After nurturing House of Cards into one of – if not the – best original series in Netflix’s digital pantheon, David Fincher has reportedly inked a deal to spearhead a new drama series on the platform in the form of Mindhunter.
That’s according to Deadline, who report that the esteemed director has partnered with Mad Max: Fury Road‘s Charlize Theron to bring John Douglas and Mark Olshake’s non-fiction novel MindHunter: Inside the FBI’s Serial Crime Unit to the small screen.
Fincher, best known for his work in cinema what with Fight Club, The Social Network and more recently, Gone Girl, has wasted no time in setting the wheels in motion, after turning to regular writing cohort Joe Penhall to pen the series.
What remains unclear at this early stage is the extent of Fincher’s involvement in Mindhunter; will he, for example, helm the entire series or only direct the pilot in the vein of House of Cards? Nonetheless, the director is indeed on board to executive produce alongside Theron, and the fact that this project is right in Fincher’s wheelhouse – from Zodiac to Seven, the filmmaker has a knack for spinning out dark and brooding tales of serial killers – makes it one to keep an eye on.
Today’s announcement is also vindication for Theron and Fincher’s commitment to the adaptation, given that both were originally attached to a serialized version of Mindhunter when it set up shop at HBO more than six years ago. Alas, those early plans didn’t fall into place. Couple this with Fincher’s Utopia remake being canned by the network and it’s little wonder why the director has ventured further afield for his latest foray behind the lens.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of Mindhunter as this story develops.