting the director for helping him achieve one of the highest honours of his professional life.

"It has come to my attention that Playboy Germany has come out with an article in which I have stated extremely negative comments about Tarantino and his films, and the Academy," the statement reads. "I have never expressed any negative statements about the Academy, Quentin, or his films — and certainly do not consider his films garbage. I have given a mandate to my lawyer in Italy to take civil and penal action.

"I consider Tarantino a great director. I am very fond of my collaboration with him and the relationship we have developed during the time we have spent together. He is courageous and has an enormous personality. I credit our collaboration responsible for getting me an Oscar, which is for sure one of the greatest acknowledgements of my career, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to compose music for his film.

"In London, during a press conference in front of Tarantino, I clearly stated that I consider Quentin one of the greatest directors of this time, and I would never speak poorly of the Academy - an important institution that has given to me two of the most important acknowledgements of my career."