Ennio Morricone Denies Giving Disparaging Interview About Quentin Tarantino

"I have never expressed any negative statements about the Academy, Quentin, or his films," the composer said.

Famed composer Ennio Morricone is denying that he gave an interview to the German edition of Playboy in which he heavily criticized collaborator Quentin Tarantino.

"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 composer through a rep said Sunday in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

He continued: "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."

In the alleged interview with the German edition of Playboy, The Hateful Eight composer was quoted as calling the director a "cretin" and said his films were "trash."

Morricone — who has a long, illustrious career as a composer — won an Academy Award for his score to Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight in 2015. Among his best-known scores are for the films The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West.

Below is Morricone's full note on the interview with Playboy Germany that he denies:

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. 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 acknowledgments 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 acknowledgments of my career.

Ennio Morricone

Nov. 11, 10:25 a.m. Updated headline and story throughout, removes quotes and includes statement of denial from Morricone.