This is a list of known film projects that David Fincher has been involved with during his career, however briefly, in chronological order by the date of origin of the project or Fincher entering it.
Some of these projects never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction due to cancellation or being stuck in “development hell”. Others were completed by different production teams.
Some entries may not belong on this list because they are based on Fincher’s ideas that were never further developed into a script, or in his brief conversations with studio heads, producers, and film stars, or even in him just being on their wish lists. He would describe these as: “This is something I was involved with for about six seconds.”
All entries are based on news, articles, interviews, and books, most of which have primary sources (Fincher and his collaborators) or reliable secondary sources. Only a few are based on rumors that may be misinformed. The entries barely qualifiable as projects are displayed in regular font. The ones based on less reliable sources are displayed in light grey. Eventually, this whole section will be expanded with detailed descriptions and reference lists.
1990. Love Field
Based on the stage play by Stephen Davis.
Written by Stephen Davis.
Completed production: 1992. Ruby. Directed by John Mackenzie.
1990. Madonna: Truth or Dare
Documentary.
David Fincher directed the unreleased Japan concerts footage for his original project.
Completed production: 1991. Madonna: Truth or Dare. Directed by Alek Keshishian.
Early 1990s. Evita
Adaptation of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and by Tim Rice.
Early 1990s. Insomnia
Film based on the real story about the friendship between musician Robbie Robertson and filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
Written by Lawrence Wright.
Completed production: 2025. Insomnia (Memoir Book). Written by Robbie Robertson.
1993. James Bond Movie
Completed production: 1995. GoldenEye. Directed by Martin Campbell.
1993. The Specialist
Completed production: 1994. The Specialist. Directed by Luis Llosa.
1994. Judge Dredd
Completed production: 1995. Judge Dredd. Directed by Danny Cannon.
1994. The Avengers
Based on the British TV series.
Completed production: 1998. The Avengers. Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik.
1995. Blade
Written by David S. Goyer.
Completed production: 1998. Blade. Directed by Stephen Norrington.
1995. Fallen Angels (Season 2)
TV series episode.
1995. Godzilla
Written by Donald MacPherson.
Completed production: 1998. Godzilla. Directed by Roland Emmerich.
1995. The Crowded Room
Film based on the novel The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes.
With Brad Pitt.
Completed production: 2023. The Crowded Room (TV miniseries). Created by Akiva Goldsman.
1995. The Sky Is Falling
Written by Howard Roth and Eric Warren Singer.
1996. Star Wars: Episode III
Completed production: 2005. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Directed by George Lucas.
1997. 8mm
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker.
Completed production: 1999. 8mm. Directed by Joel Schumacher.
1997. Chicago
Based on the musical by Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb.
Completed production: 2002. Chicago. Directed by Rob Marshall.
1997. Rendezvous with Rama
Based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke.
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker / Scott Brick / Bruce McKenna
With Morgan Freeman.
1997. The Night Watchman
Written by James Ellroy.
Completed production: 2008. Street Kings. Directed by David Ayer.
1998. The Black Dahlia
TV miniseries.
Based on the novel by James Ellroy.
Written by Josh Friedman.
With Tom Cruise, Julianna Margulies, and Jennifer Connelly.
Completed production: 2006. The Black Dahlia (Film). Directed by Brian De Palma.
Adaptation of the project: 2014. The Black Dahlia (Comic). Written by Matz with David Fincher. Art by Miles Hyman.
1999. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Based on the novel by J. K. Rowling.
Completed production: 2001. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Directed by Chris Columbus.
1999. Spider-Man
Completed production: 2002. Spider-Man. Directed by Sam Raimi.
1999. The Mexican
With Brad Pitt.
Completed production: 2001. The Mexican. Directed by Gore Verbinski.
2000. Catch Me If You Can
Written by Jeff Nathanson.
Completed production: 2002. Catch Me If You Can. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
2000. Chemical Pink
Based on the novel by Katie Arnoldi.
Written by Chuck Palahniuk.
2000. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Written by Charlie Kaufman.
Completed production: 2002. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Directed by George Clooney.
2000. Fertig (They Fought Alone)
Written by William Nicholson / Robert Towne.
With Tom Cruise / Brad Pitt.
2000. Passengers
Based on the short story by Robert Silverberg.
Written by Greg Pruss.
2000. Pathfinder
Written by John Patrick Shanley.
2000. Runt
Executive Producer.
Written by William J Cloackley and Christian Van Gregg.
Directed by Fred Durst.
2000. Seared / Celebrity Shots
Film based on Anthony Bourdain’s memoir Kitchen Confidential.
Written by Jesse Wigutow.
With Brad Pitt, Michael Caine, Meryl Streep.
Completed production: 2005. Kitchen Confidential (TV series). Created by David Hemingson.
2000. Squids
Written by David Ayer.
