Why Leonardo DiCaprio is Skipping the Cliff Booth Sequel

During those Super Bowl commercials, I about jumped out of my chair when I saw the trailer for The Adventures of Cliff Booth , a sequel to the Tarantino movie directed by David Fincher for Netflix.

****But noticeably absent from the trailer was star Leonardo DiCaprio.

While Brad Pitt is set to reprise his Oscar-winning role as the laid-back, dangerous stuntman, the absence of Rick Dalton was sad.

So why isn't Leo back?

Let's dive in.

The Project: A David Fincher Take on Tarantino

The sequel was penned by Quentin Tarantino, but he has handed the director’s chair to David Fincher.

All we know is that the movie is set in the late 1970s, around a decade after the original movie. And that it follows Cliff Booth as he transitions from a Hollywood stuntman to a "fixer" for the industry’s shady underworld.

So it kind of makes sense that a particularly successful actor like Dalton would not be in the movie, as his movie career would probably still be going.

And I think it also has to do with DiCaprio giving an incredible performance in the last movie, and not wanting to come back for this one.

Why DiCaprio Isn't Returning

Look, being in a Fincher movie is amazing, but this is a movie about a different character, so any chance at returning would just be a cameo, probably.

And why cameo as the character you already crushed?

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Outside of the story, Leonardo DiCaprio is famous for his "no sequels" rule. The guy has never reprised a role in his decades-long career.

We heard via the trades that Netflix offered DiCaprio a $3 million "cameo" fee for a single day of shooting to appear as Rick Dalton. But DiCaprio reportedly turned down the offer.

Sometimes you have to stick to your guns.

But Seriously, Why Not?!

So many people want there to be some secret reason he's not coming back, but I think it's as simple as the story not being about his character, and I think doing a walk-on as Cliff Booth may make DiCaprio feel like he's cheating a character that he loved and who he feels like he already gave a loving send-off.

Combine that with the no sequels rule, and you get a pretty standard answer.

Summing It All Up

While it’s bittersweet to see the iconic duo of Rick and Cliff split up, the decision for DiCaprio not to return seems to be a mutual choice between the creative and the actor's own career philosophy.

And I can't really argue with that.

The Adventures of Cliff Booth is still a movie I can't wait to see, and I hope Netflix lets it do a long theatrical run.

Let me know what you think in the comments.