Am I the only person who find his choice-making annoying? He basically attaches his name to lots of projects, which then get some press. He develops them for a brief time, but never commits. Even when it seems like he's going to do something he walks away to work on something else. Kind of makes him a bit of a whore. The best way to make money in Hollywood is to develop projects that you know you're never going to make...
I've always found Fincher seems like quite a bitter individual.
Quote from: mutinycoAm I the only person who find his choice-making annoying? He basically attaches his name to lots of projects, which then get some press. He develops them for a brief time, but never commits. Even when it seems like he's going to do something he walks away to work on something else. Kind of makes him a bit of a whore. The best way to make money in Hollywood is to develop projects that you know you're never going to make...
Yeah, it's really unbelievable how much projects he began to develop - "Mission: Impossible 3", "Redenzvous with Rama", "Chemical Pink", "They Fought Alone", "Stay", "Lords of Dogtown" and now "The Lookout". We'll see if he'll make that one.
Quote from: mutinycoAm I the only person who find his choice-making annoying? He basically attaches his name to lots of projects, which then get some press. He develops them for a brief time, but never commits. Even when it seems like he's going to do something he walks away to work on something else. Kind of makes him a bit of a whore. The best way to make money in Hollywood is to develop projects that you know you're never going to make...
If it gets you to make movies, why not? Muty, your hero The 'Berg did it with Bingo Long, he kept that afloat in order to set up Close Encounters.
It's not that Fincher does it. Lots of directors do. It's simply the extent to which he does it.
Fair enough.
What kinda irks me about Fincher is his picks in projects seems to waver (for me, anyhow): Alien 3 - why?, Seven - great, The Game - why?, Fight Club - brilliant, Panic Room - seriously, why???
I think he thought The Game and Panic Room would be profiable and allow him to make movies like Seven and Fight Club.
The Fellini quote is an improvement, by the way...
Haha, I knew you'd get a kick out of it.
Ah, Finch is using the old thing Marty always talks about: "one for the studio, one for you". I dunno if I could do that...
Quote from: SoNowThenFair enough.
What kinda irks me about Fincher is his picks in projects seems to waver (for me, anyhow): Alien 3 - why?, Seven - great, The Game - why?, Fight Club - brilliant, Panic Room - seriously, why???
well i luved the game and panic room, but this argument has been done to death, so let's not go there.
as for this shuffle thing, one must realize how difficult it is to get a movie going. mac and gb and others could shed more light on it than i could, but isn't the fact that he is looking diligently for the right project to pursue a good thing?
I think I'm a little more cynical than that.
He seems like the kind of guy who might just lose interest in something. That he doesn't like to read and that he loves video games are the only facts I know that support this assumption.
There are hundreds of reasons why a director attaches themselves to a project, then bails. Roger Avary pretty much said on his website that Fincher walked from Dogtown b/c he wouldn't get to re-build the whole pier for the surfing sequences early on. Sure, it would have been ridiculously expensive (and probably dangerous), but it's a reason. Problems can pop up at any turn. At least Fincher isn't rushing to make every project that comes his way, depsite problems or whatnot. We can argue all day about the merits/problems of each flick he's done, but one thing's for sure: the man doesn't rush anything and plans shit out.
Quote from: Ghostboyhe loves video games
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Quote from: Cecil B. DementedQuote from: Ghostboyhe loves video games
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Where do you have that photo from and when was it shot?
Finch seems to be fat on this.
Dave, put down the Play Station, get on a treadmill and make a movie!
The photo's from Roger Avary's website (www.avary.com) and can be found in the journal section's archive.
Source: CHUD.com (http://www.chud.com)
NINE INCH FINCHER
04.25.05
By Devin Faraci
Contributing sources: Dayna Van Buskirk, Video Static
Just a couple of days ago Dave Davis reported to you that David Fincher was getting back into the director's chair. It seems as though he's decided to warm up a little by going to his roots - he's directing a music video.
It's from the new Nine Inch Nails record, With Teeth, and the song is Only, one of the more retro songs on the album. In fact, it sounds like it would be right at home on Pretty Hate Machine (and it even features a call-back to that one in the lyrics: "Right about then a tiny little dot caught my eye...").
The video shot on April 19, and it's in post right now - the clip will feature heavy CG effects. Look for it to be hitting MTV sometime in June.
Quote from: ConstantineLook for it to be hitting MTV sometime in June.
MTV is going back to playing videos? And videos not by hip-hoppers or teeny-poppers?
what it meant was "look for it to hit mtv once or twice at 2 in the morning and then be used as background music on one of its insipid shows."
david fincher is mentioned in the world of heavy metal news:
Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx (mogwai note: the bassist) says they are currently meeting with movie directors for the silver-screen version of their autobiography The Dirt. David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room) was set to be the director but Paramount needed him to do a very huge movie and wanted the Crüe to wait. Sixx assures the movie "will get made, and it will get made right. The project has to be gritty."
David Fincher Discusses Reunion With Brad Pitt, Possible 'Fight Club' Musical
He also details the 'Alien 3' he never got the chance to make.
By Josh Horowitz; MTV
In 15 years and just six films, David Fincher has established himself as one of the most subversive and preternatural directors ever to step behind the camera. "Seven" redefined the serial-killer genre. "Fight Club" became a counterculture classic for the masses as soon as Brad Pitt asked Edward Norton to hit him as hard as he could. And last year, "Zodiac" showed off Fincher's new bag of storytelling tricks to astounding accomplishment.
In the first part of our extensive conversation with the notoriously press-shy director, Fincher discussed "Zodiac" at length. Here, he weighs in on the slew of upcoming projects on his plate (including re-teaming with Brad Pitt); his return to sci-fi (he was fired from his debut flick, "Alien 3") with "Rendezvous With Rama"; and how and why "Fight Club" might be coming to Broadway.
MTV: We were talking about your reluctance to do another so-called serial-killer movie with "Zodiac," but now you're reportedly attached to a graphic-novel adaptation called "Torso."
David Fincher: That movie is so not a serial-killer movie. It's about the deconstruction of the myth of [Untouchables leader] Eliot Ness. It has way more to do with "Citizen Kane" than it has to do with "Seven." Ehren Kruger wrote a script that's pretty great. We were speaking with Matt Damon about it.
MTV: How is "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" coming along?
Fincher: We have a two-plus-hour cut that we're trying to get down and get as tight as it can be. We're working on a lot of visual effects right now.
MTV: How would you describe the tone of the film?
Fincher: There are bittersweet moments in it, but it's a movie about life. It's about all the people this guy [Brad Pitt] meets over the course of his entire life and those that he says goodbye to, those that die, and the people he interfaces with forever. I don't know what the tone of it is. It's so hard to tell. We've been working on this for four years now.
MTV: The de-aging you're doing in the movie sounds intriguing. Are you interested in doing a 3-D film?
Fincher: I am. I'm in talks right now to do a series of CG-animated 3-D films for [fantasy comics magazine] Heavy Metal.
MTV: What about the reported adaptation of the graphic novel "The Killer"?
Fincher: Brad's company is producing it. We have a writer and a graphic novel, and I think we have a take. It's that thing we always love from contract-killer movies: the existential assassin. People love the existential assassin, and we're hoping to cash in on that. [He laughs.]
MTV: Do you know what you'll direct next?
Fincher: No idea.
MTV: How about "Rendezvous With Rama"? That's a legendary sci-fi property you've wanted to do for a while.
Fincher: I'm waiting to get a script. It's my understanding that [producer] Lori [McReary] and Morgan [Freeman] have a script, and when they're happy with it, they'll send it to me. It's a project I've always loved. It's probably technologically within striking distance right now. That was always the thing: You couldn't afford to build these things as sets. It's just too huge.
