For almost thirty years, David Fincher has continually proven himself to be one of the greatest directors in the world, and it looks like he might do again with his next film, Mank.
Whether in the form of classic works of cinema like Fight Club and Seven, or his TV hit Mindhunter, the man hasn’t let us down since Alien 3.
Following in the footsteps of other iconic directors (Martin Scorsese, for example) Fincher’s freshest project is going straight to Netflix.
As a biographical drama, Mank is likely to feel distinctly different to the psychological thrillers Fincher is most known for.
Not only has it been shot entirely in black and white, but the true story that runs throughout means the more far-fetched signifiers of the Fincher style are likely to be dialled back.
Despite strong rumours that the film will be dropping October (Netflix haven’t confirmed anything, but producer Eric Roth let a few details slip), we don’t know a whole lot about the story yet.
What we do know, is that the film’s title refers to Herman J. Mankiewicz, who co-wrote the Citizen Kane screenplay alongside Orson Welles.
It’s very likely that the film will explore Mankiewicz’s life during the creation and production of Citizen Kane, before delving into the well-publicised issues that surrounded the making of the film.
According to sources, Mankiewicz was a scandalous figure, known for his mood swings and heavy drinking, but also his humour, charm and likability.
Gary Oldman should be the perfect fit for Fincher’s Mank
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Academy Award winner Gary Oldman is dropped into the shoes of Mankiewicz- his incredible versatility should be the perfect fit.
Mank marks the first collaboration between Fincher and Oldman, but there are a lot of familiar faces in the production team.
Not only was the film’s screenplay actually written by Fincher’s father, Jack, back in 2003, but editor Kirk Baxter and Donald Graham Burt have been working with Fincher since Zodiac and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button respectively.
One of the most exciting things Mank boasts is the return of composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
The duo are more commonly known as Nine Inch Nails, and have worked with Fincher on each of his films since 2010’s The Social Network.
In Mank, their experimental, industrial sound will be coming exclusively from instruments and equipment that would have been available during the creation of Citizen Kane.
Elsewhere in Mank, we’ll be seeing the likes of Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tuppence Middleton and Charles Dance, while the role of Orson Welles himself was given to the comparatively unknown British actor Tom Burke.
Will Mank be worth a Netflix subscription?
Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SBIFF)
Read more: Mindhunter Season 3 Is On Hold Until David Fincher Finishes His Next Film
Before you go and activate that Netflix free trial, we have some final quickfire facts for you:
The film finished filming in February 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic increased in severity.
Much of the filming took place in California, and, despite being in black and white, was shot in 8k. That’s some serious futureproofing.
Amanda Seyfried has already referred to the film as one of the hardest projects she has ever been a part of.
Gary Oldman looks bloody brilliant as Herman Mankiewicz.
On the whole, we’re expecting big things from Mank, even if that October 2020 release date seems too good to be true.
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