David Fincher’s HBO project ‘Utopia’ officially dead, so is ‘Videosyncrazy’

Even though House of Cards’ early success seemed to open the door for director David Fincher on television, his new projects haven’t fared as well as the hit Netflix show. In fact, both projects he was working on at HBO are now dead.

The first project that is not moving forward is an American remake of the U.K. series Utopia that would have re-teamed Fincher with Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Rooney Mara. Mara was first linked to the project in June, a move that seemed to get the project moving again. (It was first announced in February 2014.)

But then trouble started. Deadline reported on July 30 that HBO and Fincher were clashing over the budget. HBO wouldn’t go higher than $95 million for the first season, but Fincher wouldn’t go lower than $100 million.

Then, on Aug. 7, Deadline confirmed that the nail was put in the coffin and the actors who were already cast were released from their contract. Beyond Mara, Fincher had cast Eric McCormack, Dallas Roberts, Jason Ritter, Brandon Scott, Colm Feore and Agyness Deyn. They were rehearsing for a month before shooting was set to start.

HBO has the U.S. rights to remake Utopia, which is about a group with access to a graphic novel that can predict future catastrophes. An organization tries to stop them from preventing the disasters.

The other project Fincher was working on at HBO was Videosyncrazy, which was about the fledgling music video scene of the 1980s. In June, that project was shut down to be retooled and recast. Indiewire reports that the retool didn’t save that series and it is dead as well.

Fincher most recently directed Gone Girl and won an Emmy for helming the first episode of House of Cards. He is reportedly working on a new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train with Flynn.

Image courtesy of INFphoto.com

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