Some characters don’t just appear on screen — they stay with you. Cliff Booth is one of them. Brad Pitt’s effortlessly cool stuntman from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood—equal parts hero, anti-hero, and mystery—has lived rent-free in fans’ minds since 2019. His quiet menace, razor-dry humor, and unspoken backstory made him unforgettable.
Now it’s 2025, and true to form, that fan wish has come true: The Adventures of Cliff Booth, one of six Netflix Original Tarantino spin-offs directed by David Fincher from a script Tarantino wrote. It’s not a mere follow-up; it’s an immersive character study deep into Booth’s seamy Hollywood fixer underworld, fusing Tarantino’s signature banter and Fincher’s surgical suspense.
With filming underway since July 2025, a staggering $200 million budget, and the promise of Pitt–Fincher magic (hello Fight Club and Se7en nostalgia), the film is targeting a Summer 2026 Netflix release, possibly accompanied by a limited theatrical rollout. If you crave thrillers that combine style, grit, noir atmosphere, and moral ambiguity, this is your next obsession.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth Plot: A Hollywood Fixer’s Descent into the Underbelly
The movie is set eight years after the sunlit chaos of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and it picks up with Cliff Booth as he has gone from stuntman to behind-the-scenes fixer crossing the sleazy undercurrents of late-1970s Hollywood. Pitt plays the role with his cool understated ease, as a man that studios come to when scandals break, blackmail demands go out of control or egos clash in smoke-filled backrooms.
Imagine The Nice Guys grit mixed with The Player’s satire — Booth’s calm exterior masks a lethal edge as he wades through conspiracies involving starlet disappearances, studio corruption, and power plays.
Tarantino’s script — reportedly the highest-budget screenplay of his career — digs into Booth’s internal conflicts: loyalty, reinvention, trauma, and the cost of surviving on Hollywood’s shadowy fringes. Expect vintage Tarantino:
- sharp, layered banter
- quirky obsessions and easter eggs
- needle-drop moments filled with ’70s vinyl
Meanwhile, Fincher’s direction ensures meticulous tension, atmospheric darkness, and a sense that every shadow hides a threat.
Production on the film started July 28, 2025 in California with new sets made to look like the ‘70s Highland Park district. Filming is set to conclude by mid January 2026, and early reports note we can expect to see a lean two hour running time dominated by slender thematic assets rather than overstuffed steroids on the big screen.
The result? A fixer’s odyssey, his fidus Achates by his side (more on him in a second), which somehow expands the Tarantino universe and gives Cliff Booth the spotlight he has long since deserved (and continue to deserve).
Also Read: Black Doves: Netflix’s Gripping Christmas Spy Thriller
Star-Studded Cast and Crew of The Adventures of Cliff Booth
This spin-off brings together a dream team: Tarantino writing, Fincher directing, Pitt leading, and Netflix producing a prestige, big-budget thriller.
Brad Pitt
- Role: Cliff Booth, the unflappable fixer
- Highlights: Reprises the iconic role; marks his third Fincher collaboration (Fight Club, Se7en)
Timothy Olyphant
- Role: James Stacy
- Highlights: Returns from the original film; adds emotional depth through his real-life-inspired character arc
Scott Caan
- Role: A studio power player hiding ulterior motives
- Highlights: Intensity and charisma; his father James Caan has connections to Tarantino lore
Elizabeth Debicki
- Role: A mysterious ingénue pulling the story into deeper intrigue
- Highlights: Brings icy elegance; riding high after MaXXXine
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
- Role: A charismatic rising star with dangerous secrets
- Highlights: Offers depth and menace post-Aquaman
Carla Gugino
- Role: A sharp-tongued producer orchestrating Hollywood chaos
- Highlights: A powerhouse addition known for The Fall of the House of Usher
Additional Cast:
- Holt McCallany: A grizzled mentor figure
- JB Tadena: Rising talent with a critical supporting arc
- Lauren Glazier & Peter Weller: Recently added to expand Hollywood lore
Creative Team
- Writer: Quentin Tarantino
- Director: David Fincher
- Cinematography: Erik Messerschmidt (The Killer)
- Producer: Netflix (acquired April 2025)
Coupled with a script from Tarantino and direction for Fincher, the combo should make for an aesthetically cool (in the cinematographic sense) narratively taut movie.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth: Teaser, Trailer & Release Date
The project has been a long, thrilling slow burn. Tarantino teased Booth’s “POW camp backstory” as early as 2021, sparking fan theories. Netflix officially picked up the script in April 2025, bringing on Fincher as director — a pairing fans immediately hailed as “cinematic destiny.”
Production Timeline
- Filming start: July 28, 2025
- Locations: California, including recreated 1970s LA sets near the Highland Theatre
- Wrap: Expected mid-January 2026
Trailer / Teaser
- No official teaser yet, but set leaks show Pitt in Booth’s signature denim, roaming neon backlots — a perfect blend of Tarantino grit and Fincher’s trademark precision.
Release Plan
- Expected: Summer 2026 on Netflix
- Possible theatrical rollout: Netflix’s biggest films often get limited screenings; this one is a strong candidate
- Rating: PG-13 (language & stylized violence)
- Duration: Around 2 hours
- Subscriptions: Netflix Standard $15.49/month
Social Media Buzz: The Internet Is Hyped — And for Good Reason
- The online chatter is already intense, even without a trailer.
- On X/Twitter, fans call it “Fight Club meets Pulp Fiction: The Fixer Edition”.
- Variety’s July 30 casting update hit 50K+ likes.
- Instagram edits spotlight Debicki’s potential femme fatale character arc.
- Hashtags #CliffBooth and #TarantinoFincher have crossed 100K mentions.
- Reddit’s r/movies threads (10K+ upvotes) are debating the plot: “POW flashbacks or Hollywood noir?”
With its grounded ’70s aesthetics, Fincher’s suspenseful style, and Tarantino’s dialogue firepower, fans are calling it Netflix’s biggest prestige bet after Squid Game.
Conclusion: A Fixer’s Tale Worth the Shadowy Wait
Coming this summer, The Adventures of Cliff Booth features the dream trio of David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt and offers an actioner that’s more than just a franchise offshoot — it’s a standalone noir tale about survival, secrets and the seedy underbelly behind Hollywood’s facade.
With a star-studded cast, $200M budget, and two brilliant helmers attached, the film will surely be Netflix’s most seminal movie event in 2026.
If you’ve been craving a character-driven thriller drenched in style, suspense, and ‘70s atmosphere, this is the one to wait for.