Leonardo DiCaprio just confirmed he won’t be part of Netflix’s follow-up to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. The new film, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, centers on Brad Pitt’s character from Tarantino’s 2019 hit. David Fincher is directing from a script written by Tarantino, and Netflix is backing the project with Fincher’s frequent collaborators.
There had been talk that DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton might make an appearance, but that plan has been scrapped. During an interview with Deadline, DiCaprio explained that the idea was discussed but never moved forward. He said he and Tarantino fully support Fincher’s take and are eager to see what comes of it.
“There were some talks about it early on. Ultimately, I cannot wait to see the Cliff Booth story, but I’m not in it. I think David Fincher’s the perfect man for the job. Quentin is a huge fan of his work, I’m a huge fan of his work, and there’s nobody better to carry on that lineage and tell that story. I think it’s the next phase of Cliff Booth’s life. I’m excited to see it,” DiCaprio told Deadline.
The film is now in production with Pitt returning as Cliff Booth and Timothy Olyphant also reprising his role from Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. The cast includes Scott Caan, Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, Barry Livingston, and Peter Weller. Netflix is reportedly aiming for a 2026 release, assuming production stays on track.
As for DiCaprio, he’s keeping busy elsewhere. He recently starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which has become a strong awards contender. He’s also preparing to work again with Martin Scorsese on What Happens at Night, set to film early next year. The movie will star Jennifer Lawrence and follows a European couple who adopt a child and find themselves caught in a mystery. The project sounds like familiar Scorsese territory, drawing comparisons to their past collaboration on Shutter Island.
DiCaprio also signed on for Michael Mann’s Heat 2, joining Christian Bale, Adam Driver, Austin Butler, and Bradley Cooper. The movie is based on the novel Mann co-wrote with Meg Gardiner and serves as both prequel and sequel to the 1995 crime classic. While DiCaprio won’t be teaming with Tarantino this time, he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Hollywood may love to recycle old stories, but DiCaprio seems more interested in writing new chapters of his own.
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English (US) · 