MTV: Would you shoot it using a lot of green screen?
Fincher: I think it's more along the lines of motion-capture. There's probably a week or two onboard the ship that you'd have to do the weightlessness and the landing before they get to Rama. We'd probably do it with some kind of performance-capture.
MTV: You wouldn't shoot on the so-called "vomit comet," à la "Apollo 13"?
Fincher: I don't do things that are actually dangerous. [He laughs.] I don't like to put the crew in jeopardy, just the actors.
MTV: You nearly directed "Mission: Impossible III" but haven't been associated with a franchise since.
Fincher: I think the problem with third movies is the people who are financing them are experts on how they should be made and what they should be. At that point, when you own a franchise like that, you want to get rid of any extraneous opinions. I'm not the kind of person who says, "Let's see the last two, I see what you're going for." You'll never hear me say, "Whatever is easiest for you."
MTV: You're not John Glen helming one of those by-the-numbers Bond films back in the day.
Fincher: No. I actually talked about doing a Bond movie post-Timothy Dalton, I think just when they were getting Pierce Brosnan. Believe me, they didn't want to hear from me. The people that own that franchise have a pretty good idea of what they think it is. That was my problem with "Alien 3."I wanted to do something that nobody else wanted to do. They kept hoping that I was going to change my mind, and I kept hoping they would appreciate where we were going, and it ended up being a bloodbath.
MTV: What was the "Alien 3" you wanted to make?
Fincher: I've never seen the Quadrilogy and what they reconstituted. My notion was that the third movie would be Ripley's acceptance of the notion of sacrifice. She'd had the Me Decade of the first movie. She'd come from the periphery of the story. Anybody could be the commander as long as they stuck to their guns and had a moral compass. And then the second movie she found a maternal instinct. And then I wanted the third one to be that she realizes that it's not about her generation. It's really about the future. The notion was to put the monster among the wretched. She was going to galvanize the wretched to self-sacrifice. Giving up their lives to save people who had banished them and should have been outside their scope of interest and that they would find some value in dying for the right reasons. I got fired from it.
MTV: You told us about a year ago you were interested in doing a musical.
Fincher: One of the things I want at the 10-year anniversary is to do "Fight Club" as a musical on Broadway. I love the idea of that.
MTV: Have you considered doing another project based on "Fight Club" author Chuck Palahnuik's work?
Fincher: I was pretty interested in "Lullaby." It almost has to be dumbed down a bit for it to work as a movie. I always love his writing. It cracks me up.
MTV: What projects don't you get offered?
Fincher: I don't get a lot of romantic comedies.
MTV: I see a lot of comedy in your films. "Fight Club" can be seen as a black comedy.
Fincher: I always saw it as a comedy. Then everybody would look at me like a leper.
Quote from: MacGuffin on January 07, 2008, 10:21:00 AM
MTV: The de-aging you're doing in the movie sounds intriguing. Are you interested in doing a 3-D film?
whHOOOSShhh... :shock: whoa!
MRC in business with David Fincher
Developing political drama series dubbed 'House of Cards'
Source: Variety
Media Rights Capital has teamed with David Fincher for a new series, "House of Cards."
Based on the book and British miniseries of the same name, "Cards" will be adapted for U.S. audiences as a one-hour drama, with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" director Fincher executive producing with the film's writer, Eric Roth.
The political-thriller novel written by Michael Dobbs, former Conservative Party chief of staff, is set at the end of Margaret Thatcher's tenure as prime minister and follows a British politician with his eye on the top job.
In 1990, it was adapted by the BBC as a miniseries written by Andrew Davies and starring Ian Richardson. It went on to win a BAFTA award for Richardson and an Emmy for Davies.
MRC and Fincher's adaptation will be set in the U.S. but maintain focus on issues of political ambition and blackmail.
"David Fincher, whose body of work speaks for itself, is sure to put an unforgettable stamp on the celebrated British series," MRC CEO Modi Wiczyk said.
In addition to Fincher and Roth, "Cards" will be executive produced by Davies, Dobbs and producer Josh Donen ("Spider-Man 4").
The project is expected to be shopped to networks soon.
MRC's slate of TV series include "The Life and Times of Tim" on HBO, "Rita Rocks" on Lifetime, "Shaq Vs." on ABC and HBO's upcoming "The Ricky Gervais Show."
Quote from: MacGuffin on October 22, 2009, 01:30:53 AM
HBO's upcoming "The Ricky Gervais Show."
They hid the interesting part of the article at the very end. Is this something we already knew about?
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Come as you R-Patz
Source: The Sun UK
ROBERT PATTINSON has landed his dream film role - playing KURT COBAIN in a Hollywood biopic.
The Twilight star has always thought of himself as a musician rather than an actor, he even reckons his guitar is his best friend.
So securing a part playing the tragic NIRVANA genius, who shot himself in 1994, is ideal for the pin-up.
R-Patz has been in regular contact with Kurt's widow COURTNEY LOVE, who has been handed a key role in the production by bosses at Universal Pictures.
The HOLE singer wanted R-Patz as Kurt and SCARLETT JOHANSSON to portray her. My graphics team have mocked up Rob and Scarlett as the hellraising pair.
A source said: "This is a big money deal for Courtney.
"She has agreed to the film on condition that she gets to decide the main aspects of the project including director, casting, screenplay and music.
"Robert has been calling and emailing her non-stop. She has been a bit wound up by his manners, but he is her number one choice to play Kurt.
"She is adamant Scarlett will play her. Scarlett is friendly with FRANCES BEAN, her daughter with Kurt."
Courtney has been in touch with director DAVID FINCHER about the project, which has the working title All Apologies.
He was behind Fight Club, Se7en and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.
It's not the first time a studio have tried to make a film about Nirvana, who had hits with Come As You Are and Smells Like Teen Spirit.
A few years ago Sony Pictures were told to sling their hook by Courtney when they floated the idea of ZAC EFRON as Kurt, while Frances Bean would play her mum.
I have to say, the 14-year-old in me was a little bit sick when I found out a Twilight vampire was playing a rock idol.
But at least it's an improvement on the man lined up to play Kurt in the West End - Footballers' Wives star GARY LUCY.
EXCLUSIVE: David Fincher, MRC near deal
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
David Fincher is negotiating with MRC to produce movies under his own moniker.
The deal isn't done, but the outline of the arrangement is similar to one M. Night Shyamalan made with the company. The "Sixth Sense" filmmaker is producing a trio of horror-thrillers under the banner "The Night Chronicles."
Fincher's deal would include two pictures, though that could change. Their genre isn't known, but two Shyamalan projects at MRC feature supernatural elements: Horror pic "Devil" opens Friday, and a second MRC production was announced Wednesday, the thriller "Reincarnate."
Fincher's MRC films could be similar to such crime-oriented thrillers as "Seven" and "Zodiac," for which he is known.
The director is prepping the release of "The Social Network," a drama about the founding of Facebook, a Columbia production generating awards buzz ahead of its Oct. 1 bow. Fincher next returns to darker terrain with Columbia's adaptation of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."
MRC was not available for comment.
David Fincher Might Have A 'Panic Attack'
from theplaylist
David Fincher's last two films—"The Social Network" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"—have found the director stepping back from the grittier, grimmer fare of past efforts like "Fight Club" and "Se7en." And while the Academy has recognized but not yet rewarded those efforts, the director looks like he's fully embracing his pulp side once again. Of course, there's the upcoming Christmas downer "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and now, the helmer has rounded up another project to put on his plate of potential next directing gigs.
