Roman Polanski will 'play key role' as character in Quentin Tarantino's Manson Family Murders film

The brutal massacre is said to provide a backdrop to the film's main story of a washed-up TV actor

Roman Polanski has been in self-imposed exile since he fled the US almost 40 years ago (Getty)

It seems the next film from Quentin Tarantino will focus more heavily on the Manson Family Murders than he previously suggested.

Few details are known about the filmmaker's ninth film other than the reports which claimed the brutal massacre, which ended the lives of Sharon Tate - who was eight and a half months pregnant -Steve Parent, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and Abigail Folger, would merely provide a backdrop to the main story of a TV actor hoping to break into the film business.

According to Variety's Justin Kroll, however, Roman Polanski is set to appear as a character in what has been described as “a key role” in the film - a controversial decision considering the French-Polish director's troubling past; he was arrested for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in 1978 and later fled the US to Europe where he has worked ever since.

For the role of Polanski, who was married to Tate at the time of her murder in their home in 1969, Tarantino is said to be looking for an “authentic Polish thespian" to play the role.

Film fans expressed their worried thoughts on this development on social media.

One actor confirmed to appear is Leonardo DiCaprio who will reportedly play a neighbour of Tate's while Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are said to be circling the role of a prosecutor (not a stuntman as previously reported). Margot Robbie has been linked to the role of film star Tate who was 26 when she was murdered.

The film will be released by Sony after Tarantino pulled the project away from longtime collaborators The Weinstein Company following the allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Harvey Weinstein.

Tarantino's as-of-yet untitled film will arrive in cinemas 9 August 2019 - the 50th anniversary of the Manson Family Murders which were carried out by followers of cult leader Charles Manson.

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