David Fincher is a great director who will surely do a good job with it, but it feels wrong that Quentin Tarantino isn’t directing the sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood himself. It’s been announced that Brad Pitt will reprise his role as stuntman Cliff Booth in a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel for Netflix. Tarantino is writing the script, but he’s handing directing duties over to Fincher. The project is well past its early development stages, with filming set to begin in summer 2025.

It’s certainly an exciting prospect. All the talent involved have a strong track record, and it’ll be great to see Pitt playing his Oscar-winning role again. But Tarantino has such a distinctive voice as a writer-director — and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of his most idiosyncratic pᴀssion projects — that it feels wrong that a sequel is getting made by another filmmaker. Tarantino’s script ensures it’ll still be guided by his vision, but having a different director at the helm means a different cook will be putting his spin on the broth.

Quentin Tarantino Wanted To Direct Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’s Sequel Originally

It Was Originally Called The Movie Critic

In March 2023, reports emerged that Tarantino had completed the screenplay he intended to turn into his 10th and final film: The Movie Critic. The protagonist of the script was a film reviewer who wrote for a porno mag in 1977 Los Angeles, and the part was written for a male American actor in his 30s. When the shoot was delayed due to the 2023 strikes, Tarantino reworked the script to be a continuation of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Pitt was set to reprise his role as Cliff and production was set to begin in early 2025.

However, in the months leading up to the shoot, Tarantino got cold feet about The Movie Critic being his final movie (under the terms of his pointless, self-imposed 10-movie rule). In April 2024, it was reported that Tarantino had completely scrapped The Movie Critic. Now, it seems as though that script will see the light of day after all. The script that Fincher is turning into a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel is reported to be the same script that Tarantino was going to film as The Movie Critic.

David Fincher Has Never Directed A Movie Like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Before

Fincher Has Never Made A Loose, Laidback Hangout Comedy Before

Fincher is a brilliant filmmaker who has interpreted the work of some of Hollywood’s greatest screenwriting talents — just look at what he did with Aaron Sorkin’s script for The Social Network — and he has a great working relationship with Pitt, going back to Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin ʙuттon. But I’m still dubious that Fincher can pull off a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. ᴀssuming the sequel will be somewhat similar to the first movie, Fincher is completely untested in that kind of cinema.

What made Once Upon a Time in Hollywood work so well was its loose, laidback vibes and its healthy dose of humor. There’s some bleak humor in Fight Club and The Killer, but Fincher has never made a full-blown comedy. He’s known for his meticulous, waterтιԍнт Hitchcockian suspense thrillers. Fincher could’ve done wonders with a Tarantino script like Reservoir Dogs or Jackie Brown, but he seems like the wrong choice for a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I don’t think he has the right sensibility for a sun-soaked hangout movie.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’s Sequel Won’t Be Quentin Tarantino’s Full Vision Now

It Won’t Have Tarantino’s Eye Behind The Camera

Now that the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel has been handed off to Fincher, it won’t fulfill Tarantino’s complete vision for the next chapter of this story. Even if Fincher and his team follow Tarantino’s script to the letter, he’s not the one directing it. Fincher will inevitably do things differently than Tarantino would, so this isn’t going to be the movie we were supposed to get.

When he made Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino allowed his actors to make the characters their own. He even allowed a little bit of improvisation in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which contributed to its loose, laidback tone. Fincher is notorious for controlling his actors and doing dozens of takes until a sH๏τ is absolutely perfect. That kind of approach won’t be able to replicate what made Once Upon a Time in Hollywood work.