David Fincher Directing ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ Follow-Up

Yet the director won’t be behind the camera for this one; instead it’ll be handled by someone with no small experience directing Pitt: David Fincher.

You read it right… Once of the most talented filmmakers is following up the work of another.

And that’s not all!

What do we know about the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up?

Brad Pitt in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

The Playlist’s report mentions that this riff on ‘Once’s Booth character –– the movie isn’t strictly a sequel, more of a Booth spin-off ––is something that Tarantino was noodling with and could potentially have been born from his scrapped script ‘The Movie Critic,’ which supposedly included Pitt.

Now QT has turned it into a new script, and with both Fincher and Pitt aboard, Netflix has put together the deal, which will probably end up being around a $200 million budget (the streamer reportedly paid a cool $20 million for the script) to shoot in California this July. We’re talking real fast track here.

But what of Sony, which released ‘Once?’ A couple of things… it has a deal to send much of its output to Netflix and ‘Once’ was a special case anyway; Tarantino’s deal for the original included him hanging on to certain rights. Presumably, he could take Cliff where he wanted.

Handing it to Fincher is no bad compromise if we’re not to get another slice of that character from his creator alone.

There’s more! Reporter Jeff Sneider is adding to the story, bringing word that Leonardo DiCaprio is in the middle of hashing out a deal to also appear in the movie. It’s not yet closed and he may not even end up in the movie, but surely the appeal of A) another Tarantino script, B) working with Fincher and reuniting with Pitt is strong.

Related Article: Quentin Tarantino Scraps Plans to Make ‘The Movie Critic’ Next

What was the story of ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’?

(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’

Tarantino’s original movie is set during the summer of 1969, as Hollywood’s Golden Age is winding down.

Television actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt double Booth endeavor to achieve lasting success in Hollywood while meeting several colorful characters along the way.

Not the least is Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who in this alternate version of history ends up saved from death by the members of the Manson family.

The cast also included the likes of Emile Hirsch, Austin Butler, Julia Butters, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Al Pacino, Lena Dunham, Maya Hawke, Sydney Sweeney, and Mikey Madison.

As for the follow-up, it certainly shoves everything else on Fincher’s To Do list down a notch or two. Which brings us to…

What is David Fincher currently working on?

David Fincher on the set of ‘Mank’. Photo: Gisele Schmidt/Netflix.

With various projects as ever on the go waiting for corporate overlords to give the greenlight, Fincher seems closer on a couple of potential next gigs than others on his list.

First off, there is the Western script ‘Bitterroot,’ written by Michael Gilio, which concerns an elderly rancher whose life savings have been stolen.

He sets out to get his money back by robbing banks and hunting down the thieves — all while being pursued by his son… who is the sheriff.

Comparisons have been made to Clint Eastwood classic ‘Unforgiven,’ so even with the riskier marketplace, this is a script that will surely be produced at some point. And it’s perhaps not surprising that given its long lifespan in the Hollywood marketplace, there has been at least one previous attempt to bring it to screens. Blind Wink Productions and Aversano Films were working on it with Gilio on board to both write and direct and Gore Verbinski to produce back in 2011.

Netflix owns the rights to the script, and Fincher has a long relationship with the company, but it has yet to confirm anything concrete about it.

(L to R) David Fincher and Gary Oldman on the set of ‘Mank’. Photo: Miles Crist/Netflix.

And the hurdles faced by Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ are likely giving pause. Still, the streaming service has violent frontier limited series ‘American Primeval’ coming out on January 9th, so perhaps it will see how that does before making a decision.

Yet the Western faces some serious competition on Fincher’s To Do list, as the filmmaker has also been developing an American version of giant Netflix hit ‘Squid Game.’

The Korean drama series about the twisted and frequently lethal competition recently released its second season and is racking up huge viewership once more.

Much like ‘Bitterroot,’ we’re still waiting for anything approaching official comment from Netflix about a potential Fincher version, but it certainly feels like a solid match for filmmaker and topic.

A dark, satirical series where morality is questioned, and death lurks around every corner? Surely something he can do well.

Still, we’ll have to wait and see whether it actually surfaces.

When will the ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ follow-up be out?

Since The Playlist’s story indicates a fast track, we could potentially see this on screens as early as next year –– an exciting prospect for sure.

But will it be on a big or small screen? While Fincher and Pitt are certainly big names, the director didn’t warrant a theatrical release for his previous movie, ‘The Killer,’ despite his established professional relationship with the streaming service.

Still… a follow-up to a Tarantino movie? Starring Brad Pitt and potentially Leonardo DiCaprio? Surely a candidate for at least a limited theatrical push.

Oscar® nominee, Quentin Tarantino arrives on the red carpet of The 92nd Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 9, 2020. Credit/Provider: Nick Agro / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

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