Quentin Tarantino was “unenthused” about directing The Adventures of Cliff Booth but is happy David Fincher has stepped in behind the camera.
Quentin Tarantino was “unenthused” about directing The Adventures of Cliff Booth.
The 62-year-old director penned the script for the follow-up to his 2019 movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and while he loves the story he was written, he wasn’t interested in revisiting old characters when it came to making his 10th and final film.
Speaking on The Church of Tarantino podcast, he said: “I love this script, but I’m still walking down the same ground I’ve already walked.
“It just kind of unenthused me. This last movie, I’ve got to not know what I’m doing again. I’ve got to be in uncharted territory.”
And Tarantino felt honoured that David Fincher was keen to step up and direct Brad Pitt in the title role.
He added: “I think me and David Fincher are the two best directors. So the idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work, to me, shows a level of seriousness towards my work that I think needs to be taken into account.”
Brad recently spoke of reprising the role as stuntman Cliff in the “fun” sequel for Netflix.
Speaking to Deadline at the premiere for his latest movie, F1, he said: “This is something Quentin Tarantino wrote. It’s an episode, not really a sequel, of the character from Once Upon a Time.
“He didn’t want to direct it at this point, so our friend David Fincher stepped in. We’re gonna start in July, it’s gonna be really fun.”
The Adventures of Cliff Booth will have a reputed $200 million budget, making it one of the most expensive streaming original movies ever made.
As well as Pitt, new cast members include Elizabeth Debicki, Carla Gugino, Scott Caan and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Tarantino will earn $20 million for writing the script, which is the first official sequel to one of Tarantino’s original movies.
The movie also sees a reunion between Pitt and Fincher, 62, who previously collaborated on acclaimed films Se7en, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, fading actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his loyal stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) struggle to stay relevant in a rapidly changing movie industry.
As their fortunes shift, they cross paths with rising star Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and the looming threat of the Manson Family.
Tarantino is believed to retain the rights to the characters from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, while Sony – which financed and distributed the picture – holds the rights to the movie itself.
As a result, The Adventures of Cliff Booth is not officially considered a sequel or prequel, despite featuring Pitt’s character.
Quentin Tarantino explains why he’s not directing The Adventures of Cliff Booth