Vulture reports that Fincher has optioned Jason Starr's novel "Panic Attack." Ted Griffin ("Ocean's Eleven," "Matchstick Men") has been tapped to write the script that will follow "a New York shrink who shoots and kills a home intruder, then faces a media frenzy and the victim's vengeful accomplice." Sounds somewhat in the vein of Fincher's underrated single-setting "Panic Room" though with broader scope that opens up into the after effects of the home invasion. The author told Vulture, "...the thing about 'Panic Attack' is that there's a really compelling antihero in this guy Johnny Long [the revenge-minded cohort stalking the psychiatrist and his family]. He's a very clever, Ripley-esque psychopath." That would certainly explain Fincher's attraction to the material.
Of course, it remains to be seen if Fincher takes it on as a directing gig or just throws his weight behind it as a producer—it will probably depend on the script. And he's already got a number of high profile films he's eyeing with the 3D "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" still in the works and "Cleopatra," which Angelina Jolie is chasing him for. And Sony is certainly going to want to lock him down for the inevitable "The Girl Who Played with Fire" which Steve Zaillian was hired to write last summer even before 'Dragon Tattoo' started filming.
The project is set up under Fincher's newly formed Panic Pictures production shingle, which is under the umbrella of financiers Media Rights Capital. So for now, just toss "Panic Attack" onto the pile of stuff Fincher will look at once 'Dragon Tattoo' is locked and delivered.
based on my feelings about Dragon Tattoo i've developed a theory of Fincher: he makes not the best movie ever, then follows it with the best movie ever.
Alien3 - not the best movie ever
Se7en - best movie ever
The Game - not quite the best movie ever
Fight Club - best movie ever
Panic Room - not the best movie ever, nor does it try to be
Zodiac - best movie ever
Curious Case of Benjamin Button - not the best movie ever. forrest gump is almost certainly better.
Social Network - best movie ever
Dragon Tattoo - not the best movie ever. weirdly enough, i liked the swedish version more.
so. 20,000 leagues should be the best movie ever.
Best essay on Fincher ever (http://badassdigest.com/2012/01/22/film-crit-hulk-smash-hulk-vs-fight-club-and-the-work-of-david-fincher)
Best I've read, anyway. I noticed what he was pointing to in Girl in the Dragon Tattoo, as well. A little too titillating for its own good.
Really interesting. Spot on about Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Benjamin Button.
Contrary to the article, though, I actually think Fight Club (the movie) is effectively satirical. At least more so than the article proposes. While Tyler Durden is making his compelling and alluring argument for anarchy and all that, I think the audience is supposed to see Brad Pitt, if you know what I mean. We're supposed to see how ridiculous it is that a multi-millionaire, pretty-boy movie star, one of the biggest in the world, is telling us "The things you own end up owning you" and mocking Calvin Klein models. We're supposed to see how silly it is that a major studio release with a budget of $70 million-plus is preaching to us in this way. It is for these reasons that I consider the movie Fight Club to be an enormous improvement on the book Fight Club, which I found far more incendiary and seemingly clueless.
With folks setting up real-world fight clubs, I guess Fincher should have really strove to highlight what the movie was doing (if I'm right about his intentions). But I don't know if it's fair to criticize him for the way a few people have reacted.
I feel I should add, I'm actually not a huge fan of Fight Club. I'm not one of those guys, I swear. I've never even been to a frat house.
David Fincher Battles Over Budget on Netflix's 'House of Cards' (Exclusive)
The director's feuds include a threat to quit over money on the $100 million series, which is about to go into production.
Source: THR
Netflix is getting a lesson in what it's like to work with a top Hollywood auteur.
Looking to reinvent itself as a premium channel, Netflix shocked the TV industry in May by committing $100 million to a hefty 26 episodes of House of Cards, based on a British 1990 miniseries. Kevin Spacey is set to produce and star opposite Robin Wright in the American version, playing a politician who becomes corrupt as his ambitions grow.
The series is scheduled to debut this year, but multiple sources say friction has developed between Oscar-nominated director David Fincher (The Social Network), who is executive producing the series, and independent studio Media Rights Capital over budget issues -- specifically, Fincher's desire for more money. Fincher is set to direct the first two episodes, but sources say the prickly talent has even threatened to depart over his displeasure.
Netflix referred inquiries about the production to MRC, which denies a dispute, expressing support for Fincher and the project.
"Everything's fine and moving ahead," the rep says. The start of production in Baltimore, originally scheduled for March, has been pushed to April, though a source says that was to accommodate Spacey's schedule. Fincher has a well-established reputation for aggressively pursuing his vision despite cost concerns.
"It's like, Netflix — welcome to the content business," says a producer who has worked with Fincher. "You buy retail, you're going to pay retail."
Actually, Netflix is only on the hook for a licensing fee, so budget overages are MRC's problem. The 6-year-old company has met with mixed success in television, producing the HBO series The Life & Times of Tim and The Ricky Gervais Show, the latter an animated version of the comic's podcasts, but losing millions in an effort to create a programming block for The CW. Those who have worked with MRC say the company, which has made The Adjustment Bureau and the upcoming Seth MacFarlane vehicle Ted, is not known for hands-on producing experience. An executive says the usual MRC pitch is, " 'We're going to finance your movie; you're completely in charge, we're not going to mess with you.' And then the director has creative protection from the studio."
In that context, Fincher might have been a particularly challenging partner. "David is fantastic, but David isn't easy," says Bill Mechanic, who ran Fox when Fincher made Fight Club. "If you don't know how to manage a budget, [using Fincher] probably isn't the smartest thing to do."
David Fincher Says He's Still Figuring Out 'Dragon Tattoo' Sequel; Reveals Other Directors On 'House Of Cards'
Source: Playlist
With Sony confirming last week that "The Girl Who Played With Fire" would not be hitting screens in 2013 (hardly a shock considering no casting or greenlight or any other movement had happened on "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" followup), speculation brewed as to whether or not David Fincher would return. While "The Social Network" was pretty much smooth sailing, his relationship with Sony grew fractious during 'Dragon Tattoo,' with heads butting from the start over casting and more bumps along the way. "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" was expected to be his next film, but we'd wager Disney might be re-considering the expensive 3D and CGI-heavy movie in the wake of the belly flop "John Carter," and particularly with "The Lone Ranger" reportedly already going over budget. Whatever might be going on behind the scenes, it seems Fincher still has Lisbeth Salander on the brain.
The folks over at The Art Of Title recently chatted with Fincher about his credit sequences, in what is an excellent and fascinating read. But for our purposes we're going to zone in right to the end of the piece, where Fincher provides an update of what is currently on his plate. There is the Netflix and Media Rights Capital series "House Of Cards" which is he executive producing and directing (we'll get to that in a moment), and oh hey, it looks like 'Played With Fire' is in the mix too. "Well, [I'm] trying to figure out a sequel to 'Dragon Tattoo.' We've got to be able to make it our own thing," he said.
We're not going to over analyze things here except to say that it appears his hat is still very much in the ring. It always seemed a bit odd that Fincher would walk away from a franchise he helped establish, leaving it in the hands of someone else (not to mention that his deal with Sony would require the studio to pay him out if he exited, something they're likely not eager to do) and he's been very protective of Rooney Mara when it comes to this film, fighting for her from day one to get the role. Last week, it was reported that Steve Zaillian was still working on the script, and perhaps that's a hint that development is continuing with Fincher involved. It should also be noted, that Fincher dropped out of "Cleopatra" starring Angelina Jolie and produced by 'Dragon Tattoo' producer Scott Rudin. Could it be because 'Played With Fire' has moved up to the front burner? But we'll see how this all plays out.
