- David Fincher says he almost made a Harry Potter movie
- However, he wanted to do a “creepy” version of J.K. Rowling’s books
- A new Harry Potter TV show is currently in the works
Filmmaker David Fincher has revealed that he was once approached to tackle the wizarding world of Harry Potter – but his take on J.K. Rowling’s was considered too risky.
The auteur shot to fame for darkly compelling hits like Se7en, Fight Club and The Social Network but during a recent interview, he revealed that his career path could’ve been very different.
Read more: Everything we know about the Harry Potter TV show
Fincher spilt the beans during a recent chat with Variety while promoting a brand new 4K re-release of his Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman-fronted neo-noir Se7en. In addition to confirming that his vision was to do a “creepy” version of the story, he also cited cult British comedy Withnail & I as an unlikely inspiration.
“I was asked to come in and talk to them about how I would do ‘Harry Potter,’” explained Fincher. “I remember saying, ‘I just don’t want to do the clean Hollywood version of it. I want to do something that looks a lot more like ‘Withnail and I,’ and I want it to be kind of creepy.”
Is David Fincher remaking Squid Game?
Unfortunately, the studio behind the Harry Potter movie adaptations had other ideas: “They were like, ‘We want Thom Browne schooldays by way of ‘Oliver’,” continued Fincher, marking an end to discussions and his involvement with all things Potter.
Ultimately, the project never went ahead. Instead, Warner Bros. hired Home Alone and Mrs Doubtfire director Chris Columbus for the job. Columbus helmed the first two instalments of the hugely popular Potter franchise – Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets – before passing the baton to other filmmakers.
Read more: All we know about Squid Game season 3
This isn’t the first time Fincher has been linked to other people’s projects.
In October 2024, it was revealed that he was considering working on an American-language remake of Netflix’s South Korean hit Squid Game. The news was confirmed by the show’s creator and director Hwang Dong-Hyuk during promotion for the new season.
“I know Netflix has a plan,” Dong-hyuk told The Wrap of the upcoming remake. “They are not going to throw this idea away… Maybe I’ll be in one of those projects as an advisor or the co-creator. Who knows? But Season 2 is not going to be the end of the Squid Game universe.”
When is the Harry Potter TV Show released?
Cut to 2024 and Warner Bros. Discovery is currently working on a Harry Potter TV show although the project has yet to find a release date.
When it does become available, fans will be able to watch it on HBO.
An open casting call was held throughout 2024 to find young new stars to play the story’s lead characters Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hemione Granger. Reports suggest the show will start filming in 2025 at London’s Leavesden studios.
