W Magazine’s glamorous pre-Oscars bash turned into a star-studded surprise birthday party of sorts for director Quentin Tarantino — whose actual birthday falls on Oscar Sunday.
W editor-in-chief Sara Moonves presented Tarantino with a surprise birthday cake at the mag’s Best Performances party, which attracted stars as a clutch of heavy hitting directors.
Tarantino was spotted at the event on Thursday night huddling with fellow very private directors Pedro Almodóvar and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Anderson was studiously seen carrying a film book to the bash. Reportedly the tome was Donald Knox’s “The Magic Factory: How MGM Made An American in Paris.”
“PTA” attended with his wife, Maya Rudolph, and “Licorice Pizza” stars Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim. Also at the bash were Oscar-nominated “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve, and former Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay.
We hear that Tarantino — who turns 59 on Sunday — is in town to support his friend and frequent star Samuel L. Jackson, who is receiving an honorary Oscar this year (Jackson was nominated in 1995 for Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”).
He was telling pals that apart from any Oscar films on Sunday, one upcoming movie he’s looking forward to is Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun” sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Guests at the bash co-hosted by Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière also included Zoë Kravitz, Frank Ocean, Andrew Garfield, Kate Hudson Chris Pine, Gabrielle Union, Lily Collins, Jamie Dornan, Mindy Kaling, Marlee Matlin, Jonah Hill and Dakota Johnson.
Model Kaia Gerber attended with new-ish beau Austin Butler, who stars in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming “Elvis” biopic.
The pair were spotted kissing and holding hands. They’ve previously been photographed in paparazzi pics, but a spy said, “It was the first time Kaia and Austin had their debut as a couple.”
The W party — which was customarily held before the Golden Globes — moved to a pre-Oscars spot this year, and also switched venues from the Chateau Marmont to hotspot Gigi’s.
Also at the party were W veteran and Hollywood insider Lynn Hirschberg, Josh Lucas, power agent Ari Emanuel, Sony Pictures Classics co-heads Tom Bernard and Michael Barker, Derek Blasberg, Danielle Haim, Maria Bakalova and Tony winner Colman Domingo — who is currently filming the musical movie “The Color Purple” in Georgia.
Guests were required to show proof of vaccination and negative COVID tests to get into the bash, and there was also COVID testing on site.
Said a source of the chic scene: “Everyone was dancing so late. It was like a great reunion.”
