New ‘Chinatown’ Prequel Series In The Works For Netflix

A “Chinatown” resurgence is due on Netflix with David Fincher involved, rounding out the noir section of the streaming site. His resume, which includes such detective movies as “Se7en,” “Zodiac,” and “Gone Girl,” alone is a testament to his craft in bringing dark mysteries to life on the silver screen.

According to Deadline, both Fincher and Robert Towne will be joining forces in writing the pilot episode for the new Netflix series “Chinatown.” Towne has worked on classics like “Tequila Sunrise,” “Days of Thunder,” and the original “Chinatown” script itself.

Serving as a prequel series, the story will follow Jake Gittes as he rises the ranks of becoming a relatively well-known private eye. Originally played by Jack Nicholson in the film version, Gittes served as a somewhat naïve yet still thorough investigator, who consistently gets caught up in the swirling mass of a corrupt and backward Chinatown. The 1974 original was directed by Roman Polanski.

A director for the pilot hasn't been announced, but Fincher and Towne are credited as executive producers. This isn’t the first time Fincher has worked with Netflix, as evidenced by his creation of “House of Cards,” in addition to his involvement in “Mindhunter” and an upcoming show called “Mank” starring Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz.

There might be some wondering is “Chinatown” available on Netflix, given that the prequel show is in development, but unfortunately only a DVD rental is thus far an option. And, due to the fact that the deal amongst Netflix, Towne, and Fincher is only just drying, the potential release date for the show remains up in the air.

Having faced some immense blowback from Michael Bay’s upcoming picture “6 Under,” Netflix is likely hoping for some positive reinforcement, especially given the rise of Disney+ and Apple TV+. A “Chinatown” Netflix series will add to a growing list of anticipated series, such as “The Witcher” and Season 3 of the German show “Dark.”