The David Fincher Shuffle

[Weak2ndAct]

The photo's from Roger Avary's website (www.avary.com) and can be found in the journal section's archive.

[meatball]

Source: 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.

[MacGuffin]

Look 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?

[modage]

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."

[mogwai]

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."

[MacGuffin]

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.

[72teeth]

MTV: The de-aging you're doing in the movie sounds intriguing. Are you interested in doing a 3-D film?

whHOOOSShhh...  whoa!

[MacGuffin]

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."

[polkablues]

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?

[MacGuffin]

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.

[MacGuffin]

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.

[Fernando]

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.

[picolas]

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.

[wilder]

Best essay on Fincher ever

[Reel]

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.