# David Fincher

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American director and producer (born 1962)

"Fincher" redirects here. For other uses, see [Fincher (surname)](/source/Fincher_(surname)).

David Fincher Fincher in 2023 Born (1962-08-28) August 28, 1962 (age 63) Denver, Colorado, U.S. Occupations Director, producer Years active 1980–present Works Filmography Spouses Donya Fiorentino ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1995)​ Ceán Chaffin ​ ​ (m. 1996)​ Children 1 Relatives Jack Fincher (father) Awards Full list

**David Andrew Leo Fincher** (born August 28, 1962) is an American director and producer. Often described as one of the pre-eminent directors of his generation,[a] [his films](/source/David_Fincher_filmography) have collectively grossed over $2.1 billion worldwide and received [numerous accolades](/source/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_David_Fincher), including three nominations for the [Academy Award for Best Director](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Director). He has also received four [Primetime Emmy Awards](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Awards), two [Grammy Awards](/source/Grammy_Awards), a [BAFTA Award](/source/British_Academy_Film_Awards), and a [Golden Globe](/source/Golden_Globe_Awards).

Fincher co-founded the production company [Propaganda Films](/source/Propaganda_Films) in 1986. He directed numerous music videos for the company, including [Madonna](/source/Madonna)'s "[Express Yourself](/source/Express_Yourself_(Madonna_song))" in 1989 and "[Vogue](/source/Vogue_(Madonna_song))" in 1990, both of which won him the [MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction](/source/MTV_Video_Music_Award_for_Best_Direction). He received two [Grammy Awards for Best Music Video](/source/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Music_Video) for "[Love Is Strong](/source/Love_Is_Strong)" (1994) by [the Rolling Stones](/source/The_Rolling_Stones) and "[Suit & Tie](/source/Suit_%26_Tie)" (2013) by [Justin Timberlake](/source/Justin_Timberlake) featuring [Jay-Z](/source/Jay-Z).

He made his feature film debut with *[Alien 3](/source/Alien_3)* (1992) and gained his breakthrough with *[Seven](/source/Seven_(1995_film))* (1995). He has since directed *[The Game](/source/The_Game_(1997_film))* (1997), *[Fight Club](/source/Fight_Club)* (1999), *[Panic Room](/source/Panic_Room)* (2002), *[Zodiac](/source/Zodiac_(film))* (2007), *[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button](/source/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film))* (2008), *[The Social Network](/source/The_Social_Network)* (2010), *[The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo](/source/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_(2011_film))* (2011), *[Gone Girl](/source/Gone_Girl_(film))* (2014), *[Mank](/source/Mank)* (2020), *[The Killer](/source/The_Killer_(2023_film))* (2023), and *[The Adventures of Cliff Booth](/source/The_Adventures_of_Cliff_Booth)* (2026). He received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director for the dramas *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*, *The Social Network*, and *Mank*.

In television, Fincher has served as an executive producer and director for the [Netflix](/source/Netflix) series *[House of Cards](/source/House_of_Cards_(American_TV_series))* (2013–2018) and *[Mindhunter](/source/Mindhunter_(TV_series))* (2017–2019), winning the [Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_for_a_Drama_Series) for the [pilot episode](/source/Chapter_1_(House_of_Cards)) of the former. He also executive produced and co-created the Netflix animated series *[Love, Death & Robots](/source/Love%2C_Death_%26_Robots)* (2019–present) which received three [Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Short_Form_Animated_Program).

## Early life and education

David Andrew Leo Fincher[7][8] was born in [Denver](/source/Denver) on August 28, 1962.[9] His mother, Claire Mae ([née](/source/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names) Boettcher), was a mental health nurse from [South Dakota](/source/South_Dakota) who worked in drug addiction programs. His father, [Howard Kelly "Jack" Fincher](/source/Jack_Fincher_(screenwriter)) (1930–2003), was an author from [Oklahoma](/source/Oklahoma) who worked as a reporter and bureau chief for [*Life*](/source/Life_(magazine)) magazine.[10][11][12] When Fincher was two years old, the family moved to [San Anselmo, California](/source/San_Anselmo%2C_California), where he counted filmmaker [George Lucas](/source/George_Lucas) among his neighbors.[11] He became fascinated with filmmaking at the age of eight and began making films on an [8mm camera](/source/8mm_film).[9][11] In a 2012 interview, he said:

