Entertainment · October 29, 2026

Quentin Tarantino's Cliff Booth Preview: What AFI Fest Revealed and When It Releases

A surprise screening renewed interest in the Brad Pitt follow-up, but Tarantino wrote the screenplay while David Fincher directed the new movie.

By NewsTrendus Editorial Desk · October 29, 2026 · Independently written from credited sources · Representative editorial photograph

Representative licensed photograph of a vintage cinema projector against red curtains; not Quentin Tarantino or footage from Cliff Booth

Representative licensed photograph, not the reported event, product or person. Photo: Mariia Stepanova / Pexels (Pexels free-use license).

At a glance: Quentin Tarantino showed 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth at AFI Fest. See David Fincher's role and confirmed IMAX and Netflix dates.

Quentin Tarantino surprised an AFI Fest audience in Los Angeles by screening the opening 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth after an October 23, 2026, event celebrating Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The early look generated fresh interest in the sequel, which is written by Tarantino but directed by David Fincher.

What happened at the AFI Fest screening?

The American Film Institute had advertised an October 23 screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the TCL Chinese Theatre followed by a conversation with Tarantino. Reports from attendees and entertainment journalists say the filmmaker ended the event by showing the first 17 minutes of the upcoming Cliff Booth film.

This was a limited audience preview, not the movie's general theatrical opening and not a publicly released full-length screening. Accounts of what the footage contains should be attributed to those present, because most viewers have not had access to the material.

Who directed the new Cliff Booth movie?

David Fincher directed The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino. Brad Pitt returns as Cliff Booth, the character he played in Tarantino's 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Confusing the writer with the director would misstate one of the project's most distinctive features.

The official AFI event description identified Fincher's film before the screening, and Netflix's fall movie schedule independently lists Fincher as director and Tarantino as writer. This collaboration links two filmmakers with different visual styles, but how those styles combine is a question for the finished film rather than an established fact.

When will Cliff Booth arrive in theaters and on Netflix?

Netflix's published fall 2026 slate lists an IMAX release beginning November 25 and a streaming arrival on December 23, 2026. Its release information describes an IMAX theatrical window before the Netflix debut. Theater participation and local showtimes may differ, so U.S. moviegoers should check their cinema listings when tickets become available.

These are the dates in the distributor's official schedule at the time of reporting. A trailer or fan page should not override the distributor if dates later change.

What is the story's setting and connection to the first film?

The new film returns to Cliff Booth in 1977, eight years after the alternate-history events of the 1969-set Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Netflix describes a changed Hollywood and a character facing new problems in the film industry. The project is a follow-up focused on Cliff rather than a remake of the earlier movie.

The original movie paired Booth with actor Rick Dalton and ended with a fictional revision of a real 1969 crime. Viewers do not need to treat the sequel as a historical record; both films operate in Tarantino's fictionalized world.

What remains unconfirmed from the preview?

The 17-minute screening does not establish the full plot, final reviews, box-office results or streaming performance. It also does not mean that Tarantino has directed an additional feature. Reports describing the opening scenes are necessarily limited, and social-media claims about unreleased sequences should be treated cautiously.

The best way to follow verified updates is through AFI's event archive, Netflix's movie schedule and named outlets that attended the screening. Those sources can establish what was shown, who made the film and when audiences are expected to see it.

Sources and verification

NewsTrendus independently wrote this report from the dated, attributable sources below. The representative photograph does not depict the reported event or people. Information reflects reporting available as of October 28–29, 2026.

Editorial note: Developing information may change. Send corrections through our contact page.