‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ follow-up debuts surprise first look
Once upon a time on Netflix…
“The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” the follow-up film to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” starring Brad Pitt, debuted a surprise first trailer during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8.
The footage starts by referencing the fiery climax of the 2019 original, in which Pitt’s stuntman Cliff Booth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton battled followers of Charles Manson during a home invasion.
“So you helped Rick subdue those hippy intruders?” a character played by Elizabeth Debicki asks, to which Pitt’s Cliff Booth, who is now sporting a mustache, tells her, “Something like that.” He adds, “I don’t possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story.”
The rest of the footage is light on plot but teases the movie’s cast of characters and establishes its throwback tone, ending with a retro “coming soon” graphic, but without the movie’s title.
Netflix has not yet posted the trailer online.
Pitt starred alongside DiCaprio in 2019’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Tarantino’s most recent film as a director. The plot centered on the life of fading actor Rick Dalton and his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth (Pitt), who wind up inadvertently saving the life of actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) in 1969 Hollywood.
Tarantino wrote the screenplay for “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” though this time, he isn’t directing it himself. He instead handed off directing duties to “Fight Club” filmmaker David Fincher. The follow-up movie has also made the jump to Netflix, whereas the original “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was a Sony theatrical release that grossed almost $400 million worldwide.
Tarantino previously expanded the storyline of the movie in a novelization of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” released in 2021. The filmmaker, who has said he plans to direct only one more movie, explained on the “Church of Tarantino” podcast last year why he was drawn to the idea of another director bringing his screenplay to life.
“I think me and David Fincher are the two best directors,” Tarantino said. “So the idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work to me shows a level of seriousness towards my work that I think needs to be taken into account.”
Pitt won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which received 10 Oscar nominations in 2020, including best picture. It also won the Oscar for best production design.
DiCaprio is apparently not returning for “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” which hasn’t been given an official release date, though it’s expected to debut sometime in 2026.