MindhunterSeason 2 is gearing up to begin production, and the directors for the second season of the wildly engrossing Netflix drama series have been revealed. Created byDavid FincherandJoe Penhall, the series is based on the experiences of FBI profilerJohn E. Douglasand charts the early days of the FBI’s criminal profiling unit in the 1970s, specifically focusing on the new phenomenon of serial killers.Jonathan Groffplays the show’s lead, a special agent in the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences unit, and the ensemble is filled out byHolt McCallanyas his partner Bill Tench andAnna Torvas a psychology professor aiding in the unit’s efforts.
Fincher essentially served as showrunner onMindhunter’s first season, directing four of the 10 episodes himself, and many wondered if he’d be back in as big of a capacity for Season 2—after all, he only directed the first two episodes ofHouse of Cardsthen served as more of an advisor on subsequent seasons. But asThe Playlistreveals, Fincher is very much involved inMindhunterSeason 2 and will be directing the first and last episodes of the new season. Hooray!
The Playlist says they’re hearingMindhunterSeason 2 will only consist of eight episodes instead of Season 1’s ten, which is a bit of a bummer but also somewhat refreshing considering many Netflix shows drag on for too long. Joining Fincher as directors of Season 2 areThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordfilmmakerAndrew Dominik, who will direct two episodes, andDevil in a Blue DressfilmmakerCarl Franklin, who will direct four episodes. Dominik has a habit of crafting visceral films likeJesse JamesandKilling Them Softly, and no doubt the connection to Fincher here isBrad Pitt—their mutual friend.
Franklin, meanwhile, has recently become a TV staple helming shows likeThe Leftoversand13 Reasons Why, and Fincher has selected him to handle the majority of Season 2. Fincher’s choice of directors for Season 1 was inspired, pulling from the horror and documentary genres as opposed to selecting journeyman filmmakers, so there’s reason to be excited about what this trio of directors will bring to Season 2.
The Playlist says Fincher is currently in Pittsburgh doing prep on the new season, which begins filming at the end of the month. In addition to directing two episodes, Fincher will spearhead reshoots that are built into the schedule—which is something he also did on Season 1. Despite being only eight episodes in length, expect this production to be long. This will likely occupy most of Fincher’s time in 2018, between production and post-production. Netflix has yet to announce aMindhunterSeason 2 premiere date, but the report notes that the streaming service intends to hold it for an early 2019 release.
As for Fincher’sWorld War Z 2, development on the script continues but that film ain’t happening this year after all. If the tradeoff is we get moreMindhunterof the quality of Season 1, this is completely fine by me.
