Quentin Tarantino surprises audiences at AFI Fest with the first 17 minutes of Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated new film, directed by David Fincher.
Quentin Tarantino delivered one of the biggest surprises of AFI Fest 2026. The American filmmaker unveiled the opening 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the highly anticipated sequel to Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, once again starring Brad Pitt, but this time directed by David Fincher.
The unexpected screening took place on Friday, 23 October, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, during a special presentation of the original 2019 film. Following a discussion with the audience, Tarantino surprised those in attendance with an unexpected offer.
“I could talk a little more about The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, or I could show you the first 17 minutes,” the director said before screening the previously unseen footage, according to Deadline and TheWrap.
The new film brings back Cliff Booth, the stunt double portrayed by Pitt in the original production, a performance that earned the actor his first acting Oscar.
However, the story will move forward to 1977, eight years after the events of the first film, when the character begins working as a fixer, handling sensitive problems for various figures within the film industry.
Although Tarantino has written the screenplay, directing duties have been handed over to David Fincher, the filmmaker behind Fight Club, Se7en and The Social Network. The collaboration brings together two of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors.
The cast also includes Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Peter Weller, among others.
The production is scheduled to arrive in IMAX cinemas on 25 November, for an exclusive two-week theatrical run, before making its debut on Netflix on 23 December 2026.
For now, the 17 minutes screened during the festival have not been officially released, meaning those attending AFI Fest were the first to discover how the story of one of Tarantino’s most beloved characters continues.
