The German edition of Playboy magazine distanced itself Tuesday from an interview in its latest edition with Ennio Morricone, in which the renowned Italian film composer appears to blast director Quentin Tarantino and the Oscars ceremony.

The interview, published last week, quoted the 90-year-old composer referring to Tarantino as a "cretin" who stole ideas from others and the Academy Awards ceremony as "boring."

Morricone, who won an Oscar in 2016 for his score for Tarantino's film "The Hateful Eight," has vehemently denied criticizing the director, his films or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"I consider Tarantino a great director," Morricone said, adding that he credited their collaboration for his Oscar success, "which is for sure one of the greatest acknowledgments of my career, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to compose music for his film."

German Playboy, which is published by Munich-based Hubert Burda Media, said that "up to now, we have considered the freelancer who conducted the Ennio Morricone interview on our behalf to be a renowned print and radio journalist."

"In the past, we have had no reason to doubt his journalistic integrity and skills," the magazine's editor-in-chief, Florian Boitin, said in a statement.

"Based on the information now at our disposal, we must unfortunately assume that the words spoken in the interview have, in part, been reproduced incorrectly," Boitin said without elaborating.

"We would like to express our regret should Mr. Morricone have been portrayed in a false light," he added. "We are working to clarify this matter and are exploring legal measures."