Super Bowl audiences were taken by surprise on Sunday night, when a trailer for “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” the sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s highly acclaimed 2019 film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” was revealed by Netflix. The 62-year-old actor, Brad Pitt, makes a surprising return to the role of the stuntman that won him his first Oscar as an actor.
The teaser, which lasted a minute, was a surprise during Super Bowl LX, confirming that Pitt will once again play the role of Cliff Booth, which earned him an Academy Award. Tarantino wrote the script for the sequel, but chose to let David Fincher direct, as Tarantino continues his search for his 10th and final film.
Pitt’s Cliff Booth is heard in the teaser saying, “I don’t possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story,” exemplifying the character’s signature easygoing charm.
The brief teaser was set to vintage music and showed Cliff at a bar, walking on a film set, and driving a derby car on a dust-covered race track. The footage contained scenes of nude women, cigarettes, rude gestures, guns, and profanity, all humorously censored with a cartoonish animation. One scene showed Booth putting an Oscar trophy on his desk, referring to Pitt’s real-life Oscar win for the original film.
The trailer also showcased Elizabeth Debicki, acting alongside Pitt, playing a character who references events from the first film. In “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Cliff Booth and Rick Dalton, the actor Booth doubled for, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, had a confrontation with the Manson Family in Tarantino’s reimagined version of late 1960s Los Angeles. The sequel picks up in the 1970s, with DiCaprio’s Dalton not expected to make a return.
Also featured in the trailer were Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Holt McCallany, and JB Tadena. Timothy Olyphant will reprise his role as western actor James Stacy from the original film. The teaser hasn’t been officially released online yet, though copies are being shared on social media.
Debicki talked about the production at the Sundance Film Festival in January, expressing her enthusiasm for the project. “I just wrapped on Fincher’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, which was just such a dream to make,” Debicki told PEOPLE. “We shot it for nearly six months in L.A., and I just adored working with David.”
Pitt won his second Academy Award for the role of Cliff Booth, but it was his first in an acting category, won at the 2020 Oscars ceremony. His earlier win was for producing “12 Years a Slave” in 2014. The original “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” received 10 Oscar nominations and won two awards: Best Production Design and Pitt’s Best Supporting Actor trophy.
The collaboration between Tarantino and Fincher brings together two of Hollywood’s most unique directorial voices. While Tarantino created the character and world of Cliff Booth, Fincher lends his own detailed visual style to the sequel. The project reunites Pitt with Fincher for the first time since The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and their prior collaborations on Se7en (1995) and Fight Club (1999). Erik Messerschmidt, a frequent collaborator with Fincher, serves as the film’s director of photography. Tarantino produces the film along with Pitt, David Heyman, Ceán Chaffin, and Stacey Sher.
For Pitt, reprising the role of Cliff Booth is a notable moment in his career, which has often seen him in supporting roles alongside other leading men. Despite his star status, Pitt has often appeared in supporting roles, backing up actors such as DiCaprio, George Clooney, and Ed Norton in various projects. This sequel puts him firmly in the leading role.
Netflix plans to release “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” later in the year, although a specific release date has not yet been announced. The unveiling of the trailer during the Super Bowl represents a significant marketing investment by the platform, securing one of the most expensive and visible advertising spots to announce the project.
The sequel was one of many high-profile releases advertised during the game, including Steven Spielberg’s UFO film “Disclosure Day,” “Scream 7” featuring Neve Campbell’s return, and a commercial for “Mandalorian and Grogu.”
The surprise announcement of the sequel during the Super Bowl generated considerable buzz, with fans expressing their excitement about Pitt’s return to the role.
With filming completed entirely on location in Los Angeles, California and principal photography ending on January 15, 2026, audiences can expect “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” to be released on Netflix in the next few months. The streaming platform’s decision to invest in a major Super Bowl spot indicates confidence in the sequel’s potential to capture audience attention and build on the success of its Oscar-winning predecessor.
