Logo

Cool News

Serial-Serial Shooter, Fincher, To Shoot Serial Cinema Called ZODIAC!

Published at:  Jan 20, 2005 3:40:43 AM CST

Hey folks, Harry here with the latest goings ons with David Fincher. Seems he's just set up a project split between Paramount and Warner Brothers concerning the Zodiac murders. The film will be based upon Robert Graysmith's two books entitled ZODIAC and ZODIAC UNMASKED. (Click the images below to read more or pick up copies of the books to read for yourself!)













Now - you may remember that Zodiac hunted his prey in San Francisco for going on a quarter of a century. Without a doubt - the killer in the first DIRTY HARRY was a nod to Zodiac, simply by referring to him as Scorpio. Now the adaptation from the Graysmith novels will be handled by James Vanderbilt, who was the screenwriter on DARKNESS FALLS, BASIC and THE RUNDOWN. Let's hope this is light years beyond his previous work. Though I did like his script for BASIC.














I just hope it's as great a film as THE BOSTON STRANGLER with Tony Curtis - which is my fave true life serial killer flick. Also of note, AUTO FOCUS was based on a Graysmith true-crime novel as well. Let's hope this one is as well adapted at that one!





    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 3:51:08 AM CST

    FAUST!!!!

    by badboymason

    I'd sell my soul to see this movie now...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 3:53:48 AM CST

    People obsessed with serial killers are sick fuckers

    by rupee88

    There are lots of other things to read about. If you are fascinated and obsessed with mass murderers, you are a suck fuck and should feel at least a little bad about yourself.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 4:00:38 AM CST

    Fincher in his element

    by taintyourwagon

    Surprise, surprise, Fincher is doing something dark that's about a serial killer. Even though I'm sure I'll plunk my bucks down for this, I wish he would do some more sci-fi. Alien 3 was poor, but how do you follow up jc's classic and not make a movie that won't live up to the insane expectations (I remember seein A3 in a bitter crowd full of angry action craving jackasses. Maybe that's why I think it sucks, mob mentality....or the fact that it rapes Aliens and it's characters that were built up for an entire film only to be killed in a quick-cut crash.) Anyways, Finchers cool realistic cgi tricks would lend itself to making a sweet movie that isn't just a retread of se7en. Oh well, at least it isn't a remake of some movie that doesn't need remaking (looking in your direction, Tim Burton).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 5:12:23 AM CST

    So Benjamin Button is off now for Fincher?

    by moviemaniac-7

    Sorry, entered too fast... Take two: I really wanted to see Finch directing BB, but appearantly he couldn't get the budget under 150 million or so. Why is it that the most talented directors always have fights about budget and people like McG, Bay, Rattner and their peers just spew out one moneymaking piece of trash after another? Anyhow, any film directed by David Fincher is one worth watching - even the flawed Alien 3.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 5:21:12 AM CST

    no subject

    by silenttype

    Kick ass. Se7en rules..end of story. so too does fight club in fact. and panic room, not so much but still better than most. Fincher is the man. He should make a superhero film!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 5:32:20 AM CST

    no subject

    by joeypogi

    Fincher should just go out and direct something already...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 5:44:53 AM CST

    Rupee the Bear

    by high grade 4 eva

    Hey Rupee88, check ya spellin, unless you really meant to call people 'Suck Fucks'!
    Lighten up, or i'll KILL YA!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 6:04:11 AM CST

    I thought Fincher had retired this bitch-hog of a genre.

    by cash bailey

    Fuck serial killer movies, the people that make them and the dumb fucks that go and see them.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 6:09:23 AM CST

    Im So Happy I Wrote A Song....

    by ra ra rasputin

    ..... Finch,Finch I love the Finch. Finch,Finch I love the finch. He is great at makin moooo...veees. (repeat).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 7:54:27 AM CST

    Not a typical serial killer story...

    by stlfilmwire

    Spoiler within

    Don't worry. This isn't just about the acts of murder. Surely this is going to be more about the reporter and the detectives involved. There are some really cool elements to be looked at... like the retired couple that breaks a code that government code breakers cannot... plus the Zodiac choosing Graysmith as his outlet of communication... or the frantic search for a rumored school bus bomb... or the theatre sequence. The story is very tragic, yet quite interesting.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 8:26:03 AM CST

    Fincher will NEVER direct again!!!

