Sometimes when you sit back and daydream about projects that seem too good to be true, somehow, someway, they end up actually happening. This new “Chinatown” prequel series that Netflix is working on with David Fincher seems to be just that.
According to Deadline, David Fincher has been signed on to co-write a pilot script for a new “Chinatown” prequel series for Netflix. And making the deal even sweeter is the fact that he’s co-writing with none other than Robert Towne, who wrote the 1974 film that serves as the basis. The “Chinatown” prequel is said to focus on the early days of Jake Gittes, as he works in a town full of corruption and wealth.
This isn’t the first time that David Fincher has teamed up with Netflix, which is proving to be a mighty nice partner for the director. Previously, as far as TV series go, Fincher and the streaming service combined forces for “House of Cards” (we all know how well that worked out), “Mindhunter,” and the recent “Love, Death + Robots.” And as far as films go, the filmmaker is working on “Mank,” which is also being produced and distributed by Netflix. Let’s just say that it’s clear that Fincher and the streamer have a pretty great relationship.
For Towne, this marks the return to a franchise that won him an Oscar in 1975 for Best Original Screenplay. He actually returned to the world of “Chinatown” in 1990 with the script for the film “The Two Jakes.” However, that film, which wasn’t directed by Roman Polanski, failed to match the same level of success as “Chinatown” and plans for a third film were scrapped.
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Right now, there’s no guarantee that the “Chinatown” prequel will be made, but if the script does turn into a pilot, the report says that Netflix is hopeful that Fincher will direct.