I was eight years old and I saw a documentary on the making of *[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid](/source/Butch_Cassidy_and_the_Sundance_Kid)*. It had never occurred to me that movies didn't take place in real time. I knew that they were fake, I knew that the people were acting, but it had never occurred to me that it could take [...] four months to make a movie! It showed the entire company with all these rental horses and moving trailers to shoot a scene on top of a train. They would hire somebody who looked like [Robert Redford](/source/Robert_Redford) to jump onto the train. It never occurred to me that there were hours between each of these shots. The actual circus of it was invisible, as it should be, but in seeing that I became obsessed with the idea of "How?" It was the ultimate magic trick. The notion that [24 still photographs](/source/24_fps) are shown in such quick succession that movement is imparted from it—wow! And I thought that there would never be anything that would be as interesting as that to do with the rest of my life.[13]

As a teenager, Fincher moved to [Ashland, Oregon](/source/Ashland%2C_Oregon), where he attended [Ashland High School](/source/Ashland_High_School_(Oregon)). He directed plays and designed sets and lighting after school, was a non-union projectionist at Varsity Theatre, and worked as a production assistant at the [KOBI](/source/KOBI_(TV)) news station in [Medford](/source/Medford%2C_Oregon). He supported himself by working as a busboy, dishwasher, and fry cook.[14]

## Career

### 1983–1991: Early work

While establishing himself in the film industry, Fincher was employed at [John Korty](/source/John_Korty)'s studio as a production head. Gaining further experience, he became a visual effects producer, working on the animated *[Twice Upon a Time](/source/Twice_Upon_a_Time_(1983_film))* (1983) with Lucas.[11][15] He was hired by [Industrial Light & Magic](/source/Industrial_Light_%26_Magic) (ILM) in 1983 as an assistant cameraman and [matte](/source/Matte_(filmmaking)) photographer[11] and worked on *[Return of the Jedi](/source/Return_of_the_Jedi)* (1983) and *[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom](/source/Indiana_Jones_and_the_Temple_of_Doom)* (1984).[16] In 1984, he left ILM to direct a television commercial for the [American Cancer Society](/source/American_Cancer_Society) that depicted a fetus smoking a cigarette.[11]

This quickly brought Fincher to the attention of producers in Los Angeles, and he was soon given the opportunity to direct [Rick Springfield](/source/Rick_Springfield)'s 1985 documentary, *To The Beat of the Live Drum*.[17] Set on a directing career, Fincher co-founded production company [Propaganda Films](/source/Propaganda_Films) and started directing commercials and music videos.[17] Other directors such as [Dominic Sena](/source/Dominic_Sena), [Michael Bay](/source/Michael_Bay), [Antoine Fuqua](/source/Antoine_Fuqua), [Michel Gondry](/source/Michel_Gondry), [Spike Jonze](/source/Spike_Jonze), [Alex Proyas](/source/Alex_Proyas), [Paul Rachman](/source/Paul_Rachman), [Mark Romanek](/source/Mark_Romanek), [Zack Snyder](/source/Zack_Snyder) and [Gore Verbinski](/source/Gore_Verbinski) also honed their skills at Propaganda Films before moving on to feature films.[18]

Fincher directed TV commercials for many companies including [Levi's](/source/Levi_Strauss_%26_Co.), [Converse](/source/Converse_(brand)), [Nike](/source/Nike%2C_Inc.), [Pepsi](/source/Pepsi), [Revlon](/source/Revlon), [Sony](/source/Sony), [Coca-Cola](/source/Coca-Cola) and [Chanel](/source/Chanel), although he loathed doing them.[11][19] Starting in 1984, Fincher began his foray into music videos. He directed videos for various artists including singer-songwriters Springfield, [Don Henley](/source/Don_Henley), [Martha Davis](/source/Martha_Davis_(musician)), [Paula Abdul](/source/Paula_Abdul), rock band [The Outfield](/source/The_Outfield), and R&B singer [Jermaine Stewart](/source/Jermaine_Stewart).[20] Fincher's 1990 music video for "[Freedom! '90](/source/Freedom!_'90)" was one of the most successful for [George Michael](/source/George_Michael).[21]

