In a match made in heaven for fans of dark, twisted thrillers, acclaimed director David Fincher (Se7en, Zodiac) is set to reteam with Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn to adapt the UK thriller series Utopia for premium cable channel HBO. The pair previously worked together on the film adaptation of Gone Girl, which Fincher directed and Flynn scribed.
Flynn is set to write all of Utopia, she’ll also serve as an executive producer alongside Fincher and Joshua Donen, and Fincher will helm the show’s pilot. HBO has already handed the show a series order, not much of a surprise considering Fincher and Flynn’s in-demand talent. No episode order or premiere date has yet been announced, but the original Channel 4 show aired a six-episode first season last year and is set to premiere its second season at some point in 2014.
The show has been described as a conspiracy thriller by HBO, who released the following early synopsis:
The die-hard fans of an iconic, underground graphic novel are suddenly launched into their own pop-culture thriller when they learn that the author has secretly written a sequel. Unfortunately, the new manuscript is much more than just a book and those on the hunt for it suddenly find themselves in a game of shifting loyalties, conspiracy and shocking twists as the true meaning of the book is slowly revealed.
It’s an intriguing and certainly unusual set-up for a show, and I can’t wait to see how the HBO series utilizes Fincher’s moody direction and Flynn’s razor-sharp writing. We’ll know more about how well Fincher and Flynn work together when their Gone Girl adaptation opens on October 3 this year.
Utopia isn’t Fincher’s first foray into television; the director won an Emmy for directing the pilot for Netflix’s political drama House of Cards (also a British import). He currently serves as an executive producer on that show, which releases its thirteen-episode second season tomorrow.
Given the tremendous skills of both individuals, it’s not hard to start getting excited for the show. Tell us, what do you think of that first synopsis? Are you interested in visiting Utopia? Sound off below.
