Earlier this month, reports of aOnce Upon a Time…in Hollywoodsequelat Netflix broke the internet. Luckily for cinephiles, the report was not an April Fool’s Day joke. The trades later confirmed that David Fincher will direct theOUATIHfollow-up from a screenplay byQuentin Tarantino, withBrad Pittreprising his Oscar-winning role of Cliff Booth.
With Cliff back, the next logical question revolves around Rick Dalton. WouldLeonardo DiCaprioreturn? DiCaprio has been in talks with Netflix for a potential return, which would likely be more of a cameo than a significant role.
DiCaprio is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. The Oscar winner commands anywhere from $20 to $30 million per movie. DiCaprio was paid $20 million to star in Paul Thomas Anderson’sOne Battle After Another, which hits theaters in September. For a cameo in theOUATIHfollow-up, DiCaprio won’t be paid his normal fee. However, it’s not going to be for anything below seven digits.
On a recent episode ofThe Hot Mic, The InSneider’s Jeff Sneider revealed that DiCaprio has been “dragging his feet” during these negotiations with Netflix. In other words, he wants more money, which has reportedly annoyed Netflix, Fincher, and Pitt. “I’m told that DiCaprio was offered $3 million dollars for one day of shooting,” Sneider said on the podcast.
With filming rumored to begin by late summer, DiCaprio will have to make a decision soon before locking in his next project.
PerThe Ringer’s Sean Fennessey, theOUATIHfollow-up will be set in 1977 and should be thought of asThe Further Adventures of Cliff Boothrather than a direct sequel.
Written and directed by Tarantino, 2019’sOnce Upon a Time…in Hollywooddepicted the relationship between an aging Rick Dalton and his stuntman, Cliff Booth, as they struggle to adapt to the changing times. The movie also introduces Rick’s neighbor, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and the impact of the Manson family.
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywoodgrossed over $392 million worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor (Pitt) and Best Production Design.
