The world of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is expanding with a new movie, to be directed by David Fincher, and I’m relieved to hear that it won’t be a sequel, but I still think this project is a risk. Quentin Tarantino isn’t a filmmaker known for making sequels (Kill Bill: Volume 2 isn’t exactly considered one), but his ninth movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is now getting an expansion with a new movie. Tarantino’s original movie took the audience to the 1960s, the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood followed actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman and best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), as their careers were in decline. However, their lives took a turn when they came across Charles Manson and his followers, who targeted them one night. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a critical and commercial success, and it’s now being expanded with another movie, to be distributed by Netflix and directed by David Fincher, and I’m relieved to know it won’t be a sequel, but it’s still a risk.

David Fincher’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Movie Is A Cliff Booth Follow-Up, Not A Sequel

It’s All About Cliff Booth’s Future

To everyone’s surprise, a new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie was announced to be in development in April 2025, but with a big twist. Instead of Quentin Tarantino returning to direct the project, David Fincher will be in charge of it, and the movie will focus on Cliff Booth. The next Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie won’t have a theatrical release (or, at least, not for now), as it has already been acquired by Netflix. The project was initially reported as a sequel to Tarantino’s movie, but new information reveals the approach is slightly different.

According to The Big Picture podcast’s Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, the next Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie isn’t exactly a sequel, but more like a “follow-up” of Cliff’s life eight years after the ending of the first movie. That way, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2 will focus on “the further adventure” of Cliff, during a completely different time in his life. They also added that Fincher has a long list of projects in development, but this one seems to be among those that will definitely happen.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ends with Cliff and Rick confronting Manson’s followers, who made Rick their target at the last minute, and killing them in self-defense – but as this is a Tarantino movie, the whole sequence is violent, bloody, and also quite funny. While Cliff left in an ambulance, Rick was invited to Sharon Tate’s (Margot Robbie) home, implying that his career could take off again after that chaotic night. As for Cliff, his future is left unclear.

This leaves the door open for a sequel, but I don’t feel it would be right to do one without Tarantino directing. Knowing that the next Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie is more of a follow-up than a sequel is a relief, as it gives more freedom to explore what came next for Cliff, without the weight of the first movie.

It’s Now Unlikely Fincher’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Movie Will Feature Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton

Rick Dalton Might Not Have A Place In The Next Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Movie

When the new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie was announced along with Cliff Booth’s return, the biggest question was whether Rick Dalton would return, too. Rick and Cliff built their careers together, and it was Rick who helped Cliff return after what happened to his wife. The joint forces of Rick and Cliff also helped them survive the attack of Manson’s followers, so even though they were about to take different career paths, Rick will always be part of Cliff’s life.

With Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2 not being a sequel, it doesn’t sound like there would be room for Rick Dalton. As mentioned above, the movie is reportedly set in 1977 and its main focus is Cliff and his future, and with him and Rick taking separate paths, it’s unlikely Rick will be included. Surely, Rick and his career could be mentioned at some point, but he might not have a proper role in the story.

A Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Follow-Up Without Tarantino Is A Big Risk

Quentin Tarantino Is Writing The Project, But Won’t Direct It

While I would never doubt David Fincher and I think his take on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood could be interesting, I also feel it’s a risk to do it without Tarantino. Surely, the movie won’t be entirely Tarantino-less, as he wrote the script for it, but not having him directing it doesn’t feel quite right. All of Tarantino’s movies have his signature visual style, which, combined with his narrative style, makes his works stand out, and while he has written movies directed by others, it’s different with the next Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie.

Because there haven’t been sequels or follow-ups to Tarantino’s movies before, and with Fincher having a different style, I feel there could be a risk of both movies feeling very different from each other, with Cliff Booth being their one thing in common. It wouldn’t be so risky if Fincher’s movie was a new story set in the universe of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and with completely different characters, but as good as he is and with a story by Tarantino, this project will have to overcome a couple of challenges.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Follow-Up Is The Closest We’ll Get To Tarantino’s Scrapped 10th Movie

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Has A Strong Link To The Movie Critic

As risky as it is, I’m excited about Fincher’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie because it will be the closest we will get to Tarantino’s The Movie Critic. Tarantino has famously stated for years that he will retire after making 10 movies, and for a while, his final movie was going to be The Movie Critic. What is known about Tarantino’s The Movie Critic is that it would have been set in 1977 and followed a movie critic based on a real one Tarantino once met and who wrote reviews in porno magazines.

Brad Pitt was reportedly going to have a role in The Movie Critic, which was later rumored to be Cliff Booth as the project was said to have transformed into a story set in the world of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – which makes sense now that we know the follow-up movie is set in 1977 and focuses on Booth.

The script for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2 is said to be that of The Movie Critic (with the necessary changes, of course), so it will be the closest there will be to it, though with a different director giving it his own vision and style, which, despite its risks and challenges, should be an interesting combination.

Source: The Big Picture.