He directed [Michael Jackson](/source/Michael_Jackson)'s "[Who Is It](/source/Who_Is_It_(Michael_Jackson_song))", [Aerosmith](/source/Aerosmith)'s "[Janie's Got a Gun](/source/Janie's_Got_a_Gun)" and [Billy Idol](/source/Billy_Idol)'s "[Cradle of Love](/source/Cradle_of_Love_(Billy_Idol_song))". For [Madonna](/source/Madonna), he directed the videos for "[Express Yourself](/source/Express_Yourself_(Madonna_song))", "[Oh Father](/source/Oh_Father)", "[Bad Girl](/source/Bad_Girl_(Madonna_song))" and "[Vogue](/source/Vogue_(Madonna_song))".[17] The [black-and-white](/source/Black-and-white) video for "Vogue" took inspiration from the films of the 1920s and 1930s and has been frequently cited as one of the best videos of all time.[22] Between 1984 and 1993, Fincher was credited as a director for 53 music videos.[20] He referred to the production of music videos as his own "film school", in which he learned how to work efficiently within a small budget and time frame.[23][24]

### 1992–2000: Breakthrough

In 1990, [20th Century Fox](/source/20th_Century_Studios) hired Fincher to replace [Vincent Ward](/source/Vincent_Ward_(director)) as the director for the [science-fiction](/source/Science_fiction) horror *[Alien 3](/source/Alien_3)* (1992), his film directorial debut.[25] It was the third installment in the [*Alien* franchise](/source/Alien_(franchise)) starring [Sigourney Weaver](/source/Sigourney_Weaver). The film was released in May 1992 to a mixed reception from critics and was considered weaker than the preceding films.[26] From the beginning, *Alien 3* was hampered by studio intervention and several abandoned scripts.[27][28] [Peter Travers](/source/Peter_Travers) of the *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* called the film "bold and haunting", despite the "struggle of nine writers" and "studio interference".[29]

The film received an [Academy Award](/source/Academy_Awards) nomination for [Best Visual Effects](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Visual_Effects).[30] Years later, Fincher publicly expressed his dismay and subsequently disowned the film. In the book *Director's Cut: Picturing Hollywood in the 21st Century*, Fincher blames the producers for their lack of trust in him.[31] In an interview with *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* in 2009, he stated, "No one hated it more than me; to this day, no one hates it more than me."[32]

After this critical disappointment, Fincher eschewed reading film scripts or directing another project.[33] He briefly retreated to directing commercials and music videos, including the video for the song "[Love Is Strong](/source/Love_Is_Strong)" by [The Rolling Stones](/source/The_Rolling_Stones) in 1994, which won the [Grammy Award for Best Music Video](/source/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Music_Video).[34] Shortly, Fincher decided to make a foray back into film. He read [Andrew Kevin Walker](/source/Andrew_Kevin_Walker)'s original screenplay for *[Seven](/source/Seven_(1995_film))* (1995), which had been revised by [Jeremiah S. Chechik](/source/Jeremiah_S._Chechik), the director attached to the project at one point. Fincher expressed no interest in directing the revised version, so [New Line Cinema](/source/New_Line_Cinema) agreed to keep the original ending.[33][35] Starring [Brad Pitt](/source/Brad_Pitt), [Morgan Freeman](/source/Morgan_Freeman), [Gwyneth Paltrow](/source/Gwyneth_Paltrow), [R. Lee Ermey](/source/R._Lee_Ermey), and [Kevin Spacey](/source/Kevin_Spacey), it tells the story of two detectives who attempt to identify a [serial killer](/source/Serial_killer) who bases his murders on the [Christian](/source/Christianity) [seven deadly sins](/source/Seven_deadly_sins).[36] *Seven* was positively received by film critics and was one of the highest-earning films of 1995, grossing more than $320 million worldwide.[37] Writing for *[Sight and Sound](/source/Sight_and_Sound)*, John Wrathall said it "stands as the most complex and disturbing entry in the serial killer genre since *[Manhunter](/source/Manhunter_(film))*" and [Roger Ebert](/source/Roger_Ebert) opined that *Seven* is "one of the darkest and most merciless films ever made in the Hollywood mainstream."[38][39]

