Netflix dropped an unexpected teaser for The Adventures of Cliff Booth during Super Bowl LX’s first-quarter commercial break on Sunday, bringing Brad Pitt back as the stuntman Cliff Booth. Directed by David Fincher and scripted by Quentin Tarantino, the roughly one-minute spot teased a film set later than 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The clip repeats a line from Booth and closed with a brief “Coming Soon” notice; an official release date has not been announced. The Super Bowl appearance instantly sparked industry and audience conversation about auteur collaboration and Netflix’s promotional reach.
Key Takeaways
- The teaser aired during Super Bowl LX’s first quarter and ran about one minute in length, reaching the large live audience for the game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
- The film, titled The Adventures of Cliff Booth, is directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino; Tarantino opted not to direct the project himself despite writing the script.
- Brad Pitt reprises his role as Cliff Booth; the teaser includes the line, “I don’t possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story.”
- Casting announced alongside the teaser includes Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, Timothy Olyphant, Scott Caan, Holt McCallany and Peter Weller.
- The film is described as taking place in a later time period than Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Netflix labeled the trailer with “Coming Soon” and a formal release date remains unconfirmed.
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood earned Brad Pitt his first acting Academy Award in the supporting actor category, a fact that colors awards discussion for the follow-up.
- The teaser’s Super Bowl placement underscores Netflix’s appetite for high-profile, event-level marketing to reach broad, mainstream audiences.
Background
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, released in 2019, positioned Cliff Booth as a memorable supporting figure: a veteran stuntman and the on-screen double for Rick Dalton. That film brought mainstream awards recognition to its cast and renewed interest in mid-century Hollywood-set narratives. Tarantino’s original created a strong character foundation that invited further stories, and The Adventures of Cliff Booth picks up on that potential by centering its narrative on Booth rather than Rick Dalton.
The 2026 follow-up comes with an unusual creative arrangement: Tarantino remains the screenwriter but handed directorial duties to David Fincher, a director with a markedly different cinematic signature. Fincher’s involvement signals a stylistic departure and illustrates how legacy properties can be reimagined when a major streaming service like Netflix invests in high-profile collaborations. In broader industry terms, the film is also an example of streaming platforms using tentpole advertising moments to compete with theatrical rollout strategies.
Main Event
The teaser premiered during a commercial break in the first quarter of Super Bowl LX, which was held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, where the Seattle Seahawks faced the New England Patriots. The roughly one-minute spot centered on Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth, offering a short, self-contained beat of dialogue and mood rather than plot exposition. The line heard in the clip—about knowing not to derail a good story—positions Booth as both participant and narrator of the film’s forthcoming events.
Visuals in the teaser suggested a later period in Booth’s life than shown in the 2019 film, though concrete plot beats were withheld. The brief footage prioritized atmosphere, character presence and an implied tonal shift under Fincher’s direction, rather than offering a scene-by-scene preview. No runtime, distribution window or platform exclusivity beyond Netflix was specified in the spot.
The teaser’s credit slate named the principal cast and concluded with “Coming Soon,” a conventional marketing shorthand that leaves timing and release strategy ambiguous. Industry viewers noted the choice to unveil the clip at the Super Bowl as emblematic of Netflix’s desire to reach mainstream, non-film‑centric audiences in a single global moment. Social media activity and entertainment trades rapidly amplified reactions immediately after the spot aired.
Analysis & Implications
Marketing the teaser during Super Bowl LX gives Netflix an enormous instantaneous audience and signals confidence in the property’s broad appeal. Super Bowl commercials are a premium cost and placement; using that slot indicates Netflix expects the Cliff Booth story to drive subscriber attention or cultural conversation at scale. The strategy also reflects a blending of traditional event advertising with streaming-first content rollouts.
From an auteur and creative standpoint, the Tarantino-to-Fincher handoff creates a rare high-profile experiment: a screenplay by a filmmaker known for a particular voice executed by another director with a distinct visual and tonal approach. That arrangement could broaden the film’s critical conversation—some will frame it as a cross-pollination of two auteurs, while others will watch for how faithfully the script’s spirit survives a change in directorial authorship.
For awards forecasting and industry positioning, Brad Pitt’s involvement and his previous Academy recognition for the earlier film add a layer of attention. However, without a release date, screening strategy or critics’ reviews, it is premature to assess awards prospects. The decision to withhold a date may be tactical—allowing Netflix flexibility between theatrical windows and platform premieres—or a sign that heavy post-production work remains.
Comparison & Data
| Title | Year | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | 2019 | Brad Pitt won his first acting Oscar (supporting) |
| The Adventures of Cliff Booth | 2026 (teaser) | Directed by David Fincher; teaser aired at Super Bowl LX |
The table places the 2019 original alongside the 2026 follow-up to highlight continuity (the character of Cliff Booth) and change (a different director and a later setting). While the original’s awards success is a concrete benchmark, the sequel’s trajectory will depend on Netflix’s release plan and critical reception once fuller materials are available.
Reactions & Quotes
Industry responses were immediate: trades and social feeds dissected the creative pairing of Tarantino’s script with Fincher’s direction and debated whether the Super Bowl slot signals an eventized streaming release strategy. Below are two primary quotes that framed the public conversation.
“I don’t possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story.”
Line from The Adventures of Cliff Booth teaser (character Cliff Booth)
The teaser’s line, delivered by Brad Pitt, was the clearest narrative hook shown. It underscores the film’s character-driven focus and was used as the clip’s central audible motif before the screen cut to a “Coming Soon” card.
“I love this script, but I’m still walking down the same ground I’ve already walked. It just kind of unenthused me,”
Quentin Tarantino, The Church of Tarantino podcast (Aug 2025)
Tarantino’s comment—made on a podcast in August 2025 and reported by industry outlets—explains why he chose not to direct the follow-up, even though he authored the screenplay. That explanation shapes how critics and audiences interpret the collaboration with Fincher and frames expectations around authorship.
Unconfirmed
- The full plot details and the extent of Booth’s arc remain unconfirmed beyond the teaser’s tone and short excerpt.
- The official release date, distribution strategy (theatrical window vs. streaming premiere) and runtime have not been announced.
- While a principal cast list was shown, details about character roles and billing order for all named actors are not confirmed.
Bottom Line
The Super Bowl teaser for The Adventures of Cliff Booth marks a high-visibility kickoff to what could be a major streaming-era event: a Tarantino-scripted, Fincher-directed film centered on a beloved supporting character and marketed to mainstream audiences via one of the year’s largest media moments. The creative pairing and the choice of outlet for the teaser make the project notable regardless of the eventual release format.
For audiences and industry watchers, the key next steps are clear: Netflix needs to announce a release plan, critics must see the finished film before meaningful assessments of style and quality can be made, and awards observers will watch whether the film’s rollout favors theatrical exposure. Until those elements are public, the teaser functions as a strategic declaration of intent more than a complete artistic statement.
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter — Entertainment news report on the Super Bowl teaser and related details (media)
- NFL — Official league site listing Super Bowl LX event information (official sports organization)