First look at the Django Unchained set

The first images have arrived from the set of Quentin Tarantino’s spaghetti western Django Unchained , and it looks as though QT has alighted on the perfect setting for his gun-slinging adventure.

The photos were taken by actor Garrett Dillahunt on the Santa Clarita Melody Ranch in California, which serves as a ready-made location for Western-set filmmaking. If it looks familiar, that’s probably because all three series of HBO drama Deadwood were filmed here.

Dillahunt himself was involved in that production, but newcomer Tarantino has been full of praise for the set’s authentic trappings.

“It’s a blast shooting here,” said the director. “Most other western towns look like dollhouses. This has the complete look. It’s fantastic.”

Django Unchained will follow the adventures of Jamie Foxx’s freed slave, who teams up with bounty hunter Christoph Waltz to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of an evil plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). The film will open in the UK on 26 December 2012.

George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.