Following *Seven*, Fincher directed a music video for "[6th Avenue Heartache](/source/6th_Avenue_Heartache)" by [The Wallflowers](/source/The_Wallflowers)[40] and went on to direct his third feature film, the mystery thriller *[The Game](/source/The_Game_(1997_film))* (1997), written by the duo [John Brancato and Michael Ferris](/source/John_Brancato_and_Michael_Ferris).[41] Fincher also hired *Seven* screenwriter Walker to contribute and polish the script.[42] Filmed on location in San Francisco, the story follows an investment banker, played by [Michael Douglas](/source/Michael_Douglas), who receives an unusual gift from his younger brother ([Sean Penn](/source/Sean_Penn)), where he becomes involved in a "game" that integrates with his everyday life, making him unable to differentiate between game and reality.[41] Almar Haflidason of the [BBC](/source/BBC) was critical of the ending, but praised the visuals—"Fincher does a marvelous job of turning ordinary city locations into frightening backdrops, where every corner turned is another step into the unknown".[43] Upon *The Game*'s release in September 1997, the film received generally favorable reviews but performed moderately at the box office.[44] *The Game* was later included in the [Criterion Collection](/source/The_Criterion_Collection).[45]

In August 1997, Fincher agreed to direct *[Fight Club](/source/Fight_Club)*, based on the 1996 [novel of the same name](/source/Fight_Club_(novel)) by [Chuck Palahniuk](/source/Chuck_Palahniuk). It was his second film with 20th Century Fox after the troubled production of *Alien 3*.[46] Starring Pitt, [Edward Norton](/source/Edward_Norton) and [Helena Bonham Carter](/source/Helena_Bonham_Carter), the film is about a nameless office worker suffering from insomnia, who meets a salesman, and together form an underground fighting club as a form of therapy. Fox struggled with the marketing of the film, and were concerned that it would have a limited audience.[47] *Fight Club* premiered on October 15, 1999, in the United States to a polarized response and modest box office success; the film grossed $100.9 million against a budget of $63 million.[48] Initially, many critics thought the film was "a violent and dangerous express train of masochism and aggression."[49] However, in following years, *Fight Club* became a cult favorite and gained acknowledgement for its multilayered themes; the film has been the source of [critical analysis from academics and film critics](/source/Interpretations_of_Fight_Club).[50][51]

### 2001–2010: Continued success

[Jesse Eisenberg](/source/Jesse_Eisenberg) and Fincher at the 2010 [New York Film Festival](/source/New_York_Film_Festival)

In 2001, Fincher served as an executive producer for the first season of *[The Hire](/source/The_Hire)*, a series of short films to promote [BMW](/source/BMW) automobiles. The films were released on the internet in 2001.[52] Next in 2002, Fincher returned with another feature film, a thriller titled *[Panic Room](/source/Panic_Room)*. The story follows a single mother and her daughter who hide in a safe room of their new home, during a [home invasion](/source/Home_invasion) by a trio. Starring [Jodie Foster](/source/Jodie_Foster) (who replaced [Nicole Kidman](/source/Nicole_Kidman)), [Forest Whitaker](/source/Forest_Whitaker), [Kristen Stewart](/source/Kristen_Stewart), [Dwight Yoakam](/source/Dwight_Yoakam), and [Jared Leto](/source/Jared_Leto),[53] it was theatrically released on March 29, 2002, after a month delay, to critical acclaim and commercial success.[54]

In North America, the film earned $96.4 million. In other countries, it grossed $100 million for a worldwide $196.4 million.[55] Mick LaSalle of the *[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)* praised the filmmakers for their "fair degree of ingenuity ... for 88 minutes of excitement" and the convincing performance given by Foster.[56] Fincher acknowledged *Panic Room* for being more mainstream, describing the film, "It's supposed to be a popcorn movie—there are no great, overriding implications. It's just about survival."[57]

Five years after *Panic Room*, Fincher returned on March 2, 2007, with *[Zodiac](/source/Zodiac_(film))*, a thriller based on [Robert Graysmith](/source/Robert_Graysmith)'s [books](/source/Zodiac_(true_crime_book)) about the search for the [Zodiac Killer](/source/Zodiac_Killer), a real life serial murderer who terrorized communities between the late 1960s and early 1970s.[58] Fincher first learned of the project after being approached by producer [Bradley J. Fischer](/source/Bradley_J._Fischer); he was intrigued by the story due to his childhood personal experience. "The highway patrol had been following our school buses", he recalled. His father told him, "There's a serial killer who has killed four or five people ... who's threatened to ... shoot the children as they come off the bus."[59]

