Since Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 triumph, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it would be anyone’s guess what his next project would be. Some fans have been clamoring for the long-awaited follow-up to Kill Bill Vol. 2, but as it turns out, his upcoming film is a deviation. Tarantino is bringing about a sequel, but not the one that many expected.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is getting a sequel that no one asked for, and it may be one of the biggest risks of Tarantino’s career. Set to premiere on Netflix, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will feature Brad Pitt returning to his titular stunt double character from one of the director’s best works.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is the First Sequel Quentin Tarantino Is Not Directing
One of the most notable auteurs in the industry, it is the rare movie that Quentin Tarantino doesn’t both direct and write. The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will be the first sequel, as the celebrated filmmaker is only on board for writing duty. David Fincher will direct the project that follows Cliff after the events of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The movie is reported to leave the groovy 60s for the more politically and socially complex landscape of the ‘70s. Still in Hollywood, the stuntman’s life is far from what it was the decade previous. Like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood predicted, Cliff’s experience with Rick Dalton was the end of an era.
No longer a stuntman in any official capacity, he works at a bar when he gets involved in a plot with a mysterious briefcase filled with cash. His past exploits serve him well as he gets involved in a movie that is far closer to a crime thriller than Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was. If the 2021 novelization of the film is any indication, Tarantino has a particular soft spot for the character.
The book is packed to the brim with Cliff content which Fincher’s upcoming movie may draw on. That is why Tarantino stepping away from directing a sequel for the first time in his career seems a little risky. The filmmaker is an extremely stylistic creative, and relinquishing control in a story considered his magnum opus is a giant leap.
It is fair to question if there will be a substantial gap in tone and style when it comes to the two movies. Kill Bill Vol. 2 was the only sequel in Tarantino’s interconnected web of movies, and the seamlessness between the two parts is what made it a standout. Viewers will just have to wait to see if The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will be enough to honor its predecessor.
Quentin Tarantino’s Solo Writing Projects Have Always Been Risky
It is a rarity that Quentin Tarantino steps back from the camera, and for good reason. Early on in his career, he delivered respectable features like True Romance, but they wouldn’t live up to the high standards of his filmography. This goes double for Oliver Stone’s unwatchable thriller, Natural Born Killers, starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis.
Tarantino originally penned the script but has since disavowed the project. He felt so strongly about the 1994 movie that he has never even seen it. This largely has to do with the fact that Stone heavily rewrote Tarantino’s screenplay, altering the director’s initial intention.
Many felt that the internal themes of crime being an expression of love are not present in the final product. Stone maintains that he bought the story as many directors do and had the creative license to change and edit. When Tarantino loses creative control, sometimes his vision is lost with it.
There is no guarantee that this is what can be expected of the Cliff Booth feature, but it is something to be wary of. The Pulp Fiction director has an extremely specific style and sensibilities, and when that is taken away, the movie could falter. That being said, perhaps a creative change in The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is a risk that is needed for the Tarantino vehicle.
David Fincher May Be the Perfect Person To Direct The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth
Quentin Tarantino’s working relationship with Oliver Stone and David Fincher is as different as night and day. As Stone mentioned, he legally bought a script from the auteur, but Tarantino’s arrangement with Fincher could be quite different. The marriage between the Mindhunter director and Netflix is one that has been going on for some time.
The streamer reportedly bought the script from Tarantino, and it was star Brad Pitt who suggested Fincher as a director based on their working relationship. Pitt appeared in Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for the filmmaker. Fincher’s relationship with Netflix and Pitt makes sense for him to be in the director’s chair.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth also seems to be perfect for the creative. Categorized as a crime thriller, the upcoming sequel is something that Fincher is the best at handling. Tarantino stepping away from directing the project may seem risky, but it also may be exactly what the story needs.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was not a strict crime story. Though there was crime and Tarantino’s classic dialogue of blood and guts, his movies can’t be put in a box. They are a genre unto themselves, but the new Cliff Booth project seems to be in another category altogether.
From Zodiac to Gone Girl, Fincher is the best thriller director out there, especially when it comes to the complexities of the criminal element. What seems risky on the outset could actually mean The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is another classic Fincher movie waiting to happen. Tarantino and Fincher have similar sensibilities, which could lend the former to entrusting the latter with his life’s work.
It may also give Tarantino the freedom to make a sequel that fans were actually looking forward to. The Further Misadventures of Cliff Booth may be a fun romp in the making, but if fans are being honest, the best final project for Tarantino is the long-awaited conclusion to the Kill Bill franchise.
- Release Date
-
November 25, 2026
- Director
-
David Fincher
Cast
-
-
Timothy Olyphant
Jim Stacy
-
-
