Netflix’s upcoming Brad Pitt film The Adventures of Cliff Booth will get a theatrical release after all, with the streamer setting a two-week global IMAX run before the film arrives on Netflix. Directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino, the film will open in IMAX theatres on November 25, 2026, before making its streaming debut on Netflix on December 23, 2026.
The decision gives The Adventures of Cliff Booth a bigger theatrical footprint than many Netflix originals, especially considering the high-profile creative team involved. The film brings back Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, the role that won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
According to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has scheduled the film for an exclusive two-week IMAX theatrical window beginning over the Thanksgiving period. Screen Daily also reported that the release will be global, positioning the film as one of Netflix’s most notable theatrical plays of the year.
The IMAX slot is also notable because the film is reportedly taking over the Thanksgiving IMAX window previously associated with Netflix’s Narnia project. Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew has been delayed to 2027, creating space for Fincher’s Cliff Booth film to move into the late-November theatrical calendar.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth is one of the most unusual prestige projects on Netflix’s upcoming slate. It is connected to Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but Tarantino is not directing this time. Instead, David Fincher is behind the camera, marking a rare collaboration between two of modern cinema’s most distinctive filmmakers.
The film reportedly takes place years after the events of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with Cliff Booth now at the centre of the story. Earlier reports have described the project as following Booth in a later Hollywood era, though Netflix has kept plot details limited. The film’s official logline says Brad Pitt returns to his Oscar-winning role, with the story set in 1977 and a very different Hollywood.
The cast includes Brad Pitt, Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Peter Weller, JB Tadena and Corey Fogelmanis. Timothy Olyphant is also listed among returning names connected to the project in some reports.
Behind the scenes, the film has an equally strong technical team. Erik Messerschmidt, who has frequently collaborated with Fincher, is credited as cinematographer, while Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are reportedly composing the score. Fincher regulars such as editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Ren Klyce are also associated with the project.
The theatrical decision is important because Netflix has often been selective with big-screen releases. While the streamer has given limited theatrical runs to awards contenders and event titles, a global IMAX window for a Fincher-directed, Tarantino-scripted Brad Pitt film signals a more event-style rollout.
The release also marks a significant theatrical moment for David Fincher. His recent films, including Mank and The Killer, were primarily associated with Netflix’s streaming-first model, even when they received limited theatrical exposure. A two-week IMAX run gives The Adventures of Cliff Booth a larger cinematic launch and could make it one of Fincher’s most visible big-screen releases in years.
The film’s placement over Thanksgiving is a strong holiday-season strategy. By opening first in IMAX, the streamer can generate theatrical buzz and premium-format attention before shifting the film to Netflix just before Christmas. The December 23 streaming date positions the movie as a major year-end title for subscribers.
The move also reflects the growing importance of premium theatrical formats for streamers. IMAX releases can help create event status around films that might otherwise be seen as streaming-first projects. For a film involving Pitt, Fincher and Tarantino, the theatrical window may also help satisfy cinephile audiences who would expect such a project to be seen on the biggest possible screen.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth now joins the small but growing list of Netflix films receiving a meaningful theatrical push before streaming. Whether the two-week window will be enough to satisfy theatre-first audiences remains to be seen, but the decision clearly gives the film more visibility than a standard streaming debut.
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