Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino, and David Fincher have collaborated on the upcoming movie The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which got its first trailer during the 2026 Super Bowl – and it’s dropping on Netflix sooner than you think.
The Super Bowl is first and foremost a sporting event, but due to the sheer number of eyeballs watching the screen (an estimated 125 million+), it’s also a fantastic opportunity for movie studios to promote their upcoming slate.
Even though Robert Downey Jr. sported a Doctor Doom inspired jersey to mark the occasion, Marvel was notably absent this year, with zero trailers for Avengers: Doomsday or Spider-Man: Brand New Day playing during the commercials.
But there were plenty of new teasers that did hit the screen, including Scream 7, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Supergirl, Project Hail Mary, and, one of the most talked about, The Adventures of Cliff Booth.
When is The Adventures of Cliff Booth on Netflix?
Although there’s no official release date, Variety previously reported that The Adventures of Cliff Booth is due to drop in select theaters and on Netflix in summer 2026.
For the uninitiated, the Brad Pitt-led film is a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 hit Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Funnily enough, it was announced on April Fools Day 2025 at CinemaCon, leading some to believe it was a joke.
This was exacerbated by the fact that other than the Kill Bill series, Tarantino has famously avoided sequels throughout his career, and because the project pairs his characters with Mindhunter and Fight Club helmer David Fincher in the director’s chair.
But soon enough it was confirmed to be real, with Netflix acquiring the script from Tarantino and filming taking place between July 2025 and January 2026.
Who’s in the cast?
As said, Brad Pitt is reprising his role as stunt double Cliff Booth in the new movie, while Timothy Olyphant is returning as James Stacy. Other cast members include:
- Scott Caan
- Elizabeth Debicki
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
- Carla Gugino
- Holt McCallany
- Corey Fogelmanis
- JB Tadena
Interestingly, none of these actors appeared in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and their characters are being kept under wraps for now.
Is Leonardo DiCaprio returning as Rick Dalton?
As for Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Hollywood actor Rick Dalton in the original, there were rumors he’d make a cameo appearance in the sequel. However, he later confirmed this isn’t the case.
In a conversation with Deadline in December 2025, DiCaprio said, “There were some talks about it early on. Ultimately, I cannot wait to see the Cliff Booth story, but I’m not in it.
“I think David Fincher’s the perfect man for the job. Quentin is a huge fan of his work, I’m a huge fan of his work, and there’s nobody better to carry on that lineage and tell that story. I think it’s the next phase of Cliff Booth’s life. I’m excited to see it.”
Why Quentin Tarantino isn’t directing
The main reason is that Tarantino doesn’t want to tread on familiar ground. This is, in part, due to his self-imposed rule of making 10 movies in his lifetime. He’s helmed nine feature films so far, including classics like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.
As he told Deadline in 2014, “I do think directing is a young man’s game, and I like the idea of an umbilical cord connection from my first to my last movie. I’m not trying to ridicule anyone who thinks differently, but I want to go out while I’m still hard…
“I like that I will leave a 10-film filmography, and so I’ve got two more to go after this. It’s not etched in stone, but that is the plan. If I get to the 10th, do a good job and don’t screw it up, well that sounds like a good way to end the old career.
“If, later on, I come across a good movie, I won’t not do it just because I said I wouldn’t. But 10 and done, leaving them wanting more – that sounds right.”
This was raised by fans when one Redditor asked why Tarantino isn’t directing The Adventures of Cliff Booth despite having written the script.
“He has this weird self imposed thing where he’s only going to make 10 movies, so now all that’s left is number 10 he’s all up in his head about what it’s going to be,” said one. “Because it’s going to be his last. For some reason.”
Another said, “Regardless if it’s just a loophole to get around his 10 film thing, I’m excited to see this mashup of styles. Fincher’s done good in the past working with the 70s aesthetic with Zodiac.”
Tarantino himself spoke about his reasoning for stepping away as director in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter last year.
“I love this script, but I’m still walking down the same ground I’ve already walked. It just kind of unenthused me,” he explained. “This last movie, I’ve got to not know what I’m doing again. I’ve got to be in uncharted territory.”
Pitt also elaborated on Tarantino’s role in the project last year, telling Deadline that he originally wrote it as an episode rather than a movie.
“This is something Quentin wrote as an episode – not really a sequel, but an episode of the character from Once Upon A Time,” Pitt explained. “He didn’t want to direct it at this point, so our friend David Fincher stepped in.”
The Adventures of Cliff Booth plot & trailer
During the Super Bowl, the first teaser trailer for The Adventures of Cliff Booth was revealed. Check it out below:
As for the plot, the new movie will showcase more of Cliff’s story in his new role as a Hollywood fixer. It’s set in 1977, eight years after the events of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Huge budget revealed
The Adventures of Cliff Booth will reportedly be Tarantino and Fincher’s most expensive film to date, with the former revealing that its budget is approximately $200 million.
There are several factors that contributed to this, including its significant six-month production schedule, high-profile talent and salaries, and detailed ‘70s period recreation for the set.
But due to the fact that it’s getting both a theatrical and streaming release, Tarantino said on the Church of Tarantino podcast that the pressure has been lifted.
“This movie that I’m doing with Netflix is the biggest budget movie I’ve ever done by $100 million. It’s like a $200 million movie,” he explained. “And the box office doesn’t matter… Netflix don’t care. They don’t care. So, it’s a little like gambling with the casino’s money.”
“The tickets are already bought. Not tickets – subscriptions,” he added. “They bought subscriptions… Yeah, I think the business idea is people join Netflix if they’re not already a member just to see the movie.”
The streaming giant is yet to reveal the exact release date, but we can assume it will drops on Netflix and in cinemas on or around the same day.
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