Meanwhile, Fincher is busy on "House Of Cards." Word has been very quiet about the new show, aside from talk about a behind-the-scenes-battle over budget early in the year and a first look image this spring. But things are rolling along, and Fincher has revealed who else is lending their talent to the episodes being filmed. "I shot the first two episodes, and we're sound mixing in the next couple of weeks and then finishing. James Foley has directed two and Joel Schumacher directed two, and now Charles McDougall has directed two. It's up and running so that's a fulltime job," he said.
It's an interesting mix of names. Schumacher has mostly been cranking out dreck for the past decade, but perhaps this is a chance to redeem himself. Foley is best known as the helmer behind the screen version of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross" while McDougall is a TV vet who has worked on "Sex And The City," "The Office" and "Parks & Recreation." None of these guys are particularly auteurs, which may mean they're the perfect sort of directors to come in and work with the vision Fincher is putting together for the show. And oh, in case you're wondering, Fincher does confirm that designer Neil Kellerhouse is working on this project as well.
The 13 episode first season of "House Of Cards" is due to air on Netflix in 2013. Could 'Played With Fire' be next on Fincher's deck after that? It seems that you can't count it out just yet. And do head over to The Art Of The Title for the Fincher interview -- it's a great piece.
http://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/david-fincher-a-film-title-retrospective/
David Fincher Eyeing Publishing Sensation 'Gone Girl' At Fox
BY Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: David Fincher is eyeing coming aboard Gone Girl, the Gillian Flynn novel that was just published by Crown and has been a bestselling phenomenon that was acquired in a 7-figure deal by 20th Century Fox to be produced by Pacific Standard's Reese Witherspoon and Bruna Papandrea, along with Leslie Dixon. Flynn wrote the first draft of the screenplay. The plot: a woman disappears on the day of her fifth anniversary and all roads point to her husband as the killer. Flynn, who has three novels on the bestseller lists all at once, has two other movie projects in the works. Dark Places has Amy Adams attached to star, with Gilled Paquet-Brenner directing and her first novel, Sharp Objects, was optioned by Alliance with Blumhouse's Jason Blum producing.
Fincher, who has been working on Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Captain Nemo and has been rumored heavily to helm one of these Star Wars movies at that studio, has handled female-themed Panic Room with Jodie Foster. He's repped by Anonymous Content. He's also still in the loop for continuing the Stieg Larsson series that began with Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which also had a great female protagonist.
Exclusive: Andrew Kevin Walker Rewriting 'Dragon Tattoo' Sequel; David Fincher's '20,000 Leagues' Is Dead
via The Playlist
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With two major blockbuster flops in two years ("John Carter," "The Lone Ranger"), the conventional wisdom follows that Disney is probably not green-lighting any major, untested would-be franchises anytime soon (even the the trio behind "The Pirates of The Caribbean" films, Bruckheimer, Depp and Verbinski proved nothing's a sure thing). And so eyes immediately turned to David Fincher's ambitious $200 million-plus, 3D tentpole adaptation of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea." Given the recent announcement that Fincher would be directing the thriller "Gone Girl" with Ben Affleck this fall, we assumed the Jules Verne project had been scrapped, for the simple reason that Disney is not going to bankroll a potentially risky project.
However, after doing some digging, sources close to the project and the Fincher camp tell us "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" has been dead, at least from the Fincher side of things, for months. That report in April about the film receiving its funding down under was apparently a desperate bid by the Aussie government to entice the filmmakers and producers into continuing with this project that would bring millions of dollars in jobs to their movie industry. But as "Gone Girl" suggests, Fincher has moved on and had done so months ago. Not that he didn't try to make 'Leagues' happen.
"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" filmmaker needed a star and when his first choice Brad Pitt passed, Fincher had a tough time recasting and agreeing with Disney on who should lead the film. Daniel Craig and Matt Damon were both approached by Fincher, but a long, 140 day shoot in Australia was too much for each actor, who didn't want to be apart from their families for that long (Damon's father has been struggling with cancer as well, so that's a greater concern for the actor). While Channing Tatum's name cropped up earlier this year as one Fincher was considering, Disney apparently weren't so hot on the idea of the rising, but not-quite A-list actor leading a massively expensive project that already seemed dark, risky and expensive. Disney then wanted Chris Hemsworth, but Fincher decided to cut his losses and move on.
The director has his eyes set on the new project "Gone Girl" which will shoot this fall, and casting is underway, with the female lead now being sought (THR reports that Rosamund Pike now the frontrunner ahead of recently mentioned contenders Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt). It wouldn't be the first time Fincher (or any other filmmaker for that matter) has developed a project for a few months and eventually abandoned it (see "Chef," "Torso," "Heavy Metal," "Rendezvous With Rama"), and so he's pressing on to newer pastures.
Meanwhile, movement has been brewing on another David Fincher project recently. Sources close to the filmmaker's camp tell us Andrew Kevin Walker, "Seven" screenwriter and the scribe who also worked on "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," has been hired to quietly work on the the script for "The Girl Who Played with Fire," the sequel to "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." A ton of money has already been spent on the sequel, with Steve Zaillian paid a hefty sum to write the first draft, and Sony don't want to just write off that film, hence pursuing the sequel and trying to maintain whatever momentum that franchise has left. This is good news for fans of Fincher and the 'TGWTDT' series (Walker is apparently almost done with his draft), but there's a catch.
The window to shoot "The Girl Who Played with Fire" is incredibly small, and both Fincher and Craig are busy this fall. The director will be shooting "Gone Girl," while the actor is hitting Broadway to star in the play "Betrayal" opposite his wife Rachel Weisz, with the show running from October 1st to January 5, 2014. 'Played With Fire' would need to arguably shoot in early 2014, otherwise Sony would have to wait even longer as Daniel Craig will likely be busy for a large chunk of next year, shooting the Sam Mendes-directed "Bond 24" (which already has a 2015 release date). That's not to mention that Fincher will likely require several months of post-production on "Gone Girl."
So the question is, does Sony wait until 2015 to start shooting the "Dragon Tattoo' sequel or do they simply go with another director? The answer may have already arrived as THR notes that "Fincher's chances of helming ['Played With Fire']...are all but dead." Fincher signed a pay or play deal and gets rewarded handsomely whether he directs it or not, but Sony was said to not be happy when "Gone Girl" was announced last week, and it appears they are now prepared to continue the Millenium series without the director.
Rosamund Pike Takes Female Lead In David Fincher's 'Gone Girl'; Neil Patrick Harris & Tyler Perry Eyed For Roles
via The Playlist
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THR reports that Rosamund Pike ("Jack Reacher," "An Education" and next month's "The World's End") has landed the female lead opposite Ben Affleck. But perhaps more intriguing is who is being eyed for supporting roles: Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry. Yes, really. We'll leave it to those who have read Gillian Flynn's book to tell us what those parts might be but did you ever think you'd live in a universe where the orbits of David Fincher, Ben Affleck and Tyler Perry would come colliding together? Anything is possible, we suppose.
The film, which follows a man who moves back home to Carthage, Missouri, to open a bar and becomes a prime suspect when his wife goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary, will start filming in September.
David Fincher, 'Gone Girl' Author Reunite for HBO Drama Series
via Variety
Remake of British thriller from Shine America nabs series order
Fresh off their collaboration on the feature "Gone Girl," director David Fincher and scribe Gillian Flynn are teaming to adapt the British conspiracy thriller "Utopia" for HBO and Shine America.
HBO has given a series order to the project and struck an overall deal with Flynn, the novelist who penned the screenplay adaptation of her book "Gone Girl" for New Regency and Fox.
"Utopia" revolves around the drama that ensues when die-hard fans of an iconic graphic novel suddenly learn that the author has secretly written a sequel. The hunt for the manuscript becomes a thriller in itself as the meaning of the book is slowly revealed.
