Brad Pitt is back as Cliff Booth, eight years after the events of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and in a version of Los Angeles that looks considerably more dangerous.
Netflix released the first full trailer for The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth on Sept. 21. The film moves the story from 1969 to 1977, with David Fincher directing a screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino, according to Variety.
Cliff is no longer making his living primarily as Rick Dalton’s stunt double. He works as a bartender and projectionist while taking on another profession suited to his particular skill set, quietly solving problems for Hollywood figures whose troubles can involve murder, blackmail, theft and extortion.
The new story begins when talent agent Karen Crosby, played by Elizabeth Debicki, approaches Cliff on behalf of television star Charlie Peters, played by Scott Caan. Charlie’s world draws Cliff into a cast of actors, athletes and gangsters that pushes the character away from the alternate-history Hollywood of Tarantino’s original film and into a crime story.
Cliff Booth Has a New Job in 1977 Hollywood
Netflix describes Cliff as a fixer for both Hollywood’s powerful figures and some of its less respectable ones, using abilities that occasionally operate outside the law.
Karen’s client Charlie is a television superstar known for performing his own stunts, giving the former stuntman an immediate reason to take an interest in the job. Cliff then encounters Charlie’s wife Toni, played by Carla Gugino, and Roderick “Hot Rod” Harrison, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, a professional football champion who has moved into acting.
Matt Groove and JB Tadena play the Verdusco brothers, mysterious gangsters causing trouble across Los Angeles. Netflix’s synopsis describes the film as a story involving violence, ambition and desire, with Cliff’s new line of work placing him in the middle of the city’s criminal side.
The cast also includes Peter Weller, Corey Fogelmanis and Karren Karagulian.
David Fincher Takes Over Behind the Camera
Tarantino created Cliff and directed Pitt in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, but he handed directing duties to Fincher for the character’s return while remaining responsible for the screenplay.
The film reunites Pitt and Fincher after Se7en, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Their collaborations have stretched across three decades, with The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth marking their first film together since 2008.
Pitt won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2020 for his performance as Cliff in Tarantino’s original movie. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood received 10 Oscar nominations overall and also won for production design.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton does not appear on Netflix’s announced cast list. The new film instead builds Cliff’s story around characters introduced for the 1977 setting.
The Full Trailer Follows a Super Bowl Teaser
Netflix had already offered a shorter glimpse of Pitt’s return during Super Bowl LX in February. That teaser showed Cliff around film sets, behind a bar and driving in a dirt race while introducing flashes of the new 1970s setting.
The Sept. 21 trailer provides a much fuller picture of his work as a fixer and the criminal situation surrounding Charlie Peters. It also puts Debicki, Caan, Gugino and Abdul-Mateen’s characters more clearly into Cliff’s new world.
Netflix formally announced the title The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth in August, confirming the 1977 setting and its release plans at the same time.
Cliff Booth Hits IMAX Before Netflix
The film will receive an unusually prominent theatrical rollout for a Netflix release. Netflix confirmed that it will play exclusively in IMAX theaters worldwide for two weeks beginning Nov. 25 before arriving on the streaming service Dec. 23.
Pitt is also producing the film alongside Ceán Chaffin. Fincher has brought several longtime collaborators onto the project, including cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, production designer Donald Graham Burt and editor Kirk Baxter.
The crew also includes costume designer Trish Summerville, casting director Laray Mayfield, sound designer Ren Klyce and stunt coordinator Dave Macomber.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth begins its global IMAX run Nov. 25 and arrives on Netflix Dec. 23.