Oscar-nominated filmmaker David Fincher continues his television progression. Having placed his influence on Netflix's House of Cards and Gillian Flynn's upcoming Upotia, his '80s, L.A.-based music video comedy Video Synchronicity gained a season order from HBO, the station also behind Fincher/Flynn's new show.
The project was first announced back in December when it was titled Living on Video. The Hollywood Reporter covered the show's development, however, as well as its new title. Details remain under the wraps, but it is based on an idea from Fincher. He is on board to executive produce, direct and also write alongside Bob Stephenson and Rich Wilkes.
Set in 1983, Video Synchronicity follows Robby, played by Red Band Society star Charlie Rowe, as a wide-eyed college dropout who drives to Hollywood with aspirations to direct a sci-fi epic. These plans are put on hold, however, as the up-and-coming filmmaker finds a job as a production assistant fro a music video-making company. It's considered along the lines of HBO's other comedy series Entourage, as the then-expanding music video industry and its directors, record executives and crew members are shown in their careers and drug escapades are seen through this young protagonist.
The show apparently filmed two episodes instead of a traditional pilot. Initially Tyler Ross (The Killing) was set to play the lead character, but was replaced by Rowe. Joining Rowe are Elizabeth Lail, Kerry Condon, Cobin Bernsen, Jason Flemyng, Paz Vega and Sam Page, the latter previously starring in the other Fincher series House of Cards.
Video Synchronicity is more personal than your average Fincher project, as the filmmaker built his own career on music videos leading up to his first film, Alien 3, in 1992. Fincher still occasionally directs music videos, most notably the one for Justin Timberlake/Jay Z's "Suit & Tie" back in 2013.
This is just one of multiple HBO comedy series in the works. Others include the Jack Black/Tim Robbins-starring The Brink and the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-starring Ballers, set to premiere this summer, as well as Vice Principals, from the creators of Eastbound & Down, Divorce, Sarah Jessica Parker's return to HBO, the Lorne Michaels-produced Brothers in Atlanta, the pot comedy High Maintenance, the Whitney Cummings series Are Men Necessary? and a Sarah Silverman pilot.
Meanwhile, House of Cards was renewed for a fourth season last month. He's also still slated to direct the full first season of Utopia, as Entertainment Weekly reported in January. There's still no word on what's happening with his 1950s-based noir crime drama Shakedown, which comes from L.A. Confidential writer James Ellroy.
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