Insiders explain how the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel actually connects to Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-winning dramedy. The 2019 movie stars Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio as a stuntman and a fading movie star, respectively, struggling in the changing landscape of Hollywood. Recently, it was announced that David Fincher is reportedly directing a follow-up movie developed by Netflix, with a script from Tarantino. Additionally, Pitt would reprise his role as Cliff Booth.
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins of The Big Picture podcast shared what they have learned about the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel at CinemaCon. Fennessey acknowledged that Fincher has a long list of movies that are indefinitely stuck in development, but the project “definitely seems like” it’s happening. He shared that the project is more like a “follow-up” set in Cliff’s life eight years after the events in Tarantino’s original movie. Check out his comment below:
It definitely seems like this movie is happening…. Here’s what I can say. This probably should not be thought of as a sequel. This should be thought of more of a follow-up that’s connected to but not the same as — the example that was cited to me was, think about how A Big Sleep, the Raymond Chandler adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart is in the same world as Farewell, My Lovely, the 1975 Robert Mitchum movie, but it’s different actor, different directors, different time in the storyline. They are different, they are not really sequels, they are the further adventure of [Cliff].
The only other important information I have learned, that I think is confirmed, is that the movie takes place in 1977, which is roughly eight years after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, so a different time in Cliff’s life.
What This Means For David Fincher’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Movie
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Followup Reportedly Focuses On Cliff’s Life
The upcoming follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, if it ends up happening, will be Fincher’s first movie since the well-crafted The Killer in 2023. In the same interview, Fennessey also clarified that the follow-up would take a particular interest in Cliff’s life, which marks a significant departure from Tarantino’s movie that followed Pitt and DiCaprio’s characters equally. In this sense, it is understandable why it is more accurate to consider this movie a new story rather than a direct sequel.
The rumor has it that Fincher’s upcoming project will reportedly be built around the script that Tarantino wrote as his tenth and final movie before he scrapped it last year. In 2023, the Kill Bill director shared that the project he had in mind would be set in 1977 California, centering around a guy who had a lot of stories to tell, though he was never famous. Back then, the director didn’t have any specific actors in mind for the project, but in 2024, he shared that Pitt would be in an unspecified role in the movie.
Our Take On David Fincher’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Follow-Up
I Really Hope This One Will Get Made
So far, Pitt is the only actor linked to the project, but given that Fincher’s film is a “follow-up” set in a different time in the same universe, it opens the door for the original cast to reprise their roles. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s cast consists of an interesting roster of actors who have become big names in the last six years, including Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley, Dakota Fanning, Austin Butler, Mikey Madison, Maya Hawke, and many more. Though several of those characters are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ by the end of the movie, those that lived could make cameo appearances.
Tarantino’s 2019 Oscar-winning film has successfully set up a compelling world. From the characters to its alternate take on history, there are so many reasons to revisit that world through a sequel or follow-up. With Fincher helming the project and Pitt reprising his role, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follow-up sounds very promising, and almost too good to be true. Fingers crossed that the project will make it to the big screen.
Source: The Big Picture
