Brad Pitt is set to reprise his role as Cliff Booth in a follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which will be released on Netflix. The 61-year-old actor, who starred in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 Oscar-winning film, will return for the upcoming project directed by David Fincher and written by Tarantino, according to The Playlist and Variety.
However, The Hollywood Reporter states that the new film is not a direct sequel but a "derivative" work inspired by the original. A source revealed that production might begin by late summer. While Tarantino retains the rights to the characters, Sony owns the original film, which is why the new project is not considered a sequel or prequel, despite featuring Booth. It remains unclear whether Leonardo DiCaprio will reprise his role as Rick Dalton.
Tarantino will not be directing the film, meaning it won’t count as his long-promised tenth and final movie. The director had initially planned to reunite with Pitt for The Movie Critic, but according to Deadline, he ultimately decided to scrap the project after delaying production to rewrite the script.
Tarantino, who has long stated he will retire after his tenth film, previously described The Movie Critic as a story about a 1970s film critic who wrote for an adult magazine. He envisioned the character as a cynical but talented writer whose work resembled a mix of early Howard Stern and Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. After further research, Tarantino concluded that the critic likely died in his late thirties due to complications from alcoholism.
In January, Tarantino mentioned that he is in no rush to begin work on his final film. Speaking at the Sundance Film Festival, he shared that his priority is spending time with his family, particularly his young children. He expressed a desire to wait until his son is at least six years old before beginning production so that his children can better understand and remember the experience.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from IMDb/Brad Pitt.
Phoebe Dynevor is set to share the screen with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the upcoming film Pendulum. The movie, produced by Darren Aronofsky and directed by Black Swan writer Mark Heyman, is described as a “terrifying new genre film” by Deadline. Dynevor, known for Bridgerton, and Gordon-Levitt will portray Abigail and Patrick, a young couple who visit a retreat in New Mexico after experiencing a traumatic event. However, their journey takes a dark turn when Abigail falls under the influence of the retreat's enigmatic leader.
This is one of several upcoming projects for Dynevor. Later this year, she will appear in the thriller Beneath the Storm and star alongside Diane Lane in Anniversary.Additionally, she recently wrapped filming Famous, a thriller in which she stars with Zac Efron. She has also joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan’s next film, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal.
Earlier this year, Dynevor starred in Neil Burger’s spy thriller Inheritance, which was uniquely filmed entirely on an iPhone. She described the experience as both "exciting" and "daunting." Speaking to Collider, she admitted she was initially puzzled by the concept. "I had to go through a few Zoom calls to fully grasp what he was trying to do, but once I understood, I was really excited by the guerrilla-style shooting," she explained. The unconventional filming process allowed them to capture footage in diverse locations, including airplanes, an Apple Store, and even the pyramids. "It was a thrilling and challenging experience, but I was ready for it," Dynevor added.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Instagram/Phoebe Dynevor, Instagram/Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The band Semisonic has strongly criticized the Trump administration for using their hit song Closing Time in a controversial deportation video shared on social media. The video, posted on the official White House and Border Patrol Instagram accounts, showed agents searching for and deporting undocumented immigrants. It was set to the band's 1998 track, with a caption quoting the lyrics: "You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here."
In response, Semisonic issued a statement to DailyMail.com, making it clear that they never approved the use of their song. They expressed frustration, saying, "We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song in any way. And no, they didn’t ask." The band also emphasized that the song was meant to convey hope and new possibilities, not be associated with deportation. "They have missed the point entirely," they added.
The song’s writer and frontman, Dan Wilson, had previously explained the inspiration behind Closing Time. While it was initially written as a closing anthem for the band's live performances, Wilson later realized the lyrics also reflected the experience of birth—a hidden meaning that many listeners never caught on to. In a 2018 interview with Billboard, he shared that the song was partly influenced by the birth of his daughter, Coco.
Over the years, Wilson has gone on to achieve success as a songwriter beyond Semisonic. He co-wrote Adele’s Grammy-winning hit Someone Like You in 2011 and has worked with various artists. Meanwhile, Closing Time remains an iconic ’90s hit, topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and making its way into the Top 50 in several countries, including Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Instagram/Semisonic.
