David Fincher reportedly tapped to direct Netflix western Bitterroot

David Fincher doesn't make films very often. He's one of the few directors who demands attention, regardless of what genre or budget they happen to be playing with. This was evident with 2023's The Killer, a neo-noir that would not have gotten nearly the attention it did were it not for Fincher's slick director.

It looks like Fincher has decided to get back on the horse, despite having just completed a film a year ago. What's on Netflix reported that the director has signed on to Bitterroot, a western drama about a man who loses his life savings in a scam and decides to fight back.

David Fincher is reportedly reteaming with Netflix

The screenplay for Bitterroot was penned by Michael Gilio, and it has been floating around Hollywood for the last decade. It was actually part of The Black List in 2008, which is a list dedicated to shining a light on the best unproduced screenplays in the industry.

Fincher has never directed a western before, and the notion of seeing his icy, infamously cold style translate to the sprawl and heat of the desert is more than enough to be intriguing. Fincher also has an affinity for long-gestating projects, as evidenced by his decision to make Mank in 2020 after sitting on the screenplay for two decades.

Fincher has a history of unrealized film projects

It's also worth noting that Fincher has spent the last decade plus working with Netflix. From House of Cards to Mindhunter to the aforementioned The Killer, the director has clearly found a situation and a working environment in which he can thrive.

That said, neither Fincher nor Netflix have confirmed his involvement in Bitterroot. And the former has a long, long, long history of attaching his name to a project without actually seeing it come to fruition. It's so long, in fact, that there's an entire Wikipedia article dedicated to David Fincher's unrealized film projects.

A new Fincher release is a win for just about everybody, but we will have to wait and see whether Bitterroot proves to be the one.