Once upon a time in Hollywood…Quentin Tarantino could be headed to his biggest opening weekend ever. Last night “OUTH” scored $5.8 million in previews. The Leonardo DiCaprio-Brad Pitt comedy should be huge, with excellent reviews (save for a couple of weird ones on Rotten Tomatoes.)

In 2009, Tarantino had his biggest opening with “Inglorious Basterds”– $38 million. Three years later, he’d hit $30 million with “Django Unchained.”

“OUTH” should have amazing word of mouth, which will help enormously. This movie plays very, very well and is very enjoyable. Believe me, a lot of people will want to see it a second time.

This is the first film Tarantino has made without Harvey Weinstein and his PR machine. But the last one, “Hateful 8,” was a bust, so it may have been time for a new look anyway. It’s also Tarantino’s widest ever release.

I do think “OUTH” will have “legs” — audiences will keep seeking it out at least through Labor Day. And let’s see which one of the songs from the soundtrack– which is out now– makes a surprise appearance on the charts.

It seems like new co-director of the Toronto Film Festival Joana Vicente is making waves up north– the good kind!

TIFF has just announced its first annual gala during their festival, and Meryl Streep is their first honoree. The festival has never done this before, strangely, but I guess Vicente convinced them this is important.

Getting Streep is a coup. She’s the top of the heap. And it’s an unusual year in which she only has TWO potential hits for the fall that could produce more awards action in her unique career– Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat” and Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.” Of course, she just wrapped her highly praised run on HBO’s “Big Little Lies.”

This will be a hot ticket in Toronto. We can only imagine Meryl’s acceptance speech. I’ve heard she disapproves of our current government! (Rock on, Meryl!)

I told you on June 19th that Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy” would be featured at the Venice Film Festival. And so it was announced this morning. Keep an eye on this film– in the 50th anniversary of the Manson murders, with Quentin Tarantino’s new film fantasizing a better life for Polanski, a great film from the Polish director would be quite a triumph.

Venice will also feature Brad Pitt in “Ad Astra,” Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” and Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat.”

No sign of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” (coming to the NY Film Fest) or Woody Allen’s “Rainy Day in New York” (which will open in Europe this fall).

“Ad Astra” must also be opening at the NY Film Festival, since it isn’t part of Toronto. That’s a good get for Kent Jones.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP

IN COMPETITION

“The Truth,” Kore-eda Hirokazu (France, Japan) – OPENING FILM
“The Perfect Candidate,” Haifaa Al-Mansour (Saudi Arabia, Germany)
“About Endlessness,” Roy Andersson (Sweden)
“Wasp Network,” Olivier Assayas (France, Belgium)
“Marriage Story,” Noah Baumbach (U.S.)
“Guest of Honor,” Atom Egoyan (Canada)
“Ad Astra,” James Gray (U.S.)
“A Herdade,” Tiago Guedes (Portugal, France)
“Gloria Mundi,” Robert Guediguian (France)
“Waiting for the Barbarians,” Ciro Guerra (Italy)
“Ema,” Pablo Larrain (Chile)
“Saturday Fiction,” Lou Ye (China)
“Martin Eden,” Pietro Marcello (Italy, France, Germany)
“La Mafia non è più quella di Una Volta,” Franco Maresco
“The Painted Bird,” Vaclav Marhoul (Czech Republic)
“The Mayor of Rione Sanità,” Mario Martone (Italy, France)
“Babyteeth,” Shannon Murphy (Australia)
“Joker,” Todd Philips (U.S.)
“An Officer and a Spy,” Roman Polanski (France)
“The Laundromat,” Steven Soderbergh (U.S.)
“No. 7 Cherry Lane,” Yonfan (China)

OUT OF COMPETITION – Fiction

“The Burnt Orange Heresy,” Giuseppe Capotondi (U.K., Italy) – CLOSING FILM
“Seberg,” Benedict Andrews (U.S.)
“Vivere,” Francesca Archibugi (Italy)
“Mosul,” Matthew Michael Carnahan (U.S.)
“Adults in the Room,” Costa-Gavras (France, Greece)
“The King,” David Michod (U.K., Hungary)
“Tutto il mio folle amore,” Gabriele Salvatores (Italy)

OUT OF COMPETITION – Non-Fiction

“Woman,” Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Anastasia Mikova (France)
“Roger Waters: Us + Them,” Roger Waters (U.K.)
“I Diari di Angela – Noi Due Cineasti. Capitolo Secondo. Yervant Gianikian, Angela Ricci Lucchi (Italy)
“Citizen K,” Alex Gibney (U.K., U.S.)
“Citizen Rosi,” Didi Gnocchi, Carolina Rosi (Italy)
“The Kingmaker,” Lauren Greenfield (U.S.)
“State Funeral,” Sergei Loznitsa (The Netherlands, Lithuania)
“Collective,” Alexander Nanau (Romania, Luxembourg)
“45 Seconds of Laughter,” Tim Robbins (U.S.)
“Il pianeta in mare,” Daniele Segre (Italy)

OUT OF COMPETITION – Special Screenings

“No One Left Behind,” Guillermo Arriaga (Mexico)
“Electric Swan,” Konstantina Kotzamani (France, Greece, Argentina)
“Irreversible – Inversion Integrale,” Gaspar Noe (France)
“ZeroZeroZero,” (Episodes 1 and 2) Stefano Sollima (Italy, France)
“The New Pope” (Episodes 2 and 7) Paolo Sorrentino (Italy, U.S.)
“Never Just a Dream: Stanley Kubrick And Eyes Wide Shut,” Matt Wells (U.K.)
“Eyes Wide Shut,” Stanley Kubrick (U.S., U.K.)

HORIZONS

“Pelican Blood,” Katrin Gebbe (Germany, Bulgaria)
“Zumiriki,” Oskar Alegria (Spain)
“Bik Eneich – Un Fils,” Mehdi M. Barsaoui (Tunisia, France, Lebanon, Qatar)
“Blanco en Blanco,” Theo Court (Spain, Chile, France, Germany)
“Mes Jours de Gloire,” Antoine De Bary (France)
“Nevia,” Nunzia De Stefano (Italy)
“Moffie,” Oliver Hermanus (South Africa)
“Hava, Maryam, Ayesha,” Sahara Karimi (Afghanistan)
“Rialto,” Peter Mackie Burns (Ireland)
“The Criminal Man,” Dmitry Mamuliya (Georgia, Russia)
“Revenir,” Jessica Palud (France)
“Giants Being Lonely,” Great Patterson (U.S.)
“Balloon,” Pema Tseden (China)
“Verdict,” Raymund Ribas Gutierrez (Philippines)
“Just 6.5,” Saeed Roustaee (Iran)
“Shadow of Water,” Sasidharan Sanal Kumar (India)
“Sole,” Carlo Sironi (Italy)
“Madre,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain, France)
“Atlantis,” Valentyn Vasyanovych (Ukraine)