WhileDavid Fincheris one of the best filmmakers of all time, the current trajectory of his career is somewhat concerning and almost too good to be true. Fincher, known for his iconic dark thrillers such asSe7enandZodiac, as well as his generation-defining biopicThe Social Networkand his moody book adaptations such asGone GirlandThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, has established an auteur-level mastery of style. For the better part of the past decade, Fincher has worked exclusively with Netflix, spearheading the outstandingMindhunterseries and directing two original films,MankandThe Killer.
Fincher, who has remarkably never won an Oscar for directing, hasfour upcoming projects reportedly in the works, all at Netflix. One of them is a movie titledStrangers, an apparent remake of the 1951 Hitchcock classicStrangers on a Train. Another is another film and asequel to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 instant classicOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood,with Brad Pitt reprising his role as Cliff Booth based on a script that Tarantino wrote. The third, and most mysterious, is anAmerican version of the massive Korean survival seriesSquid Game, simply calledSquid Game: America. On top of all that, Fincher is set to develop aChinatownprequel series written by original screenwriter Robert Towne.
David Fincher Developing Squid Game: America & Directing The Adventures Of Cliff Booth Feels Like A Massive Departure From His Signature Style
Fincher Is Currently Only Focusing On Classic Works & Major Franchises
A David Fincher version ofSquid Gamewould theoretically look and feel incredibly different from the original version created by Hwang Dong-hyuk. WithSquid Gameseason 3 set to be the last season of the original series, Netflix has approached Fincher to take the franchise on, which will likely only work ifSquid Game: Americais more of a reimagining than a true remake.Squid Gameseason 1, which only came out in 2021, is already great and really doesn’t need to be remade anytime soon, if ever. Fincher will have to apply his own style and aesthetic to hisSquid Game, although that would make his version very different from the original.
In the same vein, Tarantino has an even more distinct and inimitable filmmaking style, so much so that he has essentially established his own subgenre of signature tropes.The Adventures of Cliff Boothis best thought of as another slice of life adventure from the Brad Pitt character – set in the late 1970s – and not necessarily a sequel toOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood. Truly, if there were ever to be a legitimate sequel toOUATIH, it would have to be directed by Tarantino himself.Imagine if Tarantino had outsourced the directing chair forKill Bill Vol. 2– it just wouldn’t feel right. In their current forms, it’s hard to imagine either of these projects through Fincher’s signature lens.
Squid Game & Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Already Have Distinct Narrative & Visual Characteristics
Will Fincher Honor These Original Projects Or Completely Make Them His Own?
These ambitious and intriguing Fincher-Netflix projects run the risk of blending two great flavors or ingredients that just don’t work well together. All of his projects are interestinglybased on famous, distinguished pre-existing concepts. Personally, I am dying to know whether Fincher is going to emulate the aesthetics and tones of these major franchises or completely make his own version of them. It’s very easy to spot a Fincher film just by looking at a single frame, so is his plan just going to be making these established IP projects Fincher-esque? If so, what’s stopping him from making aStar Warsmovie or aBlade Runnerseries?
As promising as these Fincher projects sound, I don’t think anyone had aChinatownprequel, aTarantinosequel, aSquid Gameexpansion, and aHitchcockremake on their 2025 TV and film bingo cards.
As promising as these Fincher projects sound, I don’t think anyone had aChinatownprequel, aTarantinosequel, aSquid Gameexpansion, and aHitchcockremake on their 2025 TV and film bingo cards. It all sort of sounds like a Fincher fanboy wishlist, except it’s all very strangely real.Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is also developing a sequel toThe Social Network, which Ficher has expressed interest in directing as well. At what point does this all sound a bit too good to be true? I also find it fascinating that Fincher hasn’t utilized his Netflix deal to create hisDragon Tattoosequel that was scrapped by Sony.
After Love, Death + Robots' Success, It’s Astounding That Fincher Is Working On These 2 Projects Before Mindhunter Season 3
Mindhunter Delivered A Fresh Version Of Fincher’s Classic Serial Killer Movies
Putting Fincher’s abandonedDragon Tattootrilogy aside, hisMindhuntermight be one of the most unwarranted canceled series in Netflix’s original programming history.Mindhunterseason 3 is right up Fincher’s classic wheelhouse of detectives hunting down serial killers, but was shot down because Netflix claimed it was too expensive given the viewership. That is very hard to believe now that Netflix has greenlit aSquid Gameexpansion and aTarantinomovie for Fincher, and yet it still can’t pull off a highly in-demand third season ofMindhunter. To make matters worse, and more odd,Mindhunterseason 3 was supposed to be set in Hollywood.
The first post-Mindhuntershow that Fincher played a part in wasLove Death + Robots, which continues to be a success for Netflix. He only directed one “episode” of the recently released fourth season, which was a six-minute music video of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' classic song"Can’t Stop" performed by string puppets, which many viewers found bizarre. Let’s also not forget about his role in the fantastic political drama seriesHouse of Cards, which he helped establish by directing its first two episodes with his signature cinematic style. The show emulated his aesthetic for the remainder of its six-season run.
I’m More Excited For Fincher’s Tarantino Collaboration Than His Squid Game Expansion Series
It’s An Epic Moment For Cinema, Even If The Collab Doesn’t Work
Like Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese, Fincher leaves his unique mark on everything he touches. He defined a niche area of filmmaking that has left him a legacy to be studied. That said, Fincher is arguably not suited to direct a movie about any subject or in any genre. If Nolan’s next film were a rom-com, cinema as we know it would lose its head. While Fincher taking onSquid Gameand the Tarantino project aren’t quite on that level,it still feels fundamentally off, which is why I’m hesitant to be genuinely excitedabout either.
Fincher directing a Tarantino movie simply sounds too good to be true.I think most people would rather have Tarantino direct it himself, but he’s so focused on making 10 movies and quitting directing that he may be a bit paralyzed creatively. His anticipated 10th and final film,The Movie Critic, was scrapped and seems to have at least partially informed this Cliff Booth sequel, since both are set in 1977 Hollywood. I’m confidentDavid Fincherwill doSquid Gamejustice, but again, I wish the original creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, were still at the helm of the franchise and expansions.
