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Hollywood is gearing up for a gritty return to its golden age—with a twist. Director David Fincher, the mind behind Fight Club and Se7en, is officially stepping behind the camera for a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-inspired film, and yes, Brad Pitt is back as stuntman-turned-legend Cliff Booth.
This isn’t a straight-up sequel, though. According to The InSneider, the project is more of a “derivative”—an expansion of Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 love letter to Tinseltown, rather than a continuation. The new film, currently untitled, is being developed at Netflix, and production might kick off as soon as late summer.
What makes this even more intriguing is Tarantino’s behind-the-scenes involvement. Though he’s not directing, he penned the script himself and retained rights to certain characters through a unique deal with Sony—opening the door for someone like Fincher to take the reins.
While Pitt’s return is locked in, the status of Leonardo DiCaprio, who portrayed fading actor Rick Dalton, is murkier. He’s in early talks to appear, but his role would be smaller, and insiders say he’s hesitant to sign on unless there’s more meat to the part. Still, Netflix is eager to have him on board, and negotiations are ongoing.
Interestingly, this project wouldn’t even exist without Pitt. Sources say he loved Tarantino’s script but knew Tarantino wouldn’t direct it—so he floated the idea of someone else taking over. When Tarantino gave the nod, Pitt personally brought Fincher into the conversation, and Netflix wasted no time snapping up the script—reportedly dropping $20 million for it.
This marks another high-profile team-up between Pitt and Fincher, who’ve previously delivered modern classics like Fight Club, Se7en, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The duo clearly knows how to bring out each other’s best work.
Fincher was initially planning to direct Bitterroot, a Western, but he’s shelved that for now in favor of this Hollywood noir revival. He’s also involved in Netflix’s Squid Game adaptation, though that’s still in development limbo.
As for Tarantino’s own directorial swan song, The Movie Critic—his long-teased tenth and final film—that’s reportedly on ice for now. Meanwhile, DiCaprio is juggling other offers, including a potential Evel Knievel biopic at Netflix that also remains in limbo.
If everything clicks into place, this Fincher-Pitt-Tarantino triangle could deliver another haunting, stylish deep dive into a mythic Hollywood—just don’t expect it to play by anyone’s old rules