A novel arrives between the Imax and Netflix releases
Quentin Tarantino has penned a book based on Cliff Booth, the character spun off from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Titled The Adventures of Cliff Booth, it arrives later this year, scheduled around the release of the upcoming movie in which Brad Pitt returns to his Oscar-winning part as a veteran stuntman. HarperCollins will bring out Tarantino's new novel on Dec. 8, a date that comes after The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth opens in Imax on Nov. 25 and before that film reaches Netflix on Dec. 23.[S1]
A 1977 Hollywood setting and a teasing logline
Set in 1977 Los Angeles, eight years on from the earlier tale, both the book and the film unfold in Hollywood. The original Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast Leonardo DiCaprio and Pitt as a fading star and his veteran stunt double, each trying to stay relevant in the industry. That movie honored Hollywood's golden era, placing its late-1960s story against the Manson family killings, with Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, the rising actress wed to director Roman Polanski. While the sequel's plot remains secret, the novel's logline notes the Swinging Sixties have faded yet Clifford Booth endures, calling him a war hero, stuntman, bartender and cinema projectionist who sometimes does covert work for friends.[S1]
Budget, box office, and Tarantino's retirement plan
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, distributed by Sony, drew both praise and strong ticket sales. It took in over $400 million globally on a $90 million budget and collected 10 Oscar nominations, winning two. Netflix is backing the sequel, which has a $200 million production budget. Tarantino chose not to helm Cliff Booth, having repeatedly said he wants to stop after 10 films. He has completed nine so far, among them Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds and Reservoir Dogs, and he was unwilling to let a sequel serve as his final project.[S1]
Why Tarantino stepped away from the director's chair
Tarantino explained his decision last year on The Church of Tarantino podcast. He said he loved the script but felt he was still walking down the same ground he had already walked, and that it left him unenthused. He added that for his last movie he has to not know what he is doing again and be in uncharted territory.[S1]
