Quentin Tarantino surprised hundreds of AFI Fest attendees in Los Angeles by screening, without prior notice, the first 17 minutes of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the film directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Tarantino himself. The preview took place following an IMAX screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and a Q&A session held Friday night at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Before starting the footage, Tarantino asked those present to put away their phones. Netflix confirmed the surprise in a statement shortly after the screening. Although rumors of a possible full premiere in this setting had been circulating for weeks, the platform has not yet specified where or when that first full screening will take place.
The episode also serves as a reminder that the release date is drawing near: The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will arrive in IMAX theaters worldwide on November 25, 2026, with a two-week exclusivity period, before landing on Netflix on December 23, 2026.
What was seen in the first 17 minutes
The material screened has not been released online and, according to reports, is not expected to be leaked. However, TheWrap was present in the theater and offered a detailed account of how the film begins.
- The opening titles place the action eight years after the events of the first film. Cliff Booth seems to have left his career as a stuntman behind.
- He now manages the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, the real cult movie theater that Tarantino has owned since 2007.
- The marquee features a fictional blaxploitation film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Roderick Hot Rod Harrison. An extensive sequence set in a strip club is shown, while Cliff recites the dialogue from memory from the projection booth while refilling his RC Cola.
- Cliff calls his father, a pawn shop owner played by Peter Weller, after dedicating a song to him on an AM radio station in Los Angeles, a direct nod to the first installment.
- Karren Karagulian (Anora) and Corey Fogelmanis (Girl Meets World) loiter in front of the cinema until Cliff signals them to come in. One of them comments that Cliff's face looks familiar. Cliff replies that he gets that a lot.
- Inside, Cliff pays them for a haul of stolen items, most notably an Oscar for Best Director. TheWrap notes that neither Tarantino nor Fincher has ever won that award, despite three nominations each.
From there, according to TheWrap, the plot escalates into gangsters, blackmail, and the ins and outs of the film business, in what the official synopsis describes as a very different Hollywood than the one we knew.
First reactions to the preview
Some attendees shared their impressions on social media. Critic Matt Neglia wrote: Can't give away plot details other than it featured the shots below but what I can say is I think David Fincher directing a Quentin Tarantino screenplay is going to be one hell of a good time.
For her part, user @kenzie__xcx commented: first 17 minutes of cliff booth are truly magical and remind me why i fell in love with this character in the first place. so excited to see the rest of this fincher film and adventure of my favorite stuntman.
Why Tarantino decided to revisit Cliff Booth
Moderator Jacqueline Coley asked Tarantino how the idea for this new adventure came about. His answer focused on the character rather than a specific plot.
I love the character of Cliff Booth, I love how Brad played him, Tarantino explained. There was something about him like a pulp novel hero, like a series of Cliff Booth books getting into one adventure after another. Over time I started thinking about a different adventure. Now, a misadventure.
Tarantino also acknowledged that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the only film of his that he would gladly watch again, precisely because it works as a hang-out movie and not as a plot machine. He recalled a review that stuck with him, which said it felt like the first world Quentin Tarantino had created that he himself would like to live in. Judging by this new project, it seems he is not done inhabiting it yet.
The best moments from the subsequent talk
During the conversation following the screening, Tarantino shared several anecdotes related to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
- Burt Reynolds' final performance. Tarantino had originally cast him to play George Spahn, the owner of Spahn Ranch, and they even completed a full script reading before the actor passed away in 2018. The last performance Burt Reynolds gave was as George Spahn in that script reading, said Tarantino. Ultimately, the role went to Bruce Dern.
- Margot Robbie's second secret role. The actress voiced the Pan Am flight attendant on Rick and Cliff's flight back from Italy, thus reprising her character from the ABC series Pan Am, which was canceled in 2011. Robbie re-watched an episode to adjust her voice, although only a small part of that scene survived the final cut.
- Cliff's Billy Jack outfit. The jacket and jeans Cliff wears at the beginning of the first film are not just a nod to the Billy Jack character played by Tom Laughlin. In the personal mythology Tarantino has built for Cliff, he would have doubled for Laughlin during the last week of filming The Born Losers and kept the wardrobe instead of taking a $200 bonus.
- Cliff's trailer. Tarantino personally took charge of decorating that set with the comics, pulp novels, toys, and the TV Guide for the corresponding month, after deciding that the art department team didn't know Cliff Booth as well as he did.
The first full trailer for The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is now available, having been screened exclusively in theaters before showings of Resident Evil.
Frequently asked questions about The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth
When does The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth premiere in theaters and on Netflix
The film will arrive in IMAX theaters worldwide on November 25, 2026, with a two-week exclusivity window, and will premiere on Netflix on December 23, 2026.
What did Quentin Tarantino show at AFI Fest
Tarantino surprised the audience by screening the first 17 minutes of the film following an IMAX screening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and a talk with Jacqueline Coley at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Who is directing The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth
The film is directed by David Fincher from a screenplay written by Quentin Tarantino, who also originally created the character of Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
What happens at the beginning of the film according to what was shown at AFI Fest
The story is set eight years after the first installment, with Cliff Booth managing the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles before the plot turns toward gangsters, blackmail, and the film business, in a story described as a very different Hollywood.
Will the material screened at AFI Fest be available online
No, according to reports, the footage shown during the event has not been released online and is not expected to be available before the film's official release.