Fincher is on board to direct the pilot and exec produce with Flynn and Joshua Donen. Dennis Kelly, creator of the original Channel 4 series, is exec producing with Kudos' Jane Featherstone and Shine America's Carolyn Bernstein.
HBO had been eyeing "Utopia" as a vehicle for Fincher, who has a number of projects in the development at the pay cabler. After the helmer and Flynn hit it off while working on "Gone Girl," the scribe was a natural choice to take on "Utopia."
The series has just finished lensing its second season in the U.K. and is set to air later this year.
Project marks Fincher's TV followup to Netflix's "House of Cards," which is about to raise the curtain on its second season. Landing "Utopia" on HBO is a big score for the U.S. arm of Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group, which has been revving up its scripted series efforts. And it's another sign of HBO opening the tent to licensing deals with outside studios rather than producing in-house.
Flynn, repped by WME, has emerged as a star scribe thanks to the warm reception in Hollywood for her first novels, which also include "Dark Places" and "Sharp Objects."
"Gone Girl," about a woman who disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary, is set for release in October.
"Dark Places" has also been tabbed for a big screen adaptation starring Charlize Theron and Chloe Grace Moritz.
Am I the only one who still wants him to do The Girl Who Played With Fire?
David Fincher in Talks to Direct Aaron Sorkin's Steve Jobs Biopic
Would reteam him with "The Social Network" producer Scott Rudin and scribe Aaron Sorkin
Source: Variety
After delivering the critical and box office smash "The Social Network," Sony has commissioned the Facebook drama's creative team for another high-profile techie-themed biopic, this time about Apple founder and tech pioneer Steve Jobs.
Sources tell Variety that David Fincher is in early talks to direct the untitled drama, written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and produced by Scott Rudin.
The film is based on the Walter Isaacson biography "Steve Jobs," to which Sony acquired the rights following the Apple mogul's death in 2011. Sorkin finished the script earlier this year.
Guymon Casady and Mark Gordon are also on board as producers.
Sorkin has publicly said the Jobs biopic will be divided into three long scenes, each taking place backstage before one of Apple's infamous product launches.
"The first one being the Mac," he told the Daily Beast. "The second one being NeXT, after he had left Apple. And the third one being the iPod."
"It's a little like writing about the Beatles," he added. "There are so many people out there that know him and revere him."
Fincher, who last directed "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" for Sony, is currently in post-production on Fox's "Gone Girl." If a deal is completed, filming would most likely not begin to later this year.
Though audiences didn't rush to see Open Road's Ashton Kutcher-starring "Jobs" last year, Sony is confident the Fincher-Sorkin project will have more commercial appeal, given the high-profile creative team involved, not to mention the fact that it's based on the only authorized biography that Jobs would give his blessing to prior to his death.
The biography, released in 2011, is based on more than 40 interviews Isaacson had with Jobs as well as more than 100 interviews with friends, family and a variety of other associates linked to Jobs over the years.
Fincher is repped by the law firm Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller.
His next movie "Gone Girl," starring Ben Affleck, opens Oct. 3.
Fox Taps 'American Hustle' Scribe For 'Red Sparrow;' David Fincher, Rooney Mara Circle
BY Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Fox is in talks with American Hustle scribe Eric Warren Singer to adapt the Jason Matthews espionage book Red Sparrow for Chernin Entertainment and Film Rites to produce. They have David Fincher and Rooney Mara circling to re-team for the first time since The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The film will be produced by Chernin Entertainment and Film Rites' Steve Zaillian and Garrett Basch. Zaillian wrote that 2011 adaptation of the Stieg Larsson novel.
This is early days, because Singer will have to adapt the book, but with the interest from Fincher and Mara, they have reason to move quickly. The story is set in present-day Russia, and Mara would play Russian intelligence officer Dominika Egorova, who struggles to survive in the post-Soviet intelligence jungle. Ordered against her will to become a "Sparrow," a trained seductress in the art of 'sexpionage,' Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a young CIA officer who handles the Agency's most important Russian mole. The two begin a relationship that puts both of them, and a network of spies, in grave danger. Dominika winds up seeking revenge against her soulless masters, and living a fatal double life after she is recruited by the CIA to ferret out a high-level traitor in Washington. This has been a hot project at the studio and for Chernin, and Film Rites previously had Darren Aronofsky circling.
There is topicality to the tale, given the Edward Snowden affair, and the dark themes and sexy female lead fit right into Fincher's wheelhouse. The book got strong reviews for its breakneck pace and for the author's success in putting classic espionage stuff in a contemporary context. Fincher just directed Gone Girl for Fox and New Regency. Singer's repped by CAA, Mara by WME.
David Fincher: Interviews (http://www.amazon.com/David-Fincher-Interviews-Conversations-Filmmakers/dp/1628460369/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403988869&sr=1-1&keywords=david+fincher+interviews) will be published as part of the Conversations with the Filmmakers series on August 1, 2014
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David Fincher & James Ellroy Plotting 1950s Crime Noir Series For HBO
Source: Indiewire
David Fincher has wanted to make a classic crime noir for several years now. People tend to forget, but the filmmaker almost directed "The Black Dahlia" (he was attached before Brian De Palma eventually took over), and for several years he tried to make "Torso," an Eliot Ness crime thriller about the famous detective trying to stop a serial killer in 1930s Cleveland (director David Lowery is making that now).
In fact, when Fincher was attached to the adaptation of James Ellroy's 'Dahlia' novel, he envisioned a five-hour, $80-million miniseries with movie stars (Tom Cruise being the lead). That obviously didn't happen and the project fell through (and Fincher moved on to "Zodiac"). But it seems that Fincher is circling around a similar idea, once again with Ellroy.
Sources close to the project (the same sources who told us about the new Lonergan project announced this weekend, that we unfortunately slept on because of TIFF) tell us that Fincher and Ellroy are talking to HBO, and planning a noir-ish crime show set in L.A., in a similar 1950s milieu (like Ellroy's "L.A. Confidential").
Details are scare at the moment, but Fincher and Ellroy are mutual admirers who go way back—after the "Black Dahlia" fell through, the two artists stayed in touch, and Ellroy even participated on one of the commentary tracks on the director's cut of "Zodiac" in 2007. No deal is in place yet, and all parties are still discussing the matter (though this could change soon), but the possibility of Fincher doing a hard-boiled '50s neo-noir with the great James Ellroy is a tantalizing prospect (note: pal Steven Soderbergh had a similar idea with Michael Douglas involved last year, but then got distracted with "The Knick"). As the L.A. Times wrote back in 2007, the men have a "mutual interest in obsession and the destruction it leaves behind."
Fincher has "Gone Girl" coming in the fall, but at the moment his attention has shifted away from film towards television, and right now he is actively developing three TV shows and no movies. And a lot of it is happening at HBO. One is the aforementioned Ellroy project, another is reteaming with "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn for an adaptation of her "Utopia," which already has a series order at HBO, and there's also "Mind Hunter," an old project with Charlize Theron involved (just as a producer) about the investigation of serial killers. That one was announced in 2010, but Fincher hasn't given up on it. It could even turn up at Netflix.
To that end, Fincher's washed his hands clean of "House Of Cards" and won't be back to direct any more episodes. This really shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who watched season two become Beau Willimon's thing, and Fincher announced his own shows around the same time. Fincher helmed no episodes in the second run and was barely involved creatively. Now all that's left is a token executive producer credit.
For those wondering (or hoping), tax credits in Australia or no, Fincher is still not directing Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" any longer (he removed himself to that project a year ago and that hasn't changed). Several issues were at hand there, but a $200 million dollar 3D project from an uncompromising filmmaker might have been the biggest hurdle. The project always made Disney nervous, and Fincher is not a fan of banging his head against the wall with films that don't move forward. In case it does progress—for what it's worth, Disney wanted Chris Hemsworth as the lead at the time—as of now it looks as if screenwriter Scott Z. Burns is still attached.
