Quentin Tarantino has revealed his emotional turmoil over stepping back from the sequel to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” admitting that his decision weighed heavily on him, particularly concerning Brad Pitt. The acclaimed director shared his feelings during an interview with Empire, confessing, “[Pitt] was the one I felt I was really letting down when I didn’t do it. I felt bad about that.”
Brad Pitt’s Desire to Reprise Cliff Booth
Pitt’s portrayal of stoic stuntman Cliff Booth in the 2019 film earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the actor was reportedly eager to continue exploring the character’s narrative. Despite crafting a script that evolved into the Netflix production “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” Tarantino disclosed that this project would not serve as his tenth and final directorial venture.
David Fincher Steps in as Director
The disappointment of Pitt regarding the absence of a sequel led to acclaimed director David Fincher taking the helm. Tarantino recounted his surprise and excitement upon learning that Fincher may be interested in directing the project, stating, “You could have knocked me over with a feather. I was like, ‘Really? You think he’d be interested? Fucking yeah: show it to him!’”
Tarantino’s Enthusiasm and Concerns
However, Tarantino admitted to a degree of apprehension regarding his enthusiasm potentially scaring Fincher away. He likened his initial conversations with Fincher to the nervy posturing of someone trying to charm a beauty, reflecting, “The first couple of times we spoke, I was the male trying to talk this gorgeous woman into fucking me. I was trying to maneuver it so I wouldn’t say anything that fuck shit up.” He appreciated that a director of Fincher’s stature would invest so much time in his material, emphasizing the respect he has earned as a screenwriter.
A Shift in Time and Character Development
Set against the backdrop of 1969 in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” the story in “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth” shifts to 1977, depicting Booth as a studio fixer within the Hollywood landscape. Fincher highlighted Pitt’s deep connection to the character, saying, “He’s so into it. The weirdest, most interesting part of this, for me, is that I’ve never been in a situation where the person playing the character knows more about that character than you’ll ever know.”
Fincher acknowledged the collaborative dynamic between him and Pitt during the creative process, explaining, “Sometimes you have to push back on that. I knew the new stuff, and Brad knew who the guy was, so Brad could withstand the hurricane of, ‘What about this? What about that?’ He was like, ‘No, no, no. I got this.’”
