Warner Bros. Pictures’ eight Harry Potter films were directed by four individuals. The first two films, released in 2001 and 2002, were directed by Chris Columbus, known for helming Home Alone. The next six films were taken on by Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates, each contributing their own unique style and vision to the beloved series. Cuarón, in particular, is highly esteemed among both mainstream audiences and film enthusiasts. Interestingly, he wasn’t the only distinguished filmmaker approached by Warner Bros. for this iconic franchise.
In a recent discussion with Variety, acclaimed director David Fincher, known for Se7en and The Social Network, disclosed that he was once invited by Warner Bros. to propose his own vision for the Harry Potter world. While Fincher did not indicate when this conversation took place or which film he was considered for, he mentioned that his idea was much darker and more unsettling than what the studio was interested in pursuing.
“I was asked to come in and talk to them about how I would do Harry Potter,” Fincher recounted. “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.’ They were like, ‘We want Thom Browne schooldays by way of Oliver.’”
Fincher is no stranger to adapting literature and other established works. Some of his notable films, such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, The Killer, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, showcase his talent for bringing complex narratives to the screen. Additionally, he directed Alien 3 in 1992, gaining experience in the realm of major Hollywood franchises, although his experience with that project was notably challenging, which has deterred him from pursuing sequels or franchise films ever since.
Given Fincher’s distinct cinematic style, it’s not surprising that his vision for Harry Potter diverged significantly from what Warner Bros. sought. His cool, incisive direction could have led to a unique interpretation, albeit one that might contrast starkly with the whimsical, family-oriented atmosphere of the Harry Potter saga. Nonetheless, it would be intriguing to consider how he might have approached the series’ more somber themes in later installments.
Currently, audiences can catch a rerelease of David Fincher’s Se7en in theaters.