After extensive research on the case with fellow producers, Fincher formed a principal cast of [Jake Gyllenhaal](/source/Jake_Gyllenhaal), [Mark Ruffalo](/source/Mark_Ruffalo), [Robert Downey Jr.](/source/Robert_Downey_Jr.), [Anthony Edwards](/source/Anthony_Edwards_(actor)) and [Brian Cox](/source/Brian_Cox_(actor)). It was the first of Fincher's films to be shot in [digital](/source/Digital_cinematography), with a [Thomson Viper FilmStream](/source/Thomson_Viper_FilmStream_Camera) [HD](/source/High-definition_video) [camera](/source/Digital_cinematography_cameras). However, high-speed film cameras were used for particular murder scenes.[60] *Zodiac* was well received, appearing in more than two hundred top ten lists (only *[No Country for Old Men](/source/No_Country_for_Old_Men_(film))* and *[There Will Be Blood](/source/There_Will_Be_Blood)* appeared in more).[61] However, the film struggled at the United States box office, earning $33 million, but did better overseas with a gross of $51.7 million.[62] Worldwide, *Zodiac* was a moderate success.[63] Despite a campaign by [Paramount Pictures](/source/Paramount_Pictures), the film did not receive any major award nominations.[64]

In 2008, Fincher was attached to a film adaptation of the science-fiction novel, *[Rendezvous with Rama](/source/Rendezvous_with_Rama)* by [Arthur C. Clarke](/source/Arthur_C._Clarke), however, Fincher said the film is unlikely to go ahead due to problems with the script.[65] His next project was *[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button](/source/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film))* (2008), an adaptation of [F. Scott Fitzgerald](/source/F._Scott_Fitzgerald)'s eponymous [1923 short story](/source/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(short_story)), about a man who is born as a seventy-year-old baby and ages in reverse. The romantic-drama marked Fincher's third collaboration with Pitt, who stars opposite [Cate Blanchett](/source/Cate_Blanchett). The budget for the film was estimated to be $167 million, with very expensive visual effects utilized for Pitt's character.[66]

Filming started in November 2006 in [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans), taking advantage of Louisiana's film incentive.[67] The film was theatrically released on December 25, 2008, in the United States to a commercial success and warm reception.[68][69] Writing for the *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)*, Claudia Puig praises the "graceful and poignant" tale despite it being "overlong and not as emotionally involving as it could be".[70] The film received thirteen Academy Award nominations, including [Best Picture](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture), [Best Director](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Director) for Fincher, [Best Actor](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor) for Pitt, and [Best Supporting Actress](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actress) for [Taraji P. Henson](/source/Taraji_P._Henson), and won three, for [Best Art Direction](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Production_Design), [Best Makeup](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Makeup_and_Hairstyling), and Best Visual Effects.[71]

Fincher directed the 2010 film *[The Social Network](/source/The_Social_Network)*, a biographical drama about [Facebook](/source/Facebook) founder, [Mark Zuckerberg](/source/Mark_Zuckerberg) and his legal battles. The screenplay was written by [Aaron Sorkin](/source/Aaron_Sorkin), who adapted it from the book *[The Accidental Billionaires](/source/The_Accidental_Billionaires)* by [Ben Mezrich](/source/Ben_Mezrich).[72] It stars [Jesse Eisenberg](/source/Jesse_Eisenberg) as Zuckerberg, with a supporting cast of [Andrew Garfield](/source/Andrew_Garfield), [Justin Timberlake](/source/Justin_Timberlake), [Armie Hammer](/source/Armie_Hammer) and [Max Minghella](/source/Max_Minghella). Principal photography started in October 2009 in [Cambridge, Massachusetts](/source/Cambridge%2C_Massachusetts) and the film was released one year later.[73] *The Social Network* was also a commercial success, earning $224.9 million worldwide.[74] At the [83rd Academy Awards](/source/83rd_Academy_Awards), the film received eight nominations and won three awards; soundtrack composers [Trent Reznor](/source/Trent_Reznor) and [Atticus Ross](/source/Atticus_Ross) won for [Best Original Score](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Score), and the other two awards were for [Best Adapted Screenplay](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Adapted_Screenplay) and [Best Film Editing](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Film_Editing).[75] The film also received awards for [Best Motion Picture – Drama](/source/Golden_Globe_Award_for_Best_Motion_Picture_%E2%80%93_Drama), [Best Director](/source/Golden_Globe_Award_for_Best_Director), [Best Screenplay](/source/Golden_Globe_Award_for_Best_Screenplay), and [Best Original Score](/source/Golden_Globe_Award_for_Best_Original_Score) at the [68th Golden Globe Awards](/source/68th_Golden_Globe_Awards).[76] Critics including Ebert, complimented the writing, describing the film as having "spellbinding dialogue. It makes an untellable story clear and fascinating".[77]

