7 things we learned from Tarantino, Boyle, Inarritu, O Russell and Scott roundtable

Hollywood's elite wax lyrical on all things film

If you're a film fan in any way, chances are January is a time for excitement – not sadness.

Not only are the majority of those award contenders you've been hearing about for months on end finally released, but Hollywood comes together to discuss them all.

Well, The Hollywood Reporter has gone one better; assembling six of the biggest directors working today – Danny Boyle, Tom Hooper, David O. Russell, Alejandro G. Inarritu, Ridley Scott and Quentin Tarantino – this roundtable is a must for any film enthusiast.

Clocking in at over an hour long, we've plucked out the greatest facts, anecdotes and discoveries from the interview.

Wallace and Gromit inspired Three Kings

Specifically The Wrong Trousers. When Boyle mentions the Aardman animation's climactic action sequence, David O. Russell has this to say: "I used that when I made Three Kings; the rhythm of it, the way [Nick Park] cut it. When I thought about the chase sequence in Three Kings, I wanted to have that propulsive quality... I watched it many times."

Ridley Scott has an incredible Stanley Kubrick story

"I'd finished Blade Runner and it was a disaster. By then, I'd talked to Stanley a few times so I called him and said, 'Listen, I know you shot the hell out of...' wherever it was '...for The Shining – I know you have four and a half months of helicopter stuff; can I have some of the stuff because it will suit me fine?' The next day I have 17 hours of footage. So the end of Blade Runner is Stanley Kubrick's footage."

Tarantino confirms what he plans to do after film number ten

"I want to stop at a certain point. I want to write novels and I want to write theatre. What I'd like to do is a theatrical adaptation of The Hateful Eight because I actually like the idea of other actors having the chance to play my characters. I'm working my way into that time period where I write novels, film pieces, film books, story novels – and in particular writing and directing theatre."

Inarritu's main Revenant nightmare were the horses

Turns out the horses proved as big a headache as the weather on the set of The Revenant. Inarritu recalls, "I remember that Clint Eastwood last year said 'Oh, you're doing a film with horses? I was offered one of those last year and I didn't take it. I'm sorry for you.' I had never shot a horse in my life – I [ended up] literally having nightmares about how to shoot a horse."

Danny Boyle's favourite film memory is a 28 Days Later... deleted scene

"We shot a scene in 28 Days Later... that we never used where they were driving around in a taxi cab through post-apocalyptic zombified Britain and they sung "Hotel Yorba", The White Stripes song. We never used it in the movie but I've always wanted to do a musical.

Ridley Scott has seen Muriel's Wedding six times

Upon being asked what film they'd each select to put in a time capsule for preservation, the Alien and Blade Runner director silences everyone with "Muriel's Wedding. I've seen it six times; it's fantastic." (Tarantino picks the climax of Police Story 3)

...and is even more of a seasoned pro than we thought

Upon being asked what his toughest challenge was on The Martian: "None. It was very straightforward."

Upon being asked if he has any regrets: "Not one. Nothing. I kind of like what I've done actually."