Quentin Tarantino surprised an AFI Fest audience on Friday with the first 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel he wrote and David Fincher directed. The footage screened at the TCL Chinese Theatre after an IMAX presentation of the original film and a Q&A moderated by Jacqueline Coley. Netflix confirmed the surprise in a press release.
The footage opens in 1977, eight years after the first film. Cliff Booth, still played by Brad Pitt, manages the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. The 17 minutes were described by attendees as alternately talky and explosive. A fictional blaxploitation film plays inside the theater, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Roderick "Hot Rod" Harrison, which Cliff recites from the projection booth. Karren Karagulian and Corey Fogelmanis appear as characters who arrive with stolen goods, among them an Academy Award for Best Director. Tarantino and Fincher each have three nominations for that award. Neither has won.
New cast includes Scott Caan and Elizabeth Debicki. Peter Weller plays Cliff's father, a pawnshop owner. Tarantino described the character as a "paperback hero" capable of carrying a series of adventures. The first full trailer premiered in theaters ahead of Resident Evil and is now online.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth opens in IMAX on November 25, 2026 for a two-week exclusive run, then streams on Netflix beginning December 23.