### 2011–present: Established filmmaker and work with Netflix

[Rooney Mara](/source/Rooney_Mara), [Daniel Craig](/source/Daniel_Craig), and Fincher at the premiere of *[The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo](/source/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_(2011_film))* in 2011

In 2011, Fincher followed the success of *The Social Network* with *[The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo](/source/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_(2011_film))*, a psychological thriller based on [the novel](/source/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo) by Swedish writer [Stieg Larsson](/source/Stieg_Larsson). Screenwriter [Steven Zaillian](/source/Steven_Zaillian) spent three months analyzing the novel, writing notes and deleting elements to achieve a suitable running time.[78] Featuring [Daniel Craig](/source/Daniel_Craig) as journalist [Mikael Blomkvist](/source/Mikael_Blomkvist) and [Rooney Mara](/source/Rooney_Mara) as [Lisbeth Salander](/source/Lisbeth_Salander), it follows Blomkvist's investigation to solve what happened to a woman from a wealthy family who disappeared four decades ago. To maintain the novel's setting, the film was primarily shot in Sweden.[79]

The [soundtrack](/source/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_(soundtrack)), composed by collaborators Reznor and Ross, was described by [A. O. Scott](/source/A._O._Scott) of *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* as "unnerving and powerful".[80][81] Upon the film's release in December, reviews were generally favorable, according to review aggregator [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic).[82] Scott adds, "Mr. Fincher creates a persuasive ambience of political menace and moral despair". Philip French of *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* praised the "authentic, quirky detail" and faithful adaptation.[83] The film received five Academy Award nominations, including [Best Actress](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actress) for Mara, and won the award for Best Film Editing.[84] In 2012, Fincher signed a first look deal with [Regency Enterprises](/source/Regency_Enterprises).[85]

In 2013, Fincher served as an executive producer for the [Netflix](/source/Netflix) television series *[House of Cards](/source/House_of_Cards_(American_TV_series))*, a political thriller about a Congressman's quest for revenge, of which he also directed the first two episodes.[86] The series received positive reviews, earning nine [Primetime Emmy Award](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award) nominations, including [Outstanding Drama Series](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Drama_Series); Fincher won the [Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_for_a_Drama_Series) for the first episode.[87] He also directed a music video for the first time since 2005, "[Suit & Tie](/source/Suit_%26_Tie)" by Timberlake and [Jay-Z](/source/Jay-Z), which won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video.[88]

Fincher directed *[Gone Girl](/source/Gone_Girl_(film))* (2014), an adaptation of [Gillian Flynn](/source/Gillian_Flynn)'s [novel of the same name](/source/Gone_Girl_(novel)), which was also scripted by Flynn, starring [Ben Affleck](/source/Ben_Affleck) and [Rosamund Pike](/source/Rosamund_Pike).[89][90] He even met with Flynn to discuss his interest in the project before a director was selected.[91] Set in [Missouri](/source/Missouri), the story begins as a [mystery](/source/Mystery_fiction) that follows the events surrounding Nick Dunne (Affleck), who becomes the prime suspect in the sudden disappearance of his wife [Amy](/source/Amy_Dunne) (Pike). A critical and commercial success, the film earned $369 million worldwide against a $61 million budget, making it Fincher's highest-grossing work to date.[92] Writing for *[Salon.com](/source/Salon.com)*, Andrew O'Hehir praised the "tremendous ensemble cast who mesh marvelously", adding, "All the technical command of image, sound and production design for which Fincher is justly famous is here as well."[93] *Gone Girl* garnered awards and nominations in a [various categories](/source/List_of_accolades_received_by_Gone_Girl_(film)); Pike earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and Fincher received his third Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Director.[94]

Fincher and [Gillian Flynn](/source/Gillian_Flynn) at the [2014 New York Film Festival](/source/2014_New_York_Film_Festival)