But right now Fincher's finding the path of least resistance is in television. Studios there are all too happy to have him, and the idea of going, long, wide and deep into characters and story is currently his new fascination. If and when these projects get off the ground Fincher will be heavily involved, directing episodes and being integral to the creative process. But it seems, at the moment, the filmmaker's interest has shifted toward long form cinematic storytelling on different avenues of premium cable television.
Fun fact: the 2013 "Black Dahlia" graphic novel is co-credited to David Fincher because Matz (née French comic book writer Alexis Nolent) was so influenced by conversations with the filmmaker (who almost adapted Matz's "The Killer" graphic novel back in the day).
David Fincher Will Direct The Entire First Season Of HBO's 'Utopia' In 2015
via The Playlist
While David Fincher is no stranger to the small screen format (see our ranking of the 55 music videos he's directed to date), when it comes to actually getting behind the camera for TV episodes, he's hasn't quite jumped completely in the pool. Even though he's an executive producer on "House Of Cards," he only helmed the first two episodes. But with the upcoming "Utopia," it looks like Fincher is borrowing a page from his pal Steven Soderbergh, who dropped movies and headed to Cinemax to film the entire first season of "The Knick" (which you absolutely need to be watching if you're not already).
Chatting with The Guardian, Fincher revealed that he will be behind the camera for every episode of HBO's remake of the U.K. series "Utopia." The project, which has been brewing for a while, was given a series order by the network earlier this year, with "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn also on board to produce. The show (which has two seasons overseas) follows a group of people who get their hands on a cult graphic novel called "The Utopia Experiments," which seems to have predicted no shortage of disasters. An organization known only as The Network hunts them down as the group tries to prevent the next disaster predicted in the pages of the manuscript from happening.
"I like the world of it," Fincher told the paper. "I like the characters – I love Dennis's [Kelly, creator of the U.K. show] honesty and affinity for the nerds. I mean, I've always been a bit of a junior conspiracy theorist because I don't have time to connect them all! But it's nice to see that somebody has."
Fincher joins a growing number of directors taking their auteurist approach to the more freeing world of television. Need some examples? Okay, there's Sean Durkin ("Southcliffe," the excellent mini-series now streaming on Netflix), Jill Soloway ("Transparent," one of the best of Amazon's new shows), Jane Campion ("Top Of The Lake"), Cary Fukunaga ("True Detective")....you get the idea. Clearly, Fincher sees where the artistry is going and is following suit.
The gig will keep Fincher busy for much of 2015, and after that, he says he doesn't know his next movie yet. "Oddly enough," he says, "I did a remake of a literary adaptation, then I did a remake of a television show. Now I'm doing a literary adaptation [and then remaking another show]. I don't know: the pattern is not clear to me exactly what it is that I'm doing. But I'm sure it'll be illuminated for me. Your job is context. I'm just a hamster on a wheel!"
This is a cool video essay. (It's also good to watch after seeing Gone Girl...and makes me hungry to study the shots/set-ups/staging/delivery of information, in that movie...)
David Fincher - And the Other Way is Wrong For sheer directorial craft, there are few people working today who can match David Fincher. And yet he describes his own process as "not what I do, but what I don't do." Join me today in answering the question: What does David Fincher not do?
I'm too tired right now to go deep into this, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that Fincher is less and less concerned with the superfluous, so everything in his movies, every scene, every shot even, is there because it needs to, to serve narrative purposes. The only excessive 'Fincherism' I remember seeing in any of his last few movies is the boat race in The Social Network, which I remember feeling kind of show-offy and weird. Even his CGI is less and less visible.
i've entered an internal place that's firm in its revulsion against
gone girl. if it feels like i'm brandishing firearms, that's not my intention no, it's like pete and godzilla -- i'm just positive my feelings are against this movie
video:
QuoteAnd David Fincher? He cares about information. Unlike many filmmakers who try to avoid exposition, sometimes Fincher does nothing but. In his world, drama happens when a character learns a new piece of information.
which statement dovetails into what elpandaroyal will say --
elpandaroyal (who is providing justifiable appreciation for fincher, btw, and everyone can like what they want to like):
QuoteFincher is less and less concerned with the superfluous, so everything in his movies, every scene, every shot even, is there because it needs to, to serve narrative purposes
i don't believe a) that people are information, and b) that life works for narrative purposes. i don't believe that nature has a narrative. so fincher is good, with his sheer directorial craft, but what's outside his craft? life shit. simple life shit. and i think he's too busy crunching information to notice life shit
how david fincher describes his movie camera:
QuoteIt doesn't have any personality to it. It's very much like: what's happening was doomed to happen.
from his own words, this is the approximate aesthetic culture that fincher believes in and keeps me at a distance. i like people and i like art, and since people have personality i like my art to have personality too. what personality could ruin -- could ruin any damn moment -- is a story. fincher cares about the story. about the theme. about information that's historically ingrained in the idea of telling a story. and he's great at telling a story. he's great at painting numbers: it's doomed to happen if you're following the numbers. duh
i understand why people are impressed by uncluttered storytellers. i understand where desires for straight stories come from. and i hope if you have that feeling in you, you can understand that i don't have stories in my heart. i got a fucking clutter in my heart. deal with it
i've thought about
gone girl a lot since i saw it, which i tend to say is the mark of a good movie. i'll give it credit for working its way into me. i think it can start conversations so people should see it. it's 2 1/2 fucking hours and i think you should receive a thank you phone call from the president of your country for seeing this movie
Watched Gone Girl. My attention was 100% on the movie, I was totally captivated and absorbed and riveted. This is good because, after a week of being in the cinema, nothing has come close to delivering a film that felt so confident in it's shot for shot, word for word, delivery.
On my way back home, I couldn't stop thinking about the film. I knew I'd seen a well directed, well acted movie. I knew the themes of the movie, intimately. Pretending to be more than you are in the beginnings of a relationship, only to be unmasked several months, years later. But as I listened to the soundtrack, I couldn't remember an image or a line, from the movie. I couldn't remember feeling an emotion other than my connection to the idea of duplicity and the adulation of what happens next. This week I've seen a lot of rote thrillers and suspense movies, that do not come close to Gone Girl's narrative execution and all round craftmanship.
And although I'm not in revulsion against the movie, I think it delivers really well on a Hitchcockian movie level. (Psycho as opposed to Vertigo) Like a lot of Fincher's work it's missing: people and it reduces the messiness and complexity of life to thematic/plot/narrative by numbers point making. Even the way the themes are expressed (as in Fight Club) feel like zeitgeisty point making.
I do like the film and I think it's really well made, but it's not where I would like to travel in my cinema. I want mistakes. Discovered moments. Theme rising into the air like gas, unseen but you know it's there, you can smell it, hell, you may even choke on it. But that's me....hell, maybe it's a story thing? Seven, felt alive to me and was bubbling with ideas and themes that went beyond the spotlight of the seven deadly sins, unspoken themes, that you felt.
I think I need to see Gone Girl again, to be able to look past the plot and the what happens nextness to see what's really going on....to see if anything is going on. I know I felt really let down by The Social Network on second viewing. But with Gone Girl, I've never been so entertained and so suspect at the same time...
'Gone Girl' Author Gillian Flynn Penning First Season Of David Fincher's HBO Show 'Utopia'
via The Playlist
"Gone Girl" author and screenwriter Gillian Flynn, who is also co-producing "Utopia," will get back on the keyboard to bang out scripts for the full first season of the show. " Fincher said, 'I don't want a big writers room, I want a voice,' " the author told Buzzfeed. However, this news may not please Flynn fans who want another book, as she reveals "Utopia" will keep her away from writing what she describes as "a big, folkloric tale of American murder."
