Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth sequel gets surprise screening ahead of cinema release

Quentin Tarantino surprised audiences at AFI Fest in Los Angeles on Friday night by screening the opening 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, giving fans an unexpected preview of Brad Pitt's return to the role.

The footage was shown at the TCL Chinese Theatre following an IMAX screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the 2019 film that introduced Pitt's laid-back stuntman. It was the first time audiences had seen an extended sequence from the sequel, which is directed by David Fincher from a screenplay written by Tarantino.

Tarantino gives audiences an unexpected surprise

Tarantino attended the screening for a question-and-answer session about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but had something special planned for the audience.

As the event drew to a close, he offered those attending a choice between hearing more about the sequel or watching its opening scenes.

He asked whether they would rather hear him discuss the new film "or I could show you the first 17 minutes". The audience chose the footage, giving those inside the cinema an early look at where Cliff's story is heading.

What happens in the opening 17 minutes?

The sequel takes place eight years after the events of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, moving Cliff's story forward from its original 1969 setting.

The opening reveals that Cliff is now running the New Beverly Cinema, the real Los Angeles cinema owned by Tarantino since 2007.

A fictional film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is playing on the cinema screen, while Cliff watches from the projection booth and recites the dialogue alongside the actors.

Cliff later contacts his father, played by Peter Weller, who works as a pawnbroker. Their conversation concerns a song Cliff has dedicated to him on a local AM radio station.

The preview also introduces two visitors hoping to sell stolen goods, including an Academy Award for Best Director. Cliff agrees to buy the Oscar, providing a knowing joke about Hollywood awards.

Neither Tarantino nor Fincher has won the Best Director Oscar, despite receiving three nominations each. Those who attended the screening reported that the story subsequently moves into a world involving gangsters, blackmail and the film industry.

Who stars in the new Cliff Booth film?

Brad Pitt returns as Cliff Booth, the character that earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Although Tarantino has written the screenplay, he has handed directing duties to David Fincher, whose previous collaborations with Pitt include Se7en, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

The cast also includes Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Peter Weller, Corey Fogelmanis and Karren Karagulian.

The new film continues Cliff's story while introducing a different period in Hollywood, with its setting moving away from the final years of the 1960s.

Tarantino remembers Burt Reynolds

During the event, Tarantino also reflected on the making of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the late Burt Reynolds.

Reynolds had originally been cast as George Spahn, the elderly owner of the ranch featured in the film, and attended a script read-through before his death in 2018.

That read-through became his final performance, with Bruce Dern subsequently taking over the role. Tarantino spoke fondly about Reynolds and his involvement in the production, recalling a connection to the original film that audiences never got to see on screen.

When is The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth released?

The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is scheduled to arrive in IMAX cinemas on 25 November 2026, before becoming available to stream on Netflix on 23 December.

The early footage has provided a closer look at the sequel, although the wider audience will have to wait until its release to see the complete opening sequence.

Netflix released the official trailer in September, offering the first look at Pitt's return to the role. We previously covered the announcement in our article Brad Pitt returns as Cliff Booth as Netflix drops trailer for Tarantino sequel.

Watch the official trailer below:

With Pitt returning to one of his most popular roles and Fincher directing Tarantino's screenplay, the sequel brings together three major Hollywood names for another chapter in Cliff Booth's story.

The film arrives in IMAX cinemas on 25 November before streaming on Netflix from 23 December 2026.

Image credit: Netflix