Also in 2014, Fincher signed a deal with [HBO](/source/HBO) for three television series—*[Utopia](/source/Utopia_(2020_TV_series))* (an adaptation of the [British series](/source/Utopia_(British_TV_series)), to be written by Flynn), *Shakedown*, and *Videosyncrazy*. In August 2015, budget disputes between him and the network halted production.[95] However, in 2018, *Utopia* was picked up by [Amazon MGM Studios](/source/Amazon_MGM_Studios), with Flynn as creator.[96]

Between 2016 and 2019, Fincher directed, produced and served as showrunner for another series, *[Mindhunter](/source/Mindhunter_(TV_series))*, starring [Holt McCallany](/source/Holt_McCallany), [Jonathan Groff](/source/Jonathan_Groff) and [Anna Torv](/source/Anna_Torv). The series, based on the book *[Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit](/source/Mindhunter%3A_Inside_the_FBI's_Elite_Serial_Crime_Unit)*, debuted on Netflix worldwide on October 13, 2017.[97][98] He has expressed interest in eventually making a third season of *Mindhunter*, which was put on indefinite hold in 2020.[99] In 2023, Fincher confirmed that Netflix will not be making a third season of *Mindhunter*, saying "I'm very proud of the first two seasons. But it's a very expensive show and, in the eyes of Netflix, we didn't attract enough of an audience to justify such an investment [for Season 3]."[100]

In June 2017, [Jim Gianopulos](/source/Jim_Gianopulos) of Paramount Pictures announced that a sequel to *[World War Z](/source/World_War_Z_(film))* was "in advanced development" with Pitt and Fincher.[101] Producers [Dede Gardner](/source/Dede_Gardner) and [Jeremy Kleiner](/source/Jeremy_Kleiner) said that Fincher would begin directing it in June 2019.[102] However, in February 2019, Paramount cancelled the project.[103] As of 2019, Fincher serves as an executive producer for *[Love, Death & Robots](/source/Love%2C_Death_%26_Robots)*, an animated science-fiction web series created by [Tim Miller](/source/Tim_Miller_(director)) for Netflix.[104]

In July 2019, Fincher signed on to direct *[Mank](/source/Mank)*, a [biopic](/source/Biographical_film) about *[Citizen Kane](/source/Citizen_Kane)* screenwriter [Herman J. Mankiewicz](/source/Herman_J._Mankiewicz), based on a screenplay written by his late father, Jack, with [Gary Oldman](/source/Gary_Oldman) portraying Mankiewicz. *Mank* received a limited theatrical release on November 13, 2020, and was made available on Netflix on December 4.[105][106][107] The film received [ten Academy Award nominations](/source/93rd_Academy_Awards), and won two: [Best Cinematography](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Cinematography) and [Best Production Design](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Production_Design).[108][109] Wendy Ide, writing for *The Guardian*, praised Fincher for his nod to [old Hollywood](/source/Classical_Hollywood_cinema), and theatrical approach to *Mank*.[110]

Fincher served as an executive producer on a series titled *[Voir](/source/Voir_(TV_series))* (2021) for Netflix.[111] In 2022, Fincher made his first foray in animation directing an episode for the third season of *Love, Death & Robots*. The episode, "Bad Travelling", was written by *Seven* screenwriter Walker.[112] In February 2021, it was reported that Fincher would direct an [adaptation](/source/The_Killer_(2023_film)) of the graphic novel *[The Killer](/source/The_Killer_(comics))* for Netflix, with Walker writing the screenplay and [Michael Fassbender](/source/Michael_Fassbender) attached to star.[113] It premiered at the [80th Venice International Film Festival](/source/80th_Venice_International_Film_Festival) on September 3, 2023,[114] began a limited theatrical release on October 27, and was released on Netflix on November 10.[115] The film received generally positive reviews from critics.[116][117][118]

In 2024, it was reported that Fincher was interested in working on an American adaptation of the popular Korean series *[Squid Game](/source/Squid_Game)* and was developing it alongside a *[Chinatown](/source/Chinatown_(1974_film))* (1974) prequel miniseries that he co-wrote with the late [Robert Towne](/source/Robert_Towne). It was confirmed in October 2024 that he would develop and work on the *Squid Game* adaptation for 2025.[119][120] Fincher is currently directing *[The Adventures of Cliff Booth](/source/The_Adventures_of_Cliff_Booth)*, a sequel to [Quentin Tarantino](/source/Quentin_Tarantino)'s *[Once Upon a Time in Hollywood](/source/Once_Upon_a_Time_in_Hollywood)* (2019), written by Tarantino and starring Pitt in the lead role, marking their fourth collaboration between them.[121]

