After Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia,’ One More Netflix Film Heads Straight to Theaters

David Fincher’s return to the big screen is finally happening in a big way. According to an announcement from Netflix, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, starring Brad Pitt, will get a special IMAX theatrical release starting November 25th. The film will play exclusively in IMAX for two weeks before it arrives on Netflix on December 23rd.

The report comes from Netflix’s official announcement and has quickly become a major talking point for fans of both Fincher and Quentin Tarantino’s film universe. The movie is a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with Brad Pitt reprising his role as Cliff Booth.

This release strategy feels similar to what Netflix has done with other big projects in recent years, especially the Knives Out sequels. Those films also had limited theatrical runs before landing on the streaming platform. In this case, Netflix is clearly betting that a short IMAX window will build excitement before the streaming debut.

There is also an interesting timing factor behind the release. The IMAX slot originally belonged to Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film, which has now been delayed to February 2027. That change opened up a premium theatrical window, which Netflix has now used for Fincher’s movie.

For David Fincher, this marks a major return to theaters. His last wide theatrical release was Gone Girl in 2014. Since then, he has mostly worked with Netflix, directing projects like Mank, The Killer, and producing the series Mindhunter. While The Killer did get a limited theatrical run, this IMAX rollout is a much bigger step back into the cinema space.

The film itself has an unusual backstory. The Adventures of Cliff Booth was originally developed by Quentin Tarantino. However, Tarantino eventually stepped away from the project. Brad Pitt then brought the idea to David Fincher, who agreed to direct it with Tarantino’s approval.

The story is said to follow Cliff Booth in a Hollywood-set narrative, expanding the character’s life after the events of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While full plot details are still limited, the film is already drawing attention due to its creative lineage and the reunion-style nature of its production.

Cast details are also generating interest. Alongside Brad Pitt, the film includes a mix of well-known names, adding to expectations that this will be one of Netflix’s biggest film releases of the year.

At the same time, this project also reflects Quentin Tarantino’s long history of unrealized or abandoned ideas. Over the years, Tarantino has been linked to many projects that never reached production, from Kill Bill: Volume 3 to early Star Trek ideas. In this case, his original concept for Cliff Booth has now evolved into a Fincher-directed feature with his blessing.

As for Tarantino, he continues to focus on finding what he has called his final film project, while stepping away from ideas he feels are too close to his earlier work.

For now, all eyes are on November 25th, when The Adventures of Cliff Booth hits IMAX screens for a short but high-profile run, before heading to Netflix just a month later.

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