During the Super Bowl LX, Netflix astounded viewers by revealing a surprise trailer for “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” a follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Brad Pitt, 62, is set to reprise his role as the stuntman, a character that previously bagged him his first Oscar for acting. This marks a surprising return to one of his most applauded roles.
The unexpected one-minute teaser confirmed that Pitt will be reviving his Academy Award-winning role as Cliff Booth. While Tarantino penned the sequel’s script, he handed over the directorial duties to David Fincher. Meanwhile, Tarantino is still searching for his final tenth film.
In the teaser, Pitt’s Cliff Booth says, “I don’t possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story,” revealing his character’s trademark relaxed charm.
Set to retro tunes, the brief teaser showcased Cliff relaxing at a bar, walking on a film set, and driving a derby car on a dirt race track. The footage included censored scenes of nudity, cigarettes, middle fingers, guns, and cursing, presented in a tongue-in-cheek animation style. A scene featuring Booth placing an Oscar trophy on his desk references Pitt’s real-life win for the original film.
The trailer also featured Elizabeth Debicki alongside Pitt, portraying a character who references events from the first film. In the original “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Cliff Booth and Rick Dalton, a Hollywood actor portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, had an encounter with the Manson Family. The sequel, set in the 1970s, will not include DiCaprio’s Dalton.
The trailer also included glimpses of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Holt McCallany, and JB Tadena. Timothy Olyphant is set to reprise his role as western actor James Stacy from the original film. The teaser has yet to be officially released online, though copies are being shared on social media.
During the Sundance Film Festival in January, Debicki expressed her enthusiasm for the project. “I just wrapped on Fincher’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, which was just such a dream to make,” Debicki told PEOPLE. “We shot it for nearly six months in L.A., and I just adored working with David.”
Pitt won his second Academy Award for the role of Cliff Booth, his first in an acting category, at the 2020 Oscars ceremony. He had previously won for producing “12 Years a Slave” in 2014. The original “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” received 10 Oscar nominations and won two awards, one for Best Production Design and one for Pitt’s Best Supporting Actor performance.
The collaboration between Tarantino and Fincher signifies a convergence of two of Hollywood’s most unique directorial talents. While Tarantino conceived the character and world of Cliff Booth, Fincher brings his distinctive visual style to the sequel. The film reunites Pitt with Fincher for the first time since The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), following their collaborations on Se7en (1995) and Fight Club (1999). Erik Messerschmidt, a frequent Fincher collaborator, serves as the film’s director of photography. Tarantino, Pitt, David Heyman, Ceán Chaffin, and Stacey Sher are listed as producers.
For Pitt, the return to the character of Cliff Booth is a significant milestone in his career. Despite his top-tier status, Pitt has often played supporting characters, assisting the likes of DiCaprio, George Clooney, and Ed Norton. The sequel, however, puts him squarely in the limelight.
“The Adventures of Cliff Booth” is set to be released by Netflix later this year, although a specific release date has not been announced. The trailer’s debut during the Super Bowl indicates a significant marketing investment from the streaming platform.
Other high-profile releases advertised during the game included Steven Spielberg’s UFO film “Disclosure Day,” the return of Neve Campbell in “Scream 7,” and an ad for “Mandalorian and Grogu.”
The sudden announcement of the sequel at the Super Bowl sparked a significant response, with fans expressing their excitement over Pitt’s return to the role.
Principal photography for the film, which was shot entirely on location in Los Angeles, California, wrapped up on January 15, 2026. “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” is expected to arrive on Netflix in the coming months. The streaming platform’s decision to invest in a Super Bowl spot demonstrates its confidence in the sequel’s potential to attract audiences and build on the success of the Oscar-winning original.
