David Fincher and Netflix are all but over. After more than 13 years of working together (no small thing!), the director of Alien 3, Seven, Fight Club and The Social Network has decided not to renew his contract with the platform, according to a Bloomberg report. His current deal runs until 2027, but his exit doesn't mean David Fincher will never work with Netflix again. He could even still develop the odd project there, just without being tied to the platform by an exclusive contract.
The partnership between the two began back in 2013 with House of Cards, since David Fincher directed the first two episodes of the series as well as serving as executive producer. At the time, Netflix was only just starting to establish itself as a major player in production, and House of Cards would become one of the shows that took the platform to a whole new level in Hollywood. Fincher then continued his work for Netflix with Mindhunter, directing several episodes, and with the animated series Love, Death + Robots. And then, crucially, the filmmaker signed a full exclusivity deal with the platform in 2020. That arrangement allowed him to get films off the ground that would have been harder to finance through traditional channels, starting with Mank, released in 2020, and then The Killer in 2023. Two thoroughly mid films, and we're not afraid to say it.
David Fincher's next film for Netflix is none other than The Continuing Adventures of Cliff Booth, and it will therefore be the last under this deal. Due in IMAX theatres from 25 November 2026 in the United States, before landing on Netflix on 23 December, the film reunited Fincher with Brad Pitt, his go-to leading man, in the role of Cliff Booth first seen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). This time the screenplay is by Quentin Tarantino and the story takes place in 1977, 8 years after the events of the original film.
This abrupt end to the partnership comes as several projects Fincher was developing for Netflix have run into trouble. His American Squid Game spin-off, in development for several years, was reportedly shelved this summer, while the Chinatown prequel written by Robert Towne and the western Bitterroot also have very uncertain futures. As for the Mindhunter question, it's bound to rear its head again. The series stopped after 2 seasons without Netflix ordering a third, despite lasting audience interest in the show. David Fincher's departure could in theory open the door to a new partnership with another platform or studio, but there's nothing so far to suggest Mindhunter could be revived elsewhere.
Especially since, contrary to what you might assume, David Fincher isn't about to jump straight to a Netflix rival. According to the reporting around his exit, the director isn't looking to sign a new exclusive deal with another studio or platform, preferring to keep plenty of freedom in choosing his projects. Let's hope the results are more interesting than his recent, frankly forgettable output...