2000. Strangers
A contemporary adaptation of the novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith.
Written by Rand Ravich.
Previous adaptation: 1951. Strangers on a Train. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
2000. Terminator 3
Written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris.
Completed production: 2003. Terminator 3. Directed by Jonathan Mostow.
2001. Hard Boiled
Based on the comic book limited series by Frank Miller.
Computer-animated film.
Written by Frank Miller.
With Nicolas Cage.
2001. Lullaby
Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk.
2001. Life Without Joe
Consultant.
Written by Brent V. Friedman.
Directed by Fred Durst.
2001. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Completed production: 2005. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Directed by Andrew Adamson.
2001. The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
Based on the novel by Max Ehrlich.
Written by Hillary Seitz.
Previous adaptation: 1975. The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. Directed by J. Lee Thompson. Written by: Max Ehrlich.
2001. Wanna-Be
Executive Producer.
Based on the New York magazine article by Mike McAlary.
Written by Anthony Zuiker.
Directed by Fred Durst.
With Paul Walker and Scott Caan.
2002. American Gangster (Superfly)
Based on The Return of Superfly article by Mark Jacobson published in New York magazine.
Written by Steven Zaillian.
Completed production: 2007. American Gangster. Directed by Ridley Scott.
2002. Lords of Dogtown
Written by Stacy Peralta and Roger Avary.
Completed production: 2005. Lords of Dogtown. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Written by Stacy Peralta.
2002. Mission: Impossible 3
With Tom Cruise.
Completed production: 2006. Mission: Impossible III. Directed by J. J. Abrams.
2002. Stay
Written by David Benioff.
Completed production: 2005. Stay. Directed by Marc Forster.
2003. Deadwood
TV series Pilot.
Written by David Milch.
Completed production: 2004. Deadwood (TV series Pilot). Directed by Walter Hill.
2003. The Lookout
Written by Scott Frank.
Completed production: 2007. The Lookout. Directed by Scott Frank.
2004. Video Game Project
With Tim Miller & BLUR.
2004. The Time Traveler’s Wife
Based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger.
With Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
Completed production: 2009. The Time Traveler’s Wife. Directed by Robert Schwentke.
2005. The Dirt
Biographical comedy-drama about the band Mötley Crüe, based on the book The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band.
Written by Rich Wilkes and Amanda Adelson.
Completed production: 2019. The Dirt. Directed by Jeff Tremaine.
2005. Rock Fish
Executive Producer with Tim Miller & BLUR.
Computer-animated film in 3D.
Based on the computer-animated short film written and directed by Tim Miller.
Written and Directed by Tim Miller.
With Vin Diesel.
2006. Torso (Ness)
Based on the graphic novel by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko.
Written by Ehren Kruger.
With Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.
2007. Second Lives
Based on the book Second Lives: A Journey Through Virtual Worlds by Tim Guest.
Written by Peter Straughan.
With Brad Pitt.
2007. Shutter Island
Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.
With Brad Pitt.
Completed production: 2010. Shutter Island. Directed by Martin Scorsese.
2008. Black Hole
Based on the comic book limited series by Charles Burns.
Written by Dante Harper.
2008. Chef (Burnt)
Written by Steven Knight.
With Keanu Reeves.
Completed production: 2015. Burnt. Directed by John Wells.
2008. Fight Club Rock Opera
Executive Producer.
Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, and the film directed by David Fincher.
Music by Trent Reznor.
Directed by Julie Taymor.
2008. Heavy Metal
Executive Producers and Directors of segments: David Fincher, Kevin Eastman of Heavy Metal magazine, Tim Miller of BLUR, James Cameron.
Computer-animated film in 3D.
A reboot of the 1981 adult animated science fantasy anthology film directed by Gerald Potterton and based on the Heavy Metal comics magazine.
Additional Directors: Guillermo del Toro, Zack Snyder, Gore Verbinski, Mark Osborne (with Jack Black), Rob Zombie.
Completed production: 2019. Love, Death & Robots (TV Series).
2008. The Automatic Detective
Computer-animated film with Tim Miller & BLUR.
Based on the novel by A. Lee Martinez.
2008. The Devil in the White City
Based on the novel The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
Written by Eric Roth.
2008. The Goon
Executive Producer with Tim Miller & BLUR.
Computer-animated film in 3D.
Based on the comic book by Eric Powell.
Written by Eric Powell.
2008. Terriers
TV series.
Written by Ted Griffin.
Completed production: 2010. Terriers. Created by Ted Griffin.
2009. Columbine
Produced by Kathy Kennedy and Frank Marshall.
Based on the book by Dave Cullen.
Completed production: 2014. The Library (Play). Written by Scott Z. Burns.
2009. The Reincarnation of Peter Proud
Based on the novel by Max Ehrlich.
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker.
