Why Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth follow-up ended up at Netflix instead of Sony

Anyone wondering why Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth is popping up on Netflix instead of at your local Odeon, here’s the story—because it’s a proper example of how streaming deals and director loyalties can twist even the most Hollywood of sequels in unexpected directions. If you loved Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and fancied another round in Tarantino’s warped California, this is for you.

In his recent chat with Variety, Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman explained the whole situation: "Because David Fincher is exclusive to Netflix," he shared. Rothman went on: "We were going to make the movie when Quentin [Tarantino] was directing it. But he decided that he didn’t want to do it and changed course."

Why Netflix, Not Sony?

This bit’s surprisingly straightforward (rare, for franchise megadeals, so let’s just appreciate that). After Tarantino himself decided not to direct the Cliff Booth spin-off, he handed the job to David Fincher. Problem is, Fincher’s tied to Netflix these days—deal’s a deal—so Sony couldn’t touch it, even though they made the first film. Rothman admitted he wasn’t thrilled about giving it up, but said Tarantino made it clear: only Fincher was trusted with the script, and only Netflix could actually pull it off with him. Sony had to step aside. If you want a reminder that streaming is running the show now, well, this is it.

Here’s Rothman again, making it plain: "The only other person that he was comfortable directing his script was David Fincher, and David Fincher was exclusive to Netflix, so we were not going to stand in anybody’s way."

What’s Actually in the Sequel?

So, The Adventures of Cliff Booth is its own beast now. Brad Pitt is back as everyone’s favourite stuntman/crime magnet. Timothy Olyphant is back in the mix too, again as James Stacy. There’s a fresh ensemble this time, with Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Peter Weller all appearing. (If that feels oddly A-list for a Tarantino spin-off that isn’t even with Tarantino, join the club.)

• Leonardo DiCaprio was chatted up for a cameo as Rick Dalton, but passed—he said he supports the film but isn’t making an appearance this time round.
• Netflix confirmed they bought the script—so they’re distributing it, top to tail.

The Adventures of Cliff Booth lands in IMAX on 25 November 2026.

If you’re fine with waiting, it streams on Netflix only from 23 December 2026. So yes, that’s two release dates, and if you want the big-screen version, you’ve got a small window before it’s absorbed into the streaming universe where Netflix are now queenmakers for ex-Tarantino IP.