Netflix pulled off a slick Super Bowl surprise by debuting the first teaser for The Adventures of Cliff Booth, bringing Brad Pitt back into the boots of Quentin Tarantino’s effortlessly cool stuntman from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
It’s a quick hit of attitude, style, and vintage swagger that instantly reminds fans why Cliff Booth became such a standout character.
The teaser leans hard into retro vibes, backed by throwback music and stitched together with glimpses of Cliff doing what he does best. He’s lounging at a bar, slipping around the edges of a movie set, and tearing across a dirt track in a derby car.
Netflix also has a little fun with censorship, amusingly blurring out flashes of nude women, cigarettes, raised middle fingers, guns, and plenty of foul-mouthed chaos. It all feels playful and dangerous in that specific Cliff Booth way.
A few familiar faces pop up dressed in Old Hollywood style, including Elizabeth Debicki and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, hinting at the new characters joining Cliff on his next chapter. One of the more interesting moments shows Cliff placing an Oscar on his desk.
Cliff Booth first strutted onto the screen in 2019 as the laid-back stunt double to Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, and he quickly stole the show. While Once Upon a Time in Hollywood famously rewrote history with its explosive finale, this sequel shifts gears and moves into the 1970s. Dalton isn’t expected to return.
This time around, the film is directed by David Fincher, marking an exciting shift in creative energy. Tarantino wrote the screenplay but handed off directing duties while he continues figuring out his long-discussed tenth and final film.
Fincher stepping in makes a lot of sense. His long-running partnership with Netflix includes Mindhunter along with films like The Killer and Mank, and his precision-driven style feels like a fascinating match for Tarantino’s script.
The supporting cast includes Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Holt McCallany, and JB Tadena. Timothy Olyphant is also confirmed to reprise his role as James Stacy from the original film.
The teaser doesn’t give away much story, but it doesn’t need to. It’s all about mood, character, and reminding audiences that Cliff Booth still has plenty of miles left on him. If this first look is any indication, Netflix might have a seriously cool throwback hit on its hands when The Adventures of Cliff Booth finally arrives.