Previous adaptation: 1975. The Reincarnation of Peter Proud. Directed by: J. Lee Thompson. Written by: Max Ehrlich.
2010. A Topiary
Executive Producer with Steven Soderbergh.
Written and Directed by Shane Carruth.
2010. Pawn Sacrifice
Biographical drama about chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer.
Written by Steven Knight.
With Tobey Maguire.
Completed production: 2014. Pawn Sacrifice. Directed by Edward Zwick.
2010. Spider-Man Reboot
Completed production: 2012. The Amazing Spider-Man. Directed by Marc Webb.
2010. The Terror
TV limited series.
Based on the novel by Dan Simmons.
Written by David Kajganich.
Completed production: 2018. The Terror. Created by David Kajganich.
2010. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Captain Nemo)
In 3-D.
Based on the novel by Jules Verne.
Written by Scott Z. Burns / Andrew Kevin Walker.
With Brad Pitt / Channing Tatum.
Previous adaptation: 1954. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Directed by Richard Fleischer.
Early 2010s. Lone Wolf and Cub
Computer-animated film trilogy with Tim Miller & BLUR.
Based on the Japanese manga series by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima.
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker.
Early 2010s. Nerdland
Live-action film.
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker.
Completed production: 2016. Nerdland (Animated film). Directed by Chris Prynoski.
2011. Cleopatra
Based on the biography Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff.
Written by Eric Roth.
With Angelina Jolie.
2011. Lange
Executive Producer.
Biographical drama about photographer Dorothea Lange.
Directed by Leslie Dektor.
Written by Angela Workman.
With Rooney Mara.
2011. Panic Attack
Based on the novel by Jason Starr.
Written by Ted Griffin.
2011. Queen Biopic
Biographical drama about the band Queen.
Written by Peter Morgan.
With Sacha Baron Cohen.
Completed production: 2018. Bohemian Rhapsody. Directed by Bryan Singer.
2011. The Girl Who Played with Fire / The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest
Sequels to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the novels by Stieg Larsson, to be shot back to back.
Written by Steven Zaillian / Andrew Kevin Walker.
Completed production: 2018. The Girl in the Spider’s Web. Directed by Fede Álvarez. Written by Jay Basu, Fede Álvarez, Steven Knight. Based on the novel by David Lagercrantz.
2012. Frankenstein
A contemporary adaptation of the novel by Mary Shelley.
Written by Craig Fernandez.
2012. IOU
Executive Producer.
Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes.
Written by Michael Arlen Ross.
2012. Star Wars sequels
Completed productions:
2015. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Directed by J. J. Abrams.
2017. Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Directed by Rian Johnson.
2019. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Directed by J. J. Abrams.
2013. Black Hole
Based on the comic book limited series by Charles Burns.
Written by Dante Harper.
2013. Utopia
TV series based on the British original series created by Dennis Kelly.
Written by Gillian Flynn.
With Rooney Mara, Colm Feore, Eric McCormack, Dallas Roberts, Jason Ritter, Brandon Scott, Agyness Deyn.
Original series: 2013. Utopia. Created by Dennis Kelly.
Completed production: 2020. Utopia. Created by Gillian Flynn.
2013. Videosyncrasy (Living On Video / Video Synchronicity)
TV series of half-hour episodes.
Written by Rich Wilkes and Bob Stephenson.
With Charlie Rowe, Sam Page, Jason Flemyng, Kerry Condon, Elizabeth Lail, Corbin Bernsen, Paz Vega.
2014. Red Sparrow
Based on the novel by Jason Matthews.
Written by Eric Warren Singer.
With Rooney Mara.
Completed production: 2018. Red Sparrow. Directed by Francis Lawrence.
2014. Shakedown
TV series.
Written by James Ellroy.
2014. Steve Jobs
Biographical drama about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, based on the biography by Walter Isaacson.
Written by Aaron Sorkin.
With Christian Bale.
Completed production: 2015. Steve Jobs. Directed by Danny Boyle.
2015. Strangers
A contemporary adaptation of the novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith.
Written by Gillian Flynn.
With Ben Affleck.
Previous adaptation: 1951. Strangers on a Train. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
2015. Wonderland Avenue
Executive Producer.
Biographical drama about Danny Sugerman, manager of The Doors and Iggy Pop, based on his memoir Wonderland Avenue: Tales of Glamour and Excess.
Written by Eric Roth.
Directed by Fred Durst.
2017. World War Z 2
Sequel to World War Z, inspired by the novel by Max Brooks.
Written by Steven Knight / Dennis Kelly.
With Brad Pitt.
Original production: 2013. World War Z. Directed by Marc Forster.
2019. Chinatown Prequel
TV series prequel to Chinatown.
Written by Robert Towne.
Original production: 1974. Chinatown. Directed by Roman Polanski.
The Fincher Analyst 