David Fincher is set to direct a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with Quentin Tarantino writing the script. The project is being developed at Netflix, where Fincher has a first-look deal, and Brad Pitt is officially returning as Cliff Booth. This marks an unusual move, as Tarantino has never handed off a direct sequel to another filmmaker before.
Tarantino’s 2019 film was a nostalgic and stylized love letter to 1960s Hollywood, following fading actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). The movie was a massive success.
Reports suggest that Tarantino negotiated a deal with Sony that allowed him to regain ownership of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood after a few years. This likely explains why the sequel is being set up at Netflix rather than Sony.
The announcement comes shortly after Tarantino scrapped The Movie Critic, which was set to be his tenth and final film. That project was rumoured to centre on a 1970s film journalist and was speculated to have some connection to Cliff Booth’s character. With Pitt returning in this sequel, some elements of The Movie Critic may find their way into the new film.
For Fincher and Pitt, this is yet another long and successful collaboration. The two have worked together on Se7en, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, all of which remain some of their most acclaimed films.
There is no confirmation yet on whether Leonardo DiCaprio or Margot Robbie will reprise their roles as Rick Dalton and Sharon Tate. Since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was largely about Dalton’s struggles in the industry, his absence in a sequel would suggest a more Booth-centric story.
We just hope that this is not an April Fool’s prank by Hollywood media and this news is actually true. Well, we would also want a solo film based on Hans Landa from Inglorious Basterds. Let’s manifest that.