Tarantino’s new movie was a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel thanks to one character, and it’s good that it’s no longer happening.

Quentin Tarantino had plans for a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel through his new movie The Movie Critic, but that would have been a huge mistake for one returning character. For years, Tarantino has spoken about his plans to retire after making 10 movies, so there has been a lot of expectation and speculation about what his final movie would be about. Tarantino isn’t a filmmaker who makes sequels (both Kill Bill movies are counted as one), but The Movie Critic was reportedly going to be a continuation of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood took viewers back to 1969, during the final years of Hollywood’s golden age. It followed actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), whose career started to decline, and his best friend and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), whose career was also declining. Parallel to their stories were those of Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) and the Manson family, though Once Upon a Time in Hollywood gave Tate a different ending. Despite giving them a proper ending, The Movie Critic was going to bring Cliff Booth back, which would have ruined the character.

The Movie Critic Bringing Back Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Cliff Booth Would’ve Been A Mistake

The Movie Critic Would Have Served As A Sequel To Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

The Movie Critic was going to be set in 1977 in California, and the only actor officially cast was Brad Pitt.

In March 2023, Tarantino revealed he had completed the script for The Movie Critic, which would have been his tenth and final movie. Little was known about The Movie Critic, including that the main character was based on a movie reviewer who wrote for a porno magazine and who Tarantino had met many years ago. The Movie Critic was going to be set in 1977 in California, and the only actor officially cast was Brad Pitt, marking his third collaboration with Tarantino after Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

The Movie Critic was expected to begin filming in the fall of 2023, but on April 19, 2024, it was reported that Tarantino has scrapped The Movie Critic, but no reasons for it were revealed. According to THR, at some point, The Movie Critic became part of the world of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Pitt would have reprised his role as Cliff Booth. Given that The Movie Critic was set in 1977, it would have been a sequel or continuation to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but it’s unclear if Cliff Booth would have been a main character or a supporting one.

Whatever The Movie Critic had in store for Booth, it wouldn’t be able to compare to what he did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Although no plot details about The Movie Critic have been revealed, bringing Cliff Booth back would have been a mistake as he got a great ending in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. After fighting (and killing most of) Manson’s followers Tex (Austin Butler), Sadie (Mikey Madison), and Katie (Madisen Beaty) while high on an LSD-laced cigarette, Booth was shot and taken to the hospital, while Dalton stayed home and accepted Tate’s offer to go to her house.

Whatever The Movie Critic had in store for Booth, it wouldn’t have been able to compare to what he did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Manson’s crew, and it’s better to leave his fate after that chaotic night to the audience’s imagination.

What Happened To Cliff Booth After Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Cliff Booth’s Future Can Be Deduced By The People Who Inspired Him

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood didn’t reveal what happened to Cliff Booth after being shot and taken to the hospital, nor has Tarantino talked about it as he did about what happened to Rick Dalton after the movie’s ending. However, Booth’s fate can be deduced when looking at the people who inspired the character. Cliff Booth was inspired by real-life stuntman Hal Needham, whose career was affected by the film industry trading stunts for special effects, so he made a career change and became a director.

If Booth didn’t continue working as Dalton’s stuntman after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it’s possible Booth could have changed his career in the film industry and become a director, seizing the attention that his encounter with the Manson family surely sparked. Cliff Booth’s life after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is better left unknown, and having him back in The Movie Critic would have killed the mystery around him and would have risked ruining his story in the previous movie.