David Fincher is sticking with Netflix. After basically igniting the whole Netflix Original craze back with the first season of “House of Cards,” the filmmaker has stuck with the streaming service for his other recent TV projects “Mindhunter” and “Love, Death + Robots.” And if this new report is to believed, Fincher is calling Netflix his home for the first feature directorial project he’ll work on since 2014.
Variety is reporting that Fincher has signed on to direct the film “Mank,” a biopic that will land at the streaming service. Based on the script written by his late father Jack, “Mank” tells the story of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, who is probably best known for writing the script for “Citizen Kane.” And to make matters even better, the title role will be portrayed by none other than Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman.
For those not familiar with the story of Herman Mankiewicz, Fincher’s biopic is said to focus on the tumultuous time that the writer had while working on “Citizen Kane” with filmmaker Orson Welles. “Mank” is said to be shot in black and white, detailing the relationship between Mankiewicz and Welles that led to the creation of one of the greatest films of all-time and earned the writer a Best Screenplay Oscar.
As mentioned, this will be Fincher’s first feature film since the 2014 movie “Gone Girl.” Since that time, he’s been toiling away on the TV side of things, while also flirting with studios about the long-dormant “World War Z 2” film that he’s been trying to get made. Now, it would seem as if he’s given up on the horror sequel for now, at least. Plus, “Mank” further solidifies the bond he has with the streaming service and might signal that the filmmaker, like many others, is perfectly happy working with Netflix as long as he gets the creative freedom.
No release date is given, but production is expected to begin on the film in November.