Quote from: jenkins<3 on October 04, 2014, 09:34:48 PM
i've entered an internal place that's firm in its revulsion against gone girl. if it feels like i'm brandishing firearms, that's not my intention no, it's like pete and godzilla -- i'm just positive my feelings are against this movie
I haven't seen Gone Girl but - if you keep supporting my unwavering hatred of Godzilla, I'll find ways to hate it too.
"I've made 10 movies, I've had at least 20 movies fall apart."
Great hourlong interview with Fincher here:
http://www.studio360.org/story/the-artful-violence-of-david-fincher/
David Fincher's HBO Noir Is Called 'Shakedown,' His '80s Music Video Show Titled 'Living On Video'
via The Playlist
David Fincher is moving away from feature-films and is diving deep into the world of prestige cable TV beyond his foray in "House Of Cards" (he remains an exec producer by title, but doesn't have much to do with that show now). The filmmaker is also getting in deep at HBO; he's directing every episode of their show "Utopia" which he developed with "Gone Girl" writer Gillian Flynn, and should air sometime next year, he's developing a 1950s crime noir series with James Ellroy also at HBO called "Shakedown" (which we revealed back in September, and was just confirmed today) and he's got other projects in the works too.
"This TV show I'm doing about music videos in the 1980s and the crew members who worked on them—they're not Big Macs. I don't make Big Macs," he said in a lengthy Playboy article. Today, The Wrap reveals, as you likely expected, it's another show at HBO and it's now has a title: "Living On Vide0." (Update: The Wrap corrected their previous report about the title).
The trade reveals that Fincher will direct the pilot episode which would be a half-hour show about the world of making music videos in the 1980s—a milieu that Fincher was deeply entrenched in during that decade. Casting is evidently underway, but no names have been revealed. Fincher will executive produce "Living on Noise" with Cean Chaffin and Joshua Donen. The direct helmed a ton of iconic music videos back in the day and earlier this year for our own amusement we ranked all of Fincher's music videos from best to worst.
As for "Shakedown," it's a resurrected concept for a show Ellroy was previously developing at FX back in 2012. The project shares the same name as the author's novella also published that same year, but it apparently bears no relation to it or the protagonist of that project Fred Otash (who has appeared in two of his other novels), according to Deadline.
Ben Affleck, David Fincher, Gillian Flynn Plot 'Strangers On A Train' Redo At Warner Bros
via Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Ben Affleck and David Fincher will re-team on a Warner Bros remake of the Hitchcock classic thriller Strangers On A Train. Gillian Flynn, who adapted her novel Gone Girl for Fincher and Affleck, is in talks to write the script. The film will be produced by Affleck under Pearl Street, the Warner Bros-based banner he runs with Matt Damon. WB's Jon Berg is overseeing. They are calling it Strangers.
Though the Hitchcock remake–a Warner Bros library title and an adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel–will be its basis, this film will be contemporary and redefined for the times. This one might be best titled Strangers On A Plane, as Affleck will play a variation of the role played by Farley Granger of a tennis pro who is bored with his marriage and wants to get divorced, but instead gets entwined with a wealthy socialite psycho who proposes the notion of exchanging murders. The twist here is a compelling one. Affleck will play a movie star–in the middle of a campaign for an Oscar during awards season–whose private plane breaks down and is given a ride to LA on another plane by a wealthy stranger. In Fincher's hands, who knows how that goes, but it sure does seem like fertile ground.
The idea of a remake has been kicking around for some time, with Arnold Kopelson at one point attempting it but never getting it off the ground. This is an important get for Warner Bros, and top brass is high on the project: Affleck, Fincher and Flynn's Gone Girl was a lucrative one for Fox and New Regency, grossing $350 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.
The project will follow the track of an express train, despite Affleck's busy schedule. He is clearing space to shoot Strangers between directing and starring in the Dennis Lehane novel adaptation Live By Night in the spring, and starring in Justice League in 2016. Fincher has his own projects at HBO that will keep him busy in the interim. Affleck will next be seen in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice.
David Fincher's HBO 1980s Music Video Industry Comedy Eyes Actors
via Deadline
UPDATED: As is typical for a David Fincher project, everything surrounding his half-hour HBO lailcomedy Living On Video is being shrouded in secrecy. No one is commenting, but I hear Jason Flemyng (The Missing) is set and Kerry Condon (HBO's Luck) and Elizabeth Lail (Once Upon A Time) are in talks for roles in the project, which I hear will be filming two episodes in lieu of a pilot, with Fincher directing. I hear among other actors who are under consideration is Thomas Mann (Project X)
Fincher is revisiting his music video director past with the comedy, written by Rich Wilkes (xXx) and Bob Stevenson, a friend of Fincher's from his music video days, based on an idea by Fincher.
Set in 1983 Los Angeles, Living On Video centers on Robby, a wide-eyed guy who drops out of college and drives to Hollywood with dreams of directing a sci-fi epic. He lands a job as a PA for a company making music videos. In the vein of HBO's Entourage, the series revolves around the players of the then-exploding music video industry — directors, record executives and crew members, many of them dabbling in drugs — through the eyes of the newcomer.
Flemyng is expected to play Theo, a hard-living music video producer. Condon is eyed for Marcy, an angry record executive overseeing music videos. Lail, who just played Frozen's Princess Anna on Once, would play wide-eyed stylist and singer-wannabe Ashley who works on music video productions. Mann is only been looked at at this point. I hear he is being considered for the lead Robby or his roommate Clem who introduces Robby to the video music world.
Among the memorable '80s music videos Fincher directed before segueing to features was Madonna's "Express Yourself."
Thomas is with Innovative and Industry; Condon is with ICM Partners, Curtis Brown and Framework; Lail is with ICM Partners and Authentic; Flemyng is with Paradigm.
HBO Orders David Fincher's 1980s Set Music Video Comedy ' Video Synchronicity' To Series
via The Playlist
HBO has given a series order to "Video Synchronicity." Fincher will be directing episodes of and executive producing the 1983-set half-hour comedy about the world of making music videos in the 1980s, a milieu he knows very well. In fact, the premise is not unlike Fincher's personal arc, following a college dropout who dreams of making a sci-fi epic but winds up shooting music videos instead. (One of Fincher's earliest gigs was working with ILM on "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return Of The Jedi," before moving into commercial and music video work which overlapped with his debut feature — "Alien 3").
And this thing is moving crazy fast. The cast has been set with Charlie Rowe in the lead role with Sam Page, Jason Flemyng, Kerry Condon, Elizabeth Lail, Corbin Bernsen and Paz Vega rounding out what's described as an "Entourage"-esque ensemble.
HBO hasn't set a debut date, but it's probably safe to say you'll see this in 2016.
HBO Halts Production On David Fincher Music-Video Comedy 'Videosyncrazy,' Series Might Not Be Moving Forward
via The Playlist
Last month it was announced that HBO had ordered the show to series, and production started, but now about midway through, it looks like there's a troubled future for the show which may mean it will never make it to air.
The show stars Charlie Rowe, Sam Page, Jason Flemyng, Kerry Condon, Elizabeth Lail, Corbin Bernsen and Paz Vega, with the 1983-set half-hour comedy following a college dropout who dreams of making a sci-fi epic but winds up shooting music videos instead. Fincher has been directing multiple episodes of the show, and production was on the fourth or fifth episode (damn, he works fast), but when HBO saw some of the completed work, the decision was made to press pause.
