Brad Pitt’s return as one of Hollywood’s most entertaining fictional stuntmen is heading for an interesting reception at the box office, even before audiences get the chance to see the film. Netflix’s upcoming The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth has encountered resistance from two major American cinema chains, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark, which have reportedly declined to screen the film on their IMAX screens.
The decision is particularly interesting because Netflix had planned an exclusive two-week IMAX theatrical engagement beginning November 25, 2026, ahead of the film’s arrival on its streaming platform on December 23. However, the disagreement highlights an increasingly familiar problem in Hollywood: how much theatrical exclusivity should cinemas expect from films backed by streaming companies?
According to reports published by Variety and Deadline on October 30, the shortened theatrical window and competition from another major November release influenced the exhibitors’ decisions.
Why Regal and Cinemark Are Rejecting the Film
The disagreement comes down to the commercial value of IMAX screens during one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, arriving November 20, is expected to command considerable audience attention over Thanksgiving, making those premium screens particularly valuable.
Regal has been unusually direct about its position. Brooks LeBoeuf, the company’s senior vice president of U.S. content, told TheWrap:
“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.”
He added that shortened theatrical windows restrict audiences’ opportunities to experience films in cinemas, confirming that Regal would give The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping its full IMAX support instead.
According to TheWrap, the film’s IMAX engagement is now expected to reach approximately 550 screens worldwide, including around 200 in the United States, primarily through AMC and selected independent cinemas. Quentin Tarantino’s own New Beverly Cinema is among the smaller venues mentioned.
David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, and Brad Pitt Have Another Hollywood Story to Tell
There is considerably more to this project than its theatrical distribution controversy. An important correction to the original report is that Tarantino is not directing this sequel. David Fincher is behind the camera, working from Tarantino’s screenplay.
The story moves eight years beyond the events of 2019’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, placing Cliff Booth in 1977 Los Angeles. Rather than working primarily as a stuntman, Booth has become a Hollywood fixer, handling complicated situations for powerful entertainment-industry personalities.
The cast includes Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Peter Weller. Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, Tarantino revealed that Pitt suggested Fincher for the directing assignment. Tarantino called the proposal “a fantastic idea.” Fincher, meanwhile, explained that he wanted to explore the character further, eight years later.
Netflix’s Theatrical Strategy Faces Another Test
Netflix’s approach is becoming more flexible, but its relationship with exhibitors remains complicated. Its upcoming Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is expected to receive a substantially longer theatrical rollout, demonstrating that the streaming company can accommodate traditional cinema economics when circumstances allow.
For context, the original Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood earned approximately $377 million worldwide and received 10 Academy Award nominations, with Pitt winning Best Supporting Actor.
Ultimately, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will arrive in IMAX on November 25, followed by its Netflix debut on December 23. AMC audiences will have the opportunity to see it on premium screens, although Regal and Cinemark customers will have fewer options.
The bigger question is whether Netflix can persuade more cinema operators to embrace its theatrical ambitions without offering the longer exclusive windows they increasingly demand.
