David Fincher seems happy with no cinema screens but all of the creative control as he reveals he has extended his deal with the streaming giant Netflix.
David Fincher has renewed his deal with Netflix for another three years, it’s been revealed.
Fincher has been involved with the streaming company in one way or another since it first dipped its toe into creating original programming and films. The Se7en director produced House Of Cards, the Netflix show which revolutionised the way the company operated and saw it shift from licensing films and shows to instead become a production powerhouse in its own right.
That was a decade ago – back in 2013 – and David Fincher has only strengthened his working relationship with Netflix in the years since, producing TV shows such as Mindhunter and Love, Death And Robots for the company.
In fact, Fincher hasn’t worked on a project outside of Netflix since 2014’s Gone Girl, and that looks set to continue as he’s revealed to France’s Première magazine that his deal, which was set to expire this year has been renewed, stating that it will now run run for another “three years, the contract was extended.”
The news doesn’t come as a huge shock and will have been anticipated by many given that David Fincher seems uninterested in the unending compromise that comes with Hollywood studio filmmaking. He’s never really been the kind of filmmaker that is willing to bend when it come to creative decisions and this Netflix deal allows him to make the films he wants to without the kind of arguments and tin-rattling that other filmmakers – even ones as esteemed as him – have to engage in sometimes.
Of course, the flipside to this deal is that we won’t be seeing a David Fincher movie in cinemas anytime soon and that continues to be a real shame. As one of the most admired filmmakers of his generation, seeing films such as Mank and The Killer arrive on the small screen – after at best a very limited theatrical run – never feels quite right.
But it’s a concession that Fincher seems happy to continue making if it means he gets to make the films he wants to without having to compromise.
Fincher last renewed his deal in 2020 and he’ll be 64 by the time his renewal expires. Will we see one of his films grace a cinema screen again? Only time will tell (although perhaps the recently-announced departure of Netflix’s Head of Film, Scott Stuber may signal a change in the streamer’s view towards theatrical releases – but that’s probably just wishful thinking on our part).
For the time being at least, Fincher seems content to make films for the small screen – and that’s how things will remain until 2027 at the earliest.