## Filmmaking style and techniques

### Influences

Fincher did not attend film school. He has listed filmmakers [George Roy Hill](/source/George_Roy_Hill), [Alfred Hitchcock](/source/Alfred_Hitchcock), [Stanley Kubrick](/source/Stanley_Kubrick), [Alan J. Pakula](/source/Alan_J._Pakula), [Ridley Scott](/source/Ridley_Scott), and [Martin Scorsese](/source/Martin_Scorsese) as his major influences.[122] His personal favorite films include *[Rear Window](/source/Rear_Window)* (1954), *[Lawrence of Arabia](/source/Lawrence_of_Arabia_(film))* (1962), *[The Graduate](/source/The_Graduate)* (1967), *[Paper Moon](/source/Paper_Moon_(film))* (1973), *[American Graffiti](/source/American_Graffiti)* (1973), *[Jaws](/source/Jaws_(film))* (1975), *[All the President's Men](/source/All_the_President's_Men_(film))* (1976), *[Taxi Driver](/source/Taxi_Driver)* (1976), *[Close Encounters of the Third Kind](/source/Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind)* (1977), and *[Zelig](/source/Zelig)* (1983).[123][124] He suggested that his film *Panic Room* is a combination of *Rear Window* and *[Straw Dogs](/source/Straw_Dogs_(1971_film))* (1971).[125]

For *Seven*, Fincher and cinematographer [Darius Khondji](/source/Darius_Khondji) were inspired by films *[The French Connection](/source/The_French_Connection_(film))* (1971) and *[Klute](/source/Klute)* (1971), as well as the work of photographer [Robert Frank](/source/Robert_Frank).[126] He has cited graphic designer [Saul Bass](/source/Saul_Bass) as an inspiration for his films' [title sequences](/source/Title_sequence); Bass designed many such sequences for prominent directors, including Hitchcock and Kubrick.[13]

### Method

Those are the moments where moviemaking is not like writing, and it's not like the theater, and it's not like performance art, and it's not like sculpting. It's truly its own discipline. There's nothing else like it in those moments where you go, wow, here's an intent that was probably never even thought of by the guy who wrote the book. And yet this person who may or may not have even read the source material has found this thing. That, for me, after the previsualization, is the most exciting part of the whole.[127]

— Fincher on [serendipity](/source/Serendipity) during filmmaking.

Fincher's filmmaking process always begins with extensive research and preparation, although he has said the process is different every time: "I enjoy reading a script that you can see in your head, and then I enjoy the casting and I enjoy the rehearsal, and I enjoy all the meetings about what it should be, what it could be, what it might be."[127] He has admitted to having [autocratic](/source/Autocracy) tendencies and prefers to [micromanage](/source/Micromanaging) every aspect of a film's production.[127][128] Icelandic film producer [Sigurjón Sighvatsson](/source/Sigurj%C3%B3n_Sighvatsson), with whom Fincher has collaborated for decades, has said that "[Fincher] was always a rebel ... always challenging the status quo".[19]

Known for his [perfectionism](/source/Perfectionism_(psychology)) and meticulous eye for detail, Fincher performs thorough research when casting actors to ensure their suitability for the part. His colleague Max Daly said, "He's really good at finding the one detail that was missed. He knows more than anybody."[129] Producer [Laura Ziskin](/source/Laura_Ziskin) said of him, "He's just scary smart, sort of smarter than everyone else in the room."[129] He approaches editing like "intricate mathematical problems".[129] Long-time collaborator [Angus Wall](/source/Angus_Wall) said that editing *Zodiac* was like "putting together a [Swiss watch](/source/Swiss_made) ... all the pieces are so beautifully machined". He elaborated, "[Fincher] is incredibly specific. He never settles. And there's a purity that shows in his work."[129]

When working with actors, Fincher is known to demand a grueling series of takes to capture a scene perfectly.[91][130] For instance, the *Zodiac* cast members were required to do upwards of 70 takes for certain scenes, much to the displeasure of Jake Gyllenhaal.[59] Rooney Mara had to endure 99 takes for a scene in *The Social Network* and said that Fincher enