There was always some skepticism surrounding “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” and understandably so. The idea of David Fincher directing a Tarantino spin-off centered on Brad Pitt’s laid-back stuntman from “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” felt like fan fiction.
Even after Fincher’s name was attached and Pitt confirmed his involvement, some refused to buy in. It didn’t help that the film’s existence was first reported on April Fool’s Day, which many took as a clever prank rather than a legitimate announcement.
Now it’s happening. Cameras are rolling in Los Angeles. Fincher and Pitt are ready to go. I would expect additional casting announcements in the coming days, but so far we have Pitt, Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan and JB Tadena.
No word yet on whether Leonardo DiCaprio, who was offered a cameo as Rick Dalton, will be making an appearance. As for who the DP is, I bet it’s Fincher regular Erik Messerschmidt.
‘Cliff Booth’ is reportedly planning a very ambitious shoot. The current schedule has production due to start on July 28, 2025 and leaking all the way to December. The film is scripted by Tarantino, and the story picks up where his ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ left off, following Pitt’s enigmatic stuntman, who is now a Hollywood “fixer.”
With Tarantino having repeatedly signaled that his tenth film will be his last — and with The Movie Critic reportedly shelved — this Booth-centric follow-up might serve as a kind of spiritual epilogue to his entire filmography.
Tarantino’s 2019 film, which dripped with sun-drenched nostalgia, was Tarantino’s love letter to a bygone era. Whether Fincher aims to continue that tone or twist it into something darker remains to be seen. I’d bet on the latter.
Bassim Tariq was the first one in the chair. The "Mogul Mowgli" director spent two years building out the Mahershala Ali vehicle before exiting in 2022, and he's now letting the air out on this one.