Brad Pitt is officially returning to the role that won him his first Oscar as an actor.
As Hollywood’s most overqualified character actor, Pitt, 62, has often played second fiddle to some of the industry’s other leading men. But now, he’s back on center stage.
In a surprise Super Bowl ad for The Adventures of Cliff Booth, Pitt hints at his history of acting behind acclaimed actors Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, and Ed Norton.
“I don’t possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story,” Pitt says as the titular Cliff Booth.
As Booth, Pitt literally backed up DiCaprio’s western movie star Rick Dalton in the film Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood. For his Oscar-winning role, Pitt portrayed Dalton’s stuntman, filling in for the actor to jump out of windows, smash his head into walls, and take punches. But more often than not, Booth was Dalton’s assistant, driving him around Los Angeles and fixing his house.
Seven years later, Booth is stepping up.
In the new film, which is director David Fincher’s sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed 2019 film, Pitt explores the lesser-seen side of L.A., separate from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood success—though in one scene, Booth put his own Oscar award down on a table.
Booth is seen relaxing at bars, watching films in small theaters, walking behind film sets, and driving a derby car on a dirt track. The trailer is set to a timely retro soundtrack, continuing Tarantino’s meticulously crafted 1960s L.A. vibe.
DiCaprio’s Dalton was not seen in the trailer and is not expected to return in the sequel. Actors Elizabeth Debicki and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II made appearances, each sporting a midcentury California wardrobe. Timothy Olyphant will also reprise his role as western actor James Stacy.
The new film was written by Tarantino, but handed off to Fincher to direct. Tarantino remains on the project as a producer.
Fincher seems to continue every bit of Tarantino’s crafted midcentury L.A. world, from the retro fonts, beachy wardrobes, and innumerable theaters.
After his role as producer of 12 Years a Slave earned him his first Academy Award, Bitt won his first acting Oscar for his supporting role in Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood.
He will now be the lead in a film all his own. The Adventures of Cliff Booth will premiere on Netflix later this summer.
