After releasing the “downright entertaining” cinematic experience Heart of the Beast — our exact words, according to MovieWeb writer Charles Papadopoulos — Brad Pitt’s next anticipated project is setting itself up to be an even bigger spectacle, considering its acclaimed filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, will be venturing into a category he hasn’t visited since the early 2000s: a sequel.
Tarantino’s last major return to an established cinematic world came with the Kill Bill films, which included Kill Bill Vol. 1 in 2003 and Kill Bill Vol. 2 in 2004. Now, the filmmaker is preparing a visit to another one of his most recognizable worlds, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, with the highly anticipated follow-up The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth.
The sequel is being distributed by Netflix, so a limited theatrical release is expected with the title. However, recent reports confirm that the film’s exclusive, two-week IMAX rollout will be getting even more limited.
According to Deadline, theater chains Regal and Cinemark will not be playing Netflix’s The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth on their IMAX screens when it comes out Nov. 25. A decision that Deadline attributes to the thin two-week release schedule and a competitive Thanksgiving box office.
The other highly anticipated release is the upcoming Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, which also hits theaters around the same time (Nov. 20). And with Sunrise on the Reaping’s much larger theatrical push, it remains the bigger priority for the two theaters at this time. In a statement with Variety, Senior VP of U.S. Content, Brooks LeBoeuf, spoke about the decision on behalf of Regal Cinemas:
“Regal’s premium screens are among our most valuable assets, and one of the factors we consider in how we allocate them is the level of commitment distributors make to the theatrical marketplace. Shortened theatrical windows have a direct impact on those decisions, as they limit the opportunity for audiences to experience films on the big screen. We will continue to prioritize releases that recognize the value of theatrical exclusivity, including ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,’ which will have our full support in IMAX.”
Netflix’s limited theatrical releases have been a hot topic in Hollywood lately, as the streaming platform continues to navigate its working relationship with the traditional box office window.
It has been making some positive efforts to work with theaters on the subject — like Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, which is scheduled to have a longer 50-day theater window, and La Bola Negra‘s 47-day window. However, with so much anticipation around The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, it does come as a surprise that Netflix is choosing not to lean into this film for a bolder theatrical window as well.
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The first Once Upon a Time in Hollywood film had a lot of success in theaters, grossing $142.5 million domestically and $409 million worldwide. It also earned ten Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture) and gave visibility to dozens of rising actors like Sydney Sweeney, Margaret Qualley, and Austin Butler. Either way, the film’s limited release just reflects more of the growing pains between theaters and streamers.
If you’re still hoping to catch the sequel in theaters, though, Variety reports that AMC will still be showing The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth worldwide on standard and IMAX screens.