    by godoffireinhell

    Deal with it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 9:08:17 AM CST

    I'm a suck fuck

    by lt. columbo

    The mind of a serial killer is an interesting thing as it the opposite to how the rest of us live and it's more bearable to find out about them in the form of fiction rather than first hand.
    And anyway, the interest lies not in serial killers themselves, but in the detectives who manage to solve the clues to find them. It's just a rule of fiction that the sicker the criminal, the more you'll be rooting for the detectives to find him.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 9:32:27 AM CST

    Graysmith took alot of liberties.....

    by jon zuckerman

    ....with his material.Zodiac is a interesting book though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 9:55:33 AM CST

    Fincher is great but . . .

    by doob

    Alien 3 wasn't that great but it was beautiful to look at style wise. The Game was good. Se7en was great! What mood. Great direction. Well thought out. His best is
    Fight Club where he showed his true potential with story telling and visuals. But then The Panic Room came out and it was just a lame story with lame characters. Seemed like a lackluster effort. Not saying it was badly shot and put together but the premise was dissapointing. I was dissapointed with it after his previous two which showed growth. This movie is intrigueing though. My fingers are crossed.
    His immediate next film is Benjamin Button and sounds good. "An odd romance sparks between a woman of 30 and a man who, at 50, begins aging backwards" (IMDB). Nice to see a change from the dark Fincher we are growing acustomed to.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 11:41:06 AM CST

    Okay, Harry just admitted to liking the script to Basic?!?

    by osmosis jones

  • If I find out that Warner Bros. nearly made such a deal with David Fincher and DID NOT because 150 million dollars was too big of a budget ... I'm going to be MAD AS HELL!!!!!!!! -- Yeah, I was one of those people who were SO PISSED about "ALIEN 3" ... but I forgave him (for that) after he directed the incredible MASTERPIECE that is "SEVEN", one of my favorite movies of ALL TIME. And it doesn't take a genius to see that the makers of "SEVEN" are a perfect match to realize the pages of Frank Miller's graphic series "BATMAN: YEAR ONE" ... and I'm seriously going to be sO piSsed if that came so close to happening but didn't because of ... GOD I'M ALREADY PISSED!!!!!!!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 12:00:03 PM CST

    Auto Focus was a great movie...

    by bigtuna

    I thought it was one of the best of 2002 or3 whenever the fuck it came out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 12:07:45 PM CST

    It sucks that Zodiac was never caught...

    by bigtuna

    I wonder how handle it. I know recently they tested DNA on the stamps on the envelopes sent by the Zodiac and it didn't match any of the prime suspects. I too and getting tired of the serial killer genre but, since it's based on a true story, makes it more interesting.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 12:15:37 PM CST

    Hope is true

    by pvecu


    Anything this guy makes is instantly interesting.

    U know why mass killers get scoop? Cuz they excel in something, though it

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 12:32:05 PM CST

    Too bad the Graysmith books are bullshit

    by wash

    The site http://www.zodiackiller.com is a good place to check out if you're interested in separating fact from fiction.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 1:15:10 PM CST

    fincher's illness has prevented him from directing..

    by silver shamrock

    and his "illness" can be plainly seen on the panic room DVDs. He is in the advanced stages of a debilitating form of OCD which makes him spend months directing and fine tuning animated previz versions of a movie instead of just shooting a goddamn movie and getting it over with. Consequently, weeks go by and the budgets swell with all this gilding the lily sillyness. The Panic Room discs are the worst PR I've ever seen from a director.. would you give this man millions and watch him turn into this rain man figure who thinks he is too important to be slumming with a straightforward thriller that just might entertain people while they eat their popcorn? Say what you will about Hitchcock, but at least he never stopped long enough to worry about the "importance" of his art, he just got on with making films, some kinda sucked, and some wound up being immortal classics. Panic Room is a stiff, overproduced turd with too many look at my cool camera move shots that would have been betetr with a lower budget.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 1:48:22 PM CST

    Did anyone understand BASIC?? If so, please explain....

    by russman

    I don't know if it didn't make sense or if I just didn't get it. Was it all about flushing out that one officer?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 2:19:31 PM CST

    Here come the impossible CG three mile tracking shots!

    by dataset

    Really, I like Fin. Maybe he can have a tracking shot from the victim's wounds through the bloodstream, central nervous system, and out the mouth as they scream. That would be kewl.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 2:28:42 PM CST

    Oh, Christ... another piece of shit "true" crime...

