Quentin Tarantino fired Isabelle Huppert and cut Maggie Cheung's scenes from Inglourious Basterds

Before Mélanie Laurent's fiery portrayal of Shosanna Dreyfus came to light, Inglourious Basterds underwent a casting upheaval that had far-reaching consequences. People confirmed the director's comments made in Jay Glennie's new book, The Making Of Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino expressed his disappointment in both actresses' table reads, but his treatment of Isabelle Huppert and Maggie Cheung differed significantly.

Tarantino deemed Laurent's initial reading "terrible" and promptly fired her. However, Laurent managed to convince Tarantino of her suitability for the role, and the director agreed to give her another chance. On the other hand, Huppert's failure to attend the table read and contract complications led to her firing from the role of Madame Ada Mimieux. Maggie Cheung replaced Huppert in the role.

Cheung's casting proved beneficial, as Tarantino felt that the scenes featuring Cheung over-explained the acquisition of the cinema by Shosanna. He believed a title card stating "Four Years Later" and Shosanna explaining her inheritance from her aunt was sufficient. Despite his love for Huppert's acting, Tarantino felt that the contract issues and missed table read warranted her removal from the film.