A Brad Pitt Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel is inching toward screens, and this time Cliff Booth is stepping into the spotlight. Brad Pitt, who won an Oscar for playing the laidback stuntman in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 ode to 1960s Los Angeles, is returning for a follow-up in summer 2026, now in the hands of director David Fincher. It’s not the kind of project anyone expected, but the unpredictability is exactly why Hollywood and fans are buzzing.
Cliff Booth Steps Out from the Shadows
The first Once Upon a Time in Hollywood balanced Leonardo DiCaprio’s insecure actor Rick Dalton with Pitt’s effortlessly cool stunt double. The new sequel, currently titled The Adventures of Cliff Booth, leaves Dalton’s future uncertain while putting Booth center stage. According to Collider and The Guardian, the film is set in 1977, nearly a decade after the events of the original, with Hollywood in the midst of another transformation. Disco is on the rise, auteurs are clashing with studios, and the industry no longer resembles the world Booth once knew.
It’s a bold move: taking a supporting player and handing him the entire narrative. But considering Pitt’s Oscar-winning performance, it’s also a logical next step.
A Fincher-Pitt Reunion Worth Watching
The Brad Pitt Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel has another twist. Quentin Tarantino may have written the script, but he’s not directing this time. Instead, the job falls to David Fincher, a filmmaker whose collaborations with Pitt include Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Fincher’s precise, often darker storytelling style is miles apart from Tarantino’s sun-soaked nostalgia, which makes this sequel even more fascinating.
The shift suggests a tonal pivot. Where Tarantino lingered on neon signs, spaghetti western sets, and radio jingles, Fincher is more likely to lean into paranoia, control, and moral tension. Cliff Booth could be less mythic cowboy and more haunted man trying to stay afloat in a changing world.
Where Does Rick Dalton Fit In?
Fans are already asking: will Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton appear in the sequel? As of now, Dalton’s role is unconfirmed. Reports in People suggest the focus is firmly on Cliff, though cameos or flashbacks remain possible. Leaving Dalton behind would change the dynamic completely, as the original film focused on the mismatched friendship between the insecure star and his unflappable double.
On the other hand, making Cliff stand alone could highlight what made him so compelling in the first place. Booth never needed the limelight; he thrived on confidence and quiet menace. Giving him full narrative weight will test how much of that charisma was chemistry with Dalton and how much was Pitt’s performance.
The Streaming and Theatrical Balance for the Brad Pitt Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Sequel
Unlike the 2019 original, which was a Sony theatrical release, the sequel will be distributed by Netflix with a limited theatrical run in 2026. This move shows how far the industry has shifted in just a few years. Prestige sequels no longer live only in cinemas; they also act as global streaming events. It may frustrate purists who want to see every Fincher frame on a big screen, but it ensures the film will have a massive international audience from day one.
For Pitt, this distribution model means broader visibility but more scrutiny. Streaming audiences are quick to compare, critique, and dissect. In some ways, the pressure may be greater than a traditional theatrical release.
Final Take
The idea of a Brad Pitt Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel may have sounded improbably years ago, but with a 2026 release window in sight, audience anticipation is building. Cliff Booth was always a character who deserved more story, and now he has it. Whether Fincher delivers a dark character study, a neo-noir western, or something in between, Brad Pitt is heading back to Hollywood, and Booth isn’t in the shadows anymore.