We just finished reporting about David Fincher’s woes over at HBO and now it would seem that everything has been confirmed. Fincher’s Utopia is no more at the premium cable network and some reports note that his other series, Videosyncrazy, is also in trouble.
Utopia was reportedly over budget and there was talk during HBO’s TCA presentation that changes would have to be made. Deadline reports that cast for the show has been released from their contracts for the show, including the previously announced Rooney Mara. Colm Feore, Eick McCormack, Dallas Roberts, Jason Ritter, Agyness Deyn, and Brandon Scott rounded out the rumored cast, all of which were apparently notified that the series was dead by Fincher at some point earlier in the week. Even though the series in its current state seems to be gone, there might be hope for the property to live on for HBO:
HBO has the rights to Utopia, an adaptation of the British series, so Fincher cannot take the project elsewhere, like his House of Cards home Netflix. I hear HBO brass continue to be high on the project and may try continuing it with a new director. While the pay cable network also is said to be high on the cast, the actors have been released so a potential new director could make decisions but the current cast members will likely be choices if they are available.
Indiewire adds that with the collapse of Utopia, the status of Fincher’s stalled Videosyncrazy is up in the air as well. According to a report they cite, that series is also kaput at HBO and seems to be just waiting on an official announcement.
This is disappointing news, both on a Fincher front and on a Utopia front. Combining the two would’ve been a fun television experience and now it would seem that both are gone. Toss in that the original only got two series and you begin to think the show is cursed despite the quality of it all.