The future of the show is currently up in the air. Deadline is hearing that cast members were told "Videosyncrazy" was not going ahead, but also say that Fincher is asking for time to adjust the scripts and creative direction. But it's a pretty long way to come — almost halfway through a season's worth of shooting — to shift gears. Hopefully, there can be a fix that will make everyone happy and this can move on, but if not, Fincher also has "Utopia" and '50s noir series "Shakedown" in development at the network.
David Fincher's 'Utopia' With Rooney Mara Is Dead At HBO, 'Videosynchrazy' Might Be DOA Too
via The Playlist
Not even 24 hours after we heard no miracle was reached for David Fincher's thriller series "Utopia" at HBO and we tried to dig around a little more, Deadline has the scoop: "Utopia" is dead. Written by Fincher's "Gone Girl" collaborator Gillian Flynn, "Utopia" ran into trouble a few weeks ago when Fincher and HBO clashed over budgets on the show. Fincher wanted north of $100 million for the first season and in comparison, Netflix's budget for the first three seasons of "House Of Cards" was also $100 million. But Fincher doesn't do anything on the cheap and won't get out of bed for a pretty pay day either (see "Steve Jobs" which Sony balked at at the time because of his $10 million asking price).
Things were already looking grim and the writing was on the wall for "Utopia" last week as the cast were released from their contract including lead star Rooney Mara who had lead Fincher's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." But budget conversations have crumbled and both parties have walked away. Deadline has revealed the rest of the show's cast which included on top of Mara, Colm Feore, Eric McCormack, Dallas Roberts, Jason Ritter, Brandon Scott and Agyness Deyn. And the cast had apparently been rehearsing for a month, so perhaps the production originally had faith that the budget issues would be resolved. HBO owns the rights to "Utopia" so Fincher cannot shop it elsewhere, but apparently the cable honchos may try and go forward with another director.
What Deadline's story doesn't include and we've heard; despite shutting down to retool Fincher's '80s music video show "Videosynchrazy," whose production was halted for additional script work, that show is dead too. It's unclear if after "Utopia" negotiations fell through, Fincher pulled the plug on all his HBO projects.
"Utopia" centered on a group of people who get their hands on a cult graphic novel called "The Utopia Experiments," which has predicted no shortage of disasters. An organization known only as The Network hunts them down, as the group tries to prevent the next disaster foretold in the pages of the manuscript from happening.
Fincher seemed set to pivot into TV and in doing so had no active film projects in development, but he may have to go back to the drawing board in terms of his near future plans, but he still has a Netflix show with Charlize Theron somewhere in development so maybe there's hope for that.
Yes. But I don't if it's because he can't do the movies he wants to do? I don't know if he'll so World War Z 2, but it seems like a logical step after his last two movies.
I think he's doing pretty well movie-wise. WWZ2 is a bit of a surprise but I'm very interested in seeing what he does with it.
TGwtDT wasn't top tier Fincher but it was pretty thrilling and stylish as hell. GG is actually top tier Fincher, supermarket bestseller or not, he did a great job with it. It's absurd, dark, oddly humourous and challenging- it seems pretty ideal for him.
He's a master craftsman- he can take pulpy thriller stuff and make it hugely enjoyable, he's been doing it for most of his career.
TGwtDT isn't his best film, but I think it's my favorite of his to watch. I love the world and vibe he created with it. Rooney's performance was great, as was Craig's (maybe his best that I've seen). I'm bummed he never did a sequel.
David Fincher, Gary Oldman Team On B&W 'Mank' At Netflix; Film On 'Citizen Kane' Writer Herman J. Mankiewicz Scripted By Fincher's Late Father Howard
via Deadline
After making the groundbreaking series House of Cards and Mindhunter at Netflix, David Fincher will direct his first feature film for the streaming service. He'll helm Mank, a long gestating dream project for the filmmaker about the man who shared the Best Original screenplay for Citizen Kane with Orson Welles. Gary Oldman is going to star as screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz in a drama that was scripted by Fincher's late father, Howard Fincher.
The film is coming together for a November shoot in Los Angeles, and Fincher will shoot in black and white. Ceán Chaffin will produce the picture with Douglas J. Urbanski, Oldman's partner who was Oscar nominated for producing Darkest Hour, the film that won Oldman the Best Actor Oscar.
Mank was once going to be Fincher's follow his 1997 film The Game, and at one time it was going to star his future House of Cards star leading man Kevin Spacey as the storied screenwriter. It fell apart because of the filmmaker's insistence that he shoot in black and white, as Citizen Kane was shot. Fincher was particularly passionate about the script written by his own father, the former Life Magazine bureau chief who died in 2003.
Mankiewicz was one of the best known and best paid screenwriters in the early years of Hollywood and he clashed loudly with Orson Welles over the credit on the seminal drama Citizen Kane, and it took a great toll on him. A former Berlin correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the drama critic for The New York Times and The New Yorker, Mankiewicz wrote for the some of the most prominent movies of his period, and both he and Welles shared the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Citizen Kane in 1941. Other films he worked on during his career included The Wizard of Oz, Man of the World, Dinner at Eight, Pride of the Yankees and The Pride of St. Louis. While he was known for a satirical sense of humor he lent to his scripts, this story isn't a happy one.
FINALLY.
What Happened Between Madonna and David Fincher? by Sydney Urbanek (https://sydurbanek.substack.com/p/what-happened-between-madonna-and)
Great write up on the intimate collaboration and relationship ~
Quote
“Are you looking for your Josef von Sternberg?” the interviewer asks.
“Um, yeah. I am,” Madonna responds, laughing.
“And what does—”
“I sort of have… I sort of feel like I have one, but he directs all my videos,” Madonna says, interrupting her. “His name is David Fincher, and we work on everything together, and we probably will do a movie someday. But I feel like the relationship I have with him is the one that she had with him, that Marlene had with von Sternberg.”
“What does it take to direct you?”
“It’s just almost like a silent language. It’s with eyes, you know, when you know someone so well. And it also has to do with love. I think the director kind of has to be in love with the actress, and only want the best for her.”
[...]
“I had kinda talked Madonna into releasing ‘Oh Father’ as a single,” Fincher told The Guardian in 2009. Presumably, he’d listened to all of Like a Prayer and been drawn to the song, but there was no reason to make a video for it unless it was released as a single. The video that he ended up making was loosely autobiographical, connecting Madonna’s fraught relationship with her father to the loss of her mother, Madonna Sr. Shot in October and released in November of 1989, it begins with a reference to Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane (1941), a film that Fincher has obviously returned to for the forthcoming Mank (2020). An adult Madonna performs the song while her childhood self buries and mourns her mother, navigating her grieving and short-tempered father all the while. When real-life Madonna Sr. died in 1963, then five-year-old Madonna noticed at the funeral that her mother’s mouth “looked funny,” learning that her lips had been sewn shut.
Fincher directly recreated this memory in his video, obviously in collaboration with his client. The only party not on board was MTV, who reportedly found the shot disturbing and asked that it be removed. Madonna declined, and the network wouldn’t have been in a position to piss her off any further.
Madonna was an astute businesswoman, so the fact that she agreed to release “Oh Father” as a single on Fincher’s recommendation speaks to a level of trust between the two. “We were very happy with the video,” Fincher said. “But nobody ever saw it because the song wasn’t a hit.” It’s reasonable to conclude that their entanglement had begun by this point, since Fincher was now not only being made privy to Madonna’s childhood traumas—there are no references to Madonna’s mother in the song’s lyrics—but actually influencing her business moves. “You screwed me up,” she’d tell him in the new year. “You wanted to make this video for the song and no one liked the song and I went to bat for you and now I have to make a video by Tuesday.” As Fincher has explained, “And I said, ‘What’s the song called?’ And she said, ‘Vogue.’”