Cliff Booth: Regal, Cinemark refuse Netflix's Fincher film on IMAX screens
By Tanishq BhattEntertainment Writer, Peepals Global
Representative image: Mariakray / Pixabay
Regal and Cinemark will not show Netflix's The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth on IMAX screens in its two-week run from 25 November 2026.
What Happened
Two of the biggest cinema chains in the United States, Regal and Cinemark, have declined to show Netflix's "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth" on their IMAX screens during the film's two-week IMAX-only run, which starts on 25 November 2026, according to reports published on 30 October. The film, directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt as stuntman Cliff Booth, will now play in IMAX mainly at AMC cinemas and some smaller chains in the US before it starts streaming on Netflix on 23 December. The decision cuts the film's IMAX screen count by roughly 150, according to one industry report.
Key Facts
- Film: "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth", directed by David Fincher, written by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt.
- It is a sequel to Tarantino's 2019 film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and is set in 1977, eight years later.
- Release plan: an IMAX-only run in cinemas from 25 November 2026, then streaming on Netflix from 23 December 2026.
- Regal and Cinemark have chosen not to show it on their IMAX screens.
- Approximate US IMAX screens: AMC about 200, Regal about 100, Cinemark about 20; the film was planned for about 550 IMAX screens worldwide.
- Regal's head of US content, Brooks LeBoeuf, said the chain gives its premium screens to films whose distributors show more commitment to cinemas, pointing to "The Hunger Games" as a film it will back instead.
- IMAX joined the project late, which is why it allowed the chains to opt out, according to reports.
Why It Matters
The dispute goes to the heart of the long tension between streaming companies and cinema owners. Netflix has largely built its business on releasing films straight to its service, or with only short cinema runs. Cinema chains want longer exclusive windows, because they earn money only while a film is playing in theatres and not yet streaming at home. A two-week IMAX run followed by streaming less than a month after release is exactly the kind of short window many exhibitors dislike.
IMAX screens are some of the most valuable in any cinema. They charge higher ticket prices and usually go to the biggest releases. The Cliff Booth run would fall over the US Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest cinema weekends of the year, when chains want their best screens showing films that will stay in theatres for weeks. By saying no, Regal and Cinemark are signalling that they will not give prime space to a film that will soon be available on Netflix.
For Netflix, the film is a test of how far it is willing to go with cinema releases. A Fincher film written by Tarantino and starring Brad Pitt is the kind of event title that could draw audiences to theatres. Fewer IMAX screens will limit how much money it can make in cinemas and how much buzz the run can build before it lands on the service.
For audiences in India and elsewhere, the dispute is a reminder that the choice between watching films in theatres and at home is being shaped by business deals as much as by viewers. Many cinema chains around the world face the same question of how to deal with streaming companies' short theatrical windows.
The Cliff Booth release at a glance Item | Detail Director | David Fincher Writer | Quentin Tarantino Star | Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth IMAX run | From 25 November 2026, two weeks On Netflix | 23 December 2026
Impact
Short-term: The film loses a large part of its planned US IMAX footprint, which will reduce its cinema earnings and leave AMC as the main place to see it on IMAX screens in the US.
Long-term: The stand-off may push streaming services and cinema chains to negotiate clearer rules on how long films must stay in theatres before streaming, especially for premium formats.
Who is affected: Netflix, the film's makers, US cinema chains, IMAX, and moviegoers who want to see the film on the biggest screens.
Key Takeaway
Regal and Cinemark will not show Netflix's Fincher-Tarantino film "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth" on their IMAX screens, a new sign of friction between cinemas and streaming over short release windows.
Questions and Answers
Why won't Regal and Cinemark show Cliff Booth in IMAX?
Regal said it gives its premium screens to films whose distributors are more committed to cinema releases. The Netflix film has only a two-week IMAX run before it starts streaming on 23 December 2026.
When is The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth releasing?
It opens in IMAX cinemas on 25 November 2026 for a two-week run and starts streaming on Netflix on 23 December 2026.
Who made the Cliff Booth film?
It is directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, with Brad Pitt returning as Cliff Booth, the stuntman he played in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood".
Where can US viewers see Cliff Booth on IMAX?
Mainly at AMC cinemas, which have about 200 IMAX screens in the US, and at some smaller chains that kept the film.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Tanishq Bhatt, Entertainment WriterCovers Entertainment and more for Peepals Global. All stories by Tanishq Bhatt
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Tanishq Bhatt is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
