Quentin Tarantino surprised moviegoers at AFI Fest on Friday, October 23, 2026, by screening the first 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the upcoming sequel to his 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The unexpected preview took place at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where Tarantino joined fans for a special screening and discussion of the original movie.
The new film reunites audiences with Brad Pitt's Oscar-winning character Cliff Booth, but Tarantino is not directing this installment. David Fincher directed the sequel from a screenplay written by Tarantino, with an exclusive IMAX theatrical release scheduled for November 25 before the movie arrives on Netflix on December 23.
Tarantino Delivers an Unexpected Preview
The evening was originally promoted as an opportunity to revisit Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and hear Tarantino discuss the production. The American Film Institute announced the event earlier in October, scheduling the screening at the same theater where the original movie held its U.S. premiere in 2019.
Following the IMAX presentation, Tarantino participated in a conversation moderated by Jacqueline Coley of Rotten Tomatoes. Rather than simply discussing his latest screenplay, the filmmaker offered the audience a choice between hearing more about the sequel or watching its opening 17 minutes.
The audience received the footage, providing an early look at how Fincher has interpreted the characters and setting Tarantino created. Fincher was also in attendance for the special event.
The preview combined extended conversations, Hollywood nostalgia and sudden bursts of action. It also revealed how much Cliff Booth's circumstances have changed since audiences last saw him.
Brad Pitt Returns as Cliff Booth in 1977
The sequel begins in June 1977, eight years after the events of the original film. Cliff, previously known as the stunt double and personal assistant of actor Rick Dalton, has apparently moved away from his former profession.
He now works at the New Beverly Cinema, the Los Angeles theater that Tarantino purchased in 2007. The setting places the character inside another part of the entertainment business, surrounded by the films and personalities that shaped Hollywood during the 1970s.
According to TheWrap, which attended the screening, the opening sequence features a fictional action movie titled Soul Brothers Die Hard. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appears in the movie-within-the-movie as Roderick "Hot Rod" Harrison, a former professional football player who has become a screen star.
Cliff watches the film while operating the projection equipment and handling routine theater duties. He knows the dialogue well enough to recite lines along with the actors, suggesting that his interest in movies extends far beyond his earlier work as a stuntman.
The sequence also introduces Cliff's father, a pawn shop owner played by Peter Weller. Cliff calls him to announce that he has dedicated a song to him on a Los Angeles radio station.
The scene reflects Tarantino's continuing interest in the music and popular culture of earlier decades. Radio broadcasts played a major role in establishing the atmosphere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and the new film returns to that storytelling device.
A Movie Theater Visit Takes a Criminal Turn
The relaxed atmosphere changes when two suspicious men appear outside the New Beverly Cinema. The characters, played by Karren Karagulian and Corey Fogelmanis, watch the theater before Cliff signals for them to enter.
One of the visitors remarks that Cliff looks familiar. Cliff responds casually, leaving the encounter's significance unclear.
Inside the theater, the men present stolen property, including an Academy Award statuette for Best Director. Cliff pays them for the items, suggesting that his activities extend beyond managing a movie theater.
The stolen Oscar provides an unusual joke involving the filmmakers themselves. Neither Tarantino nor Fincher has won the Academy Award for Best Director, although both have received nominations.
The footage then shifts toward a criminal storyline involving gangsters, blackmail and the entertainment industry. Netflix's official description identifies Cliff as a fixer who handles difficult situations for powerful Hollywood figures, sometimes operating outside the law.
The larger cast includes Elizabeth Debicki as talent agent Karen Crosby, Scott Caan as television star Charlie Peters and Carla Gugino as Peters' wife, Toni. Their characters become connected to Cliff through the complicated personal and professional relationships of 1970s Hollywood.
Netflix has described the sequel as a crime story involving violence, ambition and desire. That marks a change from the original film's more relaxed portrayal of Hollywood during the final months of the 1960s.
Tarantino Explains His Attachment to the Characters
During the discussion, Tarantino explained why he wanted to revisit Cliff Booth despite choosing not to direct another movie featuring the character.
He said he admired both the character and Pitt's performance, comparing Cliff to the heroes of paperback adventure novels. That idea eventually led him to imagine another story involving the former stuntman.
Tarantino also discussed his affection for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, describing it as the movie from his filmography that he most enjoys revisiting.
The filmmaker said much of its appeal comes from spending time with its characters rather than following a tightly structured plot. Scenes featuring Rick Dalton on the television western Lancer, Cliff visiting Spahn Ranch and Sharon Tate exploring Los Angeles helped create that atmosphere.
The audience applauded several moments during the original film's screening, including Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Dalton on Lancer and the alternate-history climax involving the Manson family.
Tarantino also praised Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate. He explained that he wanted audiences to remember Tate as a person with her own interests and experiences rather than primarily through her murder in 1969.
The original film presented a fictional version of events surrounding the Manson murders, giving Tate a different fate from the one she experienced in real life.
Tarantino Recalls Burt Reynolds and the Original Cast
The discussion also turned to performers who helped shape Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, including several whose careers gained greater attention after the movie.
The original cast featured Mikey Madison, Austin Butler, Margaret Qualley and Sydney Sweeney. Each has since earned significant recognition through later film and television work.
One casting decision remained especially meaningful to Tarantino. Burt Reynolds had been selected to portray George Spahn, the elderly owner of the ranch associated with Charles Manson and his followers.
Reynolds died in September 2018 before filming his scenes. Bruce Dern subsequently took over the role, but Reynolds had participated in a screenplay reading with the cast.
Tarantino recalled that reading as Reynolds' final performance, even though it never appeared in the completed movie.
The filmmaker also described his attention to details that helped establish Cliff Booth's personality. He selected books, magazines and other objects for Cliff's living space and developed an imaginary backstory for some of the character's clothing.
Those details remained important as Tarantino continued exploring the fictional Hollywood world through his novelization of the original movie and the new screenplay.
Fincher Takes the Series in a Different Direction
Fincher's involvement gives the sequel a different creative arrangement from its predecessor. Tarantino remains responsible for the screenplay, but Fincher brings his own filmmaking approach to the material.
Fincher is known for films including Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network and Gone Girl. His work frequently explores crime, complicated relationships and characters whose motives are difficult to understand.
The official synopsis suggests those elements will have a greater role in Cliff's latest story. Rather than following a stuntman working alongside a fading television actor, the sequel places Cliff among influential Hollywood personalities and criminal figures.
Pitt's return also reunites him with Fincher, who previously directed the actor in Se7en, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Audiences will first have an opportunity to see the completed film during its exclusive two-week IMAX theatrical engagement beginning November 25, 2026. Netflix has scheduled the streaming premiere for December 23, giving viewers another chance to revisit Cliff Booth's fictional Los Angeles nearly seven years after his first appearance.