Since their electric chemistry lit up the screen in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, fans have been desperate to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt team up on the big screen again. That possibility surfaced when news of a Netflix spinoff slated for release in 2026 was announced, creating hope that DiCaprio might reprise his Oscar-nominated role as Rick Dalton. However, after months of speculation and some uncertainty, DiCaprio has given his final verdict on a reunion with Pitt in The Adventures of Cliff Booth, sealing the character’s fate.
Is Rick Dalton Back? DiCaprio’s Decision on the Netflix Spinoff
DiCaprio, fresh off a leading role as Bob Ferguson in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Deadline. The 51-year-old actor spoke about everything from his most recent film with Anderson, which earned a stellar 94 percent critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, to Heat 2 and a future project alongside Jennifer Lawrence, What Happens at Night.
DiCaprio was asked directly about reprising the role of Dalton in The Adventures of Cliff Booth, revealing that there were “early” discussions about it.
“There were some talks about it early on,” DiCaprio said. “Ultimately, I cannot wait to see the Cliff Booth story, but I’m not in it. I think David Fincher’s the perfect man for the job. Quentin is a huge fan of his work, I’m a huge fan of his work, and there’s nobody better to carry on that lineage and tell that story. I think it’s the next phase of Cliff Booth’s life. I’m excited to see it.”
Box office and budget for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, per Box Office Mojo:
- Budget: $90 million
- Domestic total: $142.5 million
- International total: $234.9 million
- Worldwide total: $377.4 million
So, while the story of Cliff Booth continues, Pitt will move it forward without DiCaprio’s character. However, it is nice to see DiCaprio give high praise to David Fincher, who’ll direct the film, which is written by Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino.
What We Know About the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ Follow-Up
While we know The Adventures of Cliff Booth is a sequel to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, no specific release date has been announced. It is slated for a 2026 release, but fans will have to wait a bit longer to learn the official timeline. Pitt’s encore performance as Booth is expected to be released in theaters and on Netflix.
Though much of the cast will feature new faces, Timothy Olyphant is returning as James Stacy. The likes of Scott Caan, Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, Holt McCallany, and JB Tadena, among others, will join Olyphant and Pitt.
According to World of Reel, The Adventures of Cliff Booth take place eight years after the events of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. The original was based in 1969, with the sequel reportedly set in 1977.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, released in 2019, earned high marks from critics. The film received a certified fresh label from Rotten Tomatoes, earning an 86 percent rating based on 581 critics’ reviews. The fan tally checked in at 70 percent based on more than 25,000 verified reviews.
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