Credit: Sony Pictures / Andrew Cooper

As the hotly-anticipated film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is scheduled for release in Australia next month, the box office has been smashed on its opening weekend overseas. Following the premiere in Los Angeles, the Quentin Tarantino-lead film hit the ground running with a record-breaking weekend. Closely nipping at the heels of Disney’s remake of The Lion King, the Sony-produce film reportedly pulled in a huge $40.3 million USD and earned $16.8 million USD in the first 24 hours.

Beating out its predecessor Inglorious Basterd‘s $38 million opening, Tarantino’s ninth film has been proved as an overwhelming success. Amid what many have considered as a sluggish season for films – a bout of remakes and spinoffs – the original storyline and star-studded cast have reigned supreme.

“You can’t give up on originality. That’s why this is so important,” Sony film boss Tom Rothman told the Hollywood Reporter before the release. “It comes from the imagination of a very singular writer-director. And these characters are inhabited by the finest actors of our generation. I really want to believe that there remains room on the big screen for big original stories.”

Featuring Leonard DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Austin Butler, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is set in 1969 during the golden age of film. Following struggling actor Rick Dalton and his stunt-double Cliff Booth, the film loosely surrounds the gruesome murder of Sharon Tate, conducted by the infamous Manson Family.

Set to drop into Australian cinemas from August 15, tune into the trailer below to see what all the fuss is about.