David Fincher and Brad Pitt are set to collaborate once again, this time to bring to life a sequel to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. According to The Playlist, the duo is working to produce this unexpected film for Netflix, continuing Fincher's successful partnership with the streaming platform. If all goes as planned, the currently untitled sequel will see Pitt reprising his role as stuntman Cliff Booth.
The journey of the script to Fincher's hands is quite intriguing. The screenplay, penned by Tarantino, is an evolved take on a story once known as The Movie Critic, which was initially slated to be Tarantino's final film before being shelved last year. Determined not to let the idea languish, Tarantino has entrusted Fincher with the task of bringing it to fruition.
The Playlist reports that Netflix has acquired the screenplay for $20 million, with a projected budget of $200 million. Filming is expected to begin in California in July, just three months away. While no additional casting has been confirmed, it's noted that Leonardo DiCaprio will not reprise his role as Rick Dalton. Fincher and Pitt are fully committed to this project, setting aside all other work to focus on this sequel.
Deadline has also confirmed the development of the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, stating that Pitt received Tarantino's approval to pitch the script to Fincher, leading to this surprising project.
Quentin Tarantino's Most Notable Abandoned (Or Delayed) Projects
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, released in 2019, is widely regarded as a stellar addition to Tarantino's oeuvre. However, the sequel, potentially titled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2, faces high expectations given the original's conclusive and powerful ending. The world of the first film has been further explored in other mediums.
In 2021, Tarantino released a novelization that not only covered the movie's events but also delved deeper into the 1960s California setting. The novel provided new insights into Cliff Booth's past, including clarification on the much-discussed question of whether he killed his wife. This book is likely to add significant context to the upcoming sequel, though its exact relevance remains to be seen.
For further exploration of Tarantino's filmography, you can read about the director's thoughts on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and how it compares to his other works. Additionally, our original review of the film gave it a score of 7.8/10.
