In a development that could easily be considered one of the most significant entertainment stories of the year, The Playlist has revealed that director David Fincher and actor Brad Pitt are joining forces once more for a Netflix-backed sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. This new project will spotlight Pitt’s Cliff Booth, the easygoing stuntman who first endeared himself to audiences in the original film.
According to the report, the screenplay for this sequel is derived from Tarantino’s now-discarded project, The Movie Critic. Initially conceived as a 1970s-set tale about a reviewer at a seedy magazine, The Movie Critic was also intended to involve Cliff Booth. However, in the course of writing, Tarantino grew increasingly interested in expanding Booth’s role, eventually going so far as to craft a narrative that departed significantly from his original plan. When his script took shape as a distinct story, Tarantino passed it along to Brad Pitt, who was captivated by the direction Booth’s character would be heading. Tarantino, for his part, had no desire to personally helm this new film and suggested that Pitt could seek out another director if he wished.
Brad Pitt immediately thought of reuniting with David Fincher, his director for Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. After meeting with Tarantino, the pair secured his blessing to proceed, subsequently striking a deal with Netflix. This arrangement also aligns with Fincher’s existing partnership with the streaming giant, for which he previously directed Mank, as well as the series Mindhunter and House of Cards. He has also delivered The Killer for Netflix and is reportedly involved in developing an American version of Squid Game. With his schedule open, Fincher decided to prioritize this new Cliff Booth-centric project, and Netflix is said to have purchased Tarantino’s screenplay for more than $20 million. They now plan to begin filming as early as July in California on a budget said to be around $200 million.
For fans of the original film, much of the intrigue centers on whether Leonardo DiCaprio will reprise his role as Rick Dalton. Jeff Sneider, in his newsletter The InSneider, reports that DiCaprio is in early negotiations. However, he has been reluctant to commit, as Rick Dalton would not have the spotlight this time around. DiCaprio also has other potential commitments vying for his attention, including Damien Chazelle’s Evel Knievel biopic for Paramount—set to shoot in roughly the same timeframe—and possibly another collaboration with Martin Scorsese.
Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate, meanwhile, is not currently included in Tarantino’s Cliff Booth script, though Robbie’s representatives have indicated she would be open to joining if an appropriate role becomes available.
Brad Pitt, fresh off his work on the summer racing thriller F1, continues to develop other high-profile projects such as David Ayer’s Heart of the Beast and Jeff Nichols’ Land of Opportunity. Meanwhile, David Fincher’s strong relationship with Netflix and extensive creative freedom have made it the ideal platform for this new foray into the world Tarantino created—one that now promises a deeper exploration of Cliff Booth and an exciting reunion for Pitt and Fincher.