    by salvatoregravano

    ...based on the "writings" of a discredited hack. FYI, Graysmith's suspect, Allen, has as much to do with the Zodiac as OJ Simpson did, and has been cleared three times, including the latest DNA tests. And of all people Fincher picks this smelly log of shit... disgraceful.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 2:55:21 PM CST

    There's no way this will be better than EXORCIST III

    by gilkuliehe

    That film is awesome, even with the producer's dick sticking everywhere.
    William Peter Blatty should make more films... THE NINTH CONFIGURATION anyone??? He rocks. And Dourif owned the Zodiac. I mean, the Gemini killer...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 3:05:00 PM CST

    Remember...

    by threesixozone

    that program that aired on HBO like in the mid-eighties about
    unsolved murders? I was about 8 or 9 and I remember the last unsolved murder story was the Zodiac...and how they never found him...that was some scary shit and glad its going to be a movie and directed by one of my all time favorite directors...Fincher.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 3:24:44 PM CST

    To understand Basic,

    by dented helmet

  • Jan 20, 2005 3:29:19 PM CST

    To understand Basic,

    by dented helmet

    You have to understand that McTiernan changed the ending right before shooting, so not everything will make sense. But basically, Travolta's group was trying to get the base commander (tim daly) the doctor (harry conick) and a couple of the marines along with the gay kid, because of their involvement in the drug scheme. Although it seems like an overly complex plan, because obviously 8 isn't above murder (they kill the marines for whatever reason) so why not just kill everyone involved? (they kill the base commander) the only person who sees any jail time is the doctor.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 4:45:13 PM CST

    This is The Zodiac Speaking....

    by virtual satyr

    !@#$ %^&#* (#)) ?#<? }$$.
    THIS MOVIE WILL KICK ASS.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 4:50:31 PM CST

    unsettling

    by jccalhoun

    Since the zodiac killer is still out there somewhere, isn't it a little creepy making a film about him?

    Reply to Talkback

  • I hope this isn't some exploitation crap. and hasn't Fincher done enough with serial killers?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 5:14:03 PM CST

    re:Gilkuliehe

    by beamish13

    yes, THE NINTH CONFIGURATION is a very cool movie and novel. There's never been anything like it before or since, and it deserves to have a bigger cult following

    I haven't seen EXORCIST III yet because I have yet to read LEGION

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 7:53:45 PM CST

    It's a little early to get excited about this

    by doc_mccoy

    Fincher is notorious for attaching himself to countless projects and never following through. HARD BOILED, PASSENGERS, PATHFINDER, MI:3, BENJAMIN BUTTON, CHEMICAL PINK, MANK, SQUIDS, THE SKY IS FALLING, THEY FOUGHT ALONE, the list goes on and on. Whatever happened to RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA, by the way? Did the spectacular failure of films like TITAN A.E. and TREASURE PLANET kill the hope for more mature animated films? Anyway, that being said I'm a big Fincher fan and will be first in line for whatever he does next. Vanderbilt's script for ZODIAC is damned good.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 8:15:24 PM CST

    "People obsessed with serial killers are sick fuckers."

    by dr farragammo


    No, people obssessed with killing are sick fuckers. Serial Killers are compelling because it is so far removed from our normal everyday existence. That's why shows like Forensic Files, Cold Case Files, etc. are so popular. There is nothing cool about these people but they are definately fascinating. Se7en is one of the best films ever made IMO, and I can't wait for this. Hopefully after Panic Room, Fincher can get his game on again.
    Autfocus was badass by the way, one of the most underrated films in recent years.

    Reply to Talkback

  • I don't think there's anything wrong with being interested in a case involving a serial killer. It always amazes me though how these killers can get married in prison. These women r nuts.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 20, 2005 11:17:25 PM CST

    Oh, about the script... I wonder...

    by salvatoregravano

    Does it have any of the famous real-life scenes where Graysmith fabricates evidence, writes a false letter and twists, bends, manipulates and selectively picks the facts to fit his insane ramblings?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 22, 2005 2:29:40 PM CST

    Another One?

    by deejay

    We've had movie after movie and book after book about serial killers. Were Fincher to take a fresh approach to this subject, then it may have some hope. The problem with most of these films is that, no matter who the primary characters are (detective, reporter, etc.), the killer usually becomes central to the story. Once that happens, most of these projects become culturally indistinguishable. I'll wait to see what happens, but I just can't see much good coming from this film. I'm generally more about artistic merit (across genres), but considering the fact that the killer's victims have family members who'll be reliving some painful memories during this project's advertising stage, I'm quite dissappointed that this movie looks to be going forward.

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback