Tarantino, in other words, likes to keep his creative cards close to his chest.

More than eight months after he spoke with MTV News, another rumored directorial project popped up: a live-action film based on The Shadow, a popular, crime-fighting pulp character. His reps quickly shot down such talk, but we wanted to go to the source himself.

So, when we caught up with Tarantino on the red carpet for his Friars' Club Roast on Wednesday (December 1), we asked if there was any truth to those "Shadow" rumors.

"I don't even know where that came from," he said. "That's totally made up."

And so Tarantino's name joins others — like "Spider-Man" helmer Sam Raimi and "Eclipse" director David Slade — that have swirled around the adaptation but never latched on. It remains to be seen when and if another film about the character — a psychic vigilante first created in the early 1930s — hits the big screen following Alec Baldwin's $48 million grossing version in 1994.

Meanwhile, though Tarantino dismissed the possibility of directing "The Shadow," he was not at all prepared to discuss when he'll actually be stepping behind the camera again. Before we could ask about "Kill Bill," the spaghetti western, or even another installment of "Basterds," Tarantino was off to get roasted, distinctly worried that those doing the roasting would realize, "I have a big chin."

Disappointed that Tarantino isn't taking on The Shadow? Let us know what you think in the comment section or on Twitter!