David Fincher is Ending His Netflix Deal, and it’s Time to Get Hs Films Back on the Big Screen
David Fincher is getting ready to close a major chapter of his career. The talented filmmaker has decided not to renew his overall deal with Netflix when it expires next year.
While that doesn’t mean Fincher and the streamer are completely finished working together, it does open the door for the director to take his talents elsewhere.
Personally, I’m excited about that possibility. Fincher has made some great stuff with Netflix, but he’s too damn good a filmmaker to have his movies primarily experienced at home. This guy’s films need to be seen on the big screen!
Fincher has been part of Netflix’s rise for more than a decade. He executive produced and directed episodes of the seven-time Emmy-winning House of Cards, one of the shows that helped establish Netflix as a serious player in original programming.
In 2020, Fincher signed an exclusive deal with Netflix after directing Mank for the streamer. He followed that with The Killer, starring Michael Fassbender, and is now working on The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood written by Quentin Tarantino.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is heading to IMAX theaters on November 25 for a two-week theatrical run.
Fincher was also an executive producer, showrunner, and director on Mindhunter, the acclaimed Netflix crime series created by Joe Penhall that ran for two seasons. It remains one of those shows fans continue to talk about years later because it needs another season, but Netflix shut it down.
His decision comes as several major filmmakers and producers have moved on from long-running Netflix deals. Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things, moved to Paramount, Noah Baumbach headed to Warner Bros., and Shawn Levy and his 21 Laps production company departed Netflix for Disney after nine years.
Fincher could still work with Netflix again, so this isn’t some dramatic breakup. It simply means he’ll no longer be tied down by an exclusive overall deal, giving him more freedom to choose where his next projects land.
Hopefully, that freedom leads him back to making movies designed for theaters. The last Fincher feature to receive a wide theatrical release was Gone Girl in 2014. That’s a long time to go without a proper wide theatrical Fincher release, especially considering how perfectly his filmmaking style fits the format.
Movies like Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl hit differently in a theater. Fincher’s meticulous visuals, atmosphere, sound design, and ability to build tension deserve that kind of presentation.
Streaming has obviously given filmmakers opportunities to make projects that might struggle to find a home elsewhere, and Fincher’s Netflix run produced some excellent work. Still, I’m ready to see him unleashed again without being attached exclusively to one streaming service.
After The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, it’ll be exciting to see where Fincher goes next and what kind of movies he wants to make for the big screen.
David Fincher films belong on the big screen.
Source: Deadline