Ben Stiller and Matt Reeves have shot to Paul Dano's defense, after Quentin Tarantino branded him "weak sauce".

Filmmaker Matt, 59, took to social media to describe Dano, who he directed in 2022 movie The Batman, as "an incredible actor".

Reeves wrote on X: "Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person."

Hollywood actor Ben Stiller, 60, replied to Reeves' message with a Hallelujah emoji, and he also praised Dano, 41, on his own X account.

He posted: "Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant"

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu, 36, has also heaped praise on Dano in the wake of Tarantino's comments.

He wrote on X: "idk man i think paul dano is an incredible actor".

The Batman Part II screenwriter Mattson Tomlin posted: "I am really pleased to see so many people cheer on Paul Dano this week.

"Not only is he a terrific actor, but he's an astonishing director who exudes control and tremendous empathy. Check out Wildlife if you haven't seen it."

The comments come after Pulp Fiction filmmaker Tarantino named Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 drama There Will Be Blood as his fifth-favorite movie of the 21st century, but admitted it would have been higher in the list if he hadn't been so unimpressed by Dano's performance alongside Daniel Day-Lewis.

Speaking on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, he said: "There Will Be Blood would stand a better chance to be in number one or number two if it didn't have a big giant flaw in it, and the flaw is Paul Dano.

"Obviously, it's supposed to be a two-hander, and it's also so drastically obvious that it's not a two-hander.

"He is weak sauce, man. He's a weak sister.

"Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. [Dano] just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy."