David Fincher gives updates on CLEOPATRA, 20,000 LEAGUES, BLACK HOLE & THE GOON

David Fincher has had a busy couple of weeks thanks to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo opening tomorrow. Fincher has been doing a ton of press for Dragon Tattoo, and has given updates on the status of some of the movies he might direct. The list of possible projects include, Cleopatra starrring Angelina Jolie, the pilot of House of Cards for Netflix, and Disney’s 20,0000 Leagues Under the Sea. He is also slated to produce films like Black Hole and The Goon.

Thanks to our friends at /Film for compiling some of Fincher’s recent updates on these films. Check them out below:

Here is what Fincher had to say about Cleopatra to MTV. Things are not sounding as though Fincher will direct the Scott Rudin produced film:

That’s something I would love to do with Angie… It’s something that was brought to me that you have to take seriously. Scott has this wonderful book [by Stacy Schiff] and hopefully Eric can find a way in. I’m not interested in a giant sword and sandal epic.

We’ve seen scope; everyone knows we can fake that. That stuff doesn’t impress in the way that it did even 10 years ago. We expect that from cable. So that’s not the reason to do that. What is it about this character that has purchased this place in our history and imagination that is relatable today?

He also told Collider:

Cleopatra, I haven’t even begun. I’ve just spoken with Angie [Jolie] and Eric [Roth] and I’m trying to figure out how to weigh in. It’s just a discussion about what can it be, what are people expecting, what do we need to do to destroy that?

Here is what he had to say about House of Cards, which will star Kevin Spacey and Robin Write:

I’m casting and I’m going to Washington and Baltimore this weekend to look at locations.

He then talked about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The first draft was penned by Scott Z. Burns, and rewritten by Andrew Kevin Walker:

I don’t know what came before me. We’re plugging away, trying to get a script that sort of satisfies all of the… you know, it’s a tricky thing because it’s a $200 million 3D thing done in water, and you don’t want to go off half-cocked. You can find yourself with a $75 million overage in a movie that completely takes place underwater, especially in 3D. 3D is a whole different thing for reflective sources.

Here is what Fincher has said about The Goon, the animated film based on Eric Powell‘s comic book series. This long-gestating project has been planned for a number of years. Here is what the director stated to SHH:

Eric’s been working on it and Tim’s been working on it [Tim Miller from Blur Animation], and Jeff (Fowler). People continue to work on it and refine stuff, but it’s hard for me because I’m in Sweden, so I can’t really make many production meetings, but the attempt is to in January really go out and try and figure out a price that makes sense… I don’t know why you can spend $200 million on The Incredibles but you can’t spend $50 million on The Goon,’ or $130 million on Kung Fu Panda and $50 million on The Goon.

He also talked a bit about Black Hole:

It’s a really great script by Dante Harper, so the hope is that will win out… It’s so weird. It’s so great, because it would be great to see. It’s a very tough… there’s make-up FX and digital FX that are expensive and to do it right, you gotta do it just right, because it has to challenge your idea of the human body.

What are your thoughts on this news? Which of these films are you looking forward to seeing the most?