Fincher Cut 60 Pages From Tarantino’s 230-Page ‘Cliff Booth’ Draft
Key Takeaway: David Fincher tells Empire he trimmed some 60 pages from Quentin Tarantino’s 230-page first draft of the ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ follow-up, due in IMAX on November 25 and on Netflix from December 23.
David Fincher has revealed he cut about 60 pages from Quentin Tarantino’s 230-page first draft of “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth”, describing the original script as ‘essentially two movies’, in the pair’s first-ever joint interview with Empire magazine, in comments reported by [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/david-fincher-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth-tarantino-script-length/).
‘Essentially two movies’
“The first draft I read was 230 pages. It was essentially two movies,” Fincher said, in comments reported by [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/david-fincher-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth-tarantino-script-length/), in comments reported by [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/david-fincher-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth-tarantino-script-length/). The director said he trimmed about 60 pages from Tarantino’s draft, landing the film at a runtime of around 2 hours and 20 minutes, according to [The Playlist](https://theplaylist.net/david-fincher-cliff-booth-two-movies-long-20261020/).
Fincher described the editing process as finding the overlap between three visions: “Somewhere in there was the Venn diagram of what Brad wanted to do, what I want to do, what Quentin wanted to do. Not ‘want to do,’ but the areas we would focus on.” The interview marks the first time the two directors have sat down together publicly, and centres on a rare collaboration: Tarantino wrote the screenplay but handed directing duties to Fincher, staying on as a producer.
Not a hangout movie
Tarantino was clear the sequel will feel different from its parent film. “I don’t think of it as a hangout movie at all,” he said in the Empire interview, in comments reported by [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/david-fincher-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth-tarantino-script-length/), contrasting it with “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”, which he described as a hangout movie built around the pull of its 1969 setting.
Instead, Tarantino said the script “had the flavor of an Elmore Leonard paperback: a crime-story paperback feel,” a comparison with extra weight given he adapted Leonard’s ‘Rum Punch’ into 1997’s ‘Jackie Brown’. Fincher said the paperback-crime quality was part of what drew him to the project, alongside a simpler hook: “I liked the idea that it’s a story around a bonfire.” he said, about “how the participants collided with one another in the back alleys of Hollywood in 1977”
Pitt returns, release dates set
Brad Pitt reprises Cliff Booth, the role that won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2020, and also produces. The film catches up with Booth in 1977, working as a Hollywood fixer, and Pitt himself suggested Fincher for the director’s chair after Tarantino stepped back from directing, according to [World of Reel](https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/10/19/quentin-tarantino-calls-david-fincher-his-favorite-director-aside-from-myself).
Tarantino’s admiration for his director is on the record: appearing on The Graham Norton Show, he called Fincher “my favorite director aside from myself.” The film opens with a two-week IMAX run on November 25, 2026, before streaming on Netflix from December 23, 2026.
Key Story Metrics
| Figure | Reported Status |
|---|---|
| First draft length | 230 pages (Fincher to Empire, Oct 2026) |
| Pages cut | ~60 pages (Fincher to Empire, Oct 2026) |
| Runtime | ~2h 20m (The Playlist, 2026-10-20) |
| IMAX release | November 25, 2026 (The Playlist, 2026-10-20) |
| Netflix streaming | December 23, 2026 (The Playlist, 2026-10-20) |
| Setting | 1977 Hollywood (TheWrap, 2026-10-20) |
✓ Verified
• Fincher said in the Empire interview reported by [TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/david-fincher-mis-adventures-of-cliff-booth-tarantino-script-length/) that the first draft he read was 230 pages: ‘essentially two movies.’
• Fincher cut about 60 pages; the film runs about 2 hours 20 minutes.
• The interview is the first-ever joint interview between Fincher and Tarantino.
• Brad Pitt reprises Cliff Booth and produces; the film is set in 1977 with Booth as a Hollywood fixer.
• IMAX run from November 25, 2026 (two weeks); Netflix streaming from December 23, 2026.
• Tarantino: “I don’t think of it as a hangout movie at all,”
⚠ Still needs confirmation
• The 60-page cut and 230-page draft figures are Fincher’s own account from the Empire interview; they have not been independently verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long was Tarantino’s first draft?
230 pages, which Fincher called “essentially two movies”.
How many pages did Fincher cut?
About 60 pages.
When does the film come out?
A two-week IMAX run from November 25, 2026, then Netflix from December 23, 2026.
What is the runtime?
About 2 hours 20 minutes.
Does Tarantino direct it?
No. Fincher directs from Tarantino’s screenplay, with Tarantino producing.
Editor’s note: Page and runtime figures are David Fincher’s own account from the Empire interview, reported October 20, 2026.
