Tarantino to bring Once Upon a Time in Hollywood back to Chinese Theatre for AFI Fest

Quentin Tarantino will return to the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for a special AFI Fest event on Friday, Oct. 23.

The night centres on a screening of the film followed by a conversation with Tarantino, according to The Hollywood Reporter. AFI Fest is the American Film Institute's annual film festival in Los Angeles. The Oct. 23 date puts Tarantino on stage in one of Hollywood's most famous cinemas.

It is a return visit. The TCL Chinese Theatre hosted the world premiere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in July 2019. Seven years on, the same room will host the revival screening and discussion.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie. DiCaprio leads as an actor. Pitt plays Cliff Booth, his stunt double. Robbie completes the central trio.

That character is about to have a busy few months. Netflix has set Nov. 25 for the premiere of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. The new film is directed by David Fincher. Pitt returns in the central role, keeping one thread tied directly to the original cast.

Then comes another version of the story. Tarantino will release the novel The Adventures of Cliff Booth via Harper in December. The book keeps the focus on Pitt's character. It arrives just weeks after the Fincher film reaches viewers, giving audiences two fresh takes in quick succession.

There is also stage work ahead, on a separate story. Tarantino's play The Popinjay Cavalier will open at London's Phoenix Theatre on March 18, 2027. Previews, the early performances before the official opening night, start on Feb. 23, 2027. Booking runs until June 13, which sets the initial sales window. Sacha Baron Cohen will star, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

What makes this stand out is the timing. The festival evening comes a month before the Netflix premiere. It also comes weeks before the novel arrives. Fans will hear Tarantino discuss the original film just as the character moves into new forms on screen and on the page.

For fans, this means a rare chance to hear the story straight from its creator before it branches out. The AFI conversation comes first. The streaming premiere and the novel follow within weeks. The London play then opens a different chapter next spring.

AFI Fest passes are now on sale. Passes cover entry across the festival programme. Individual tickets, which allow entry to single events such as the Tarantino evening, became available on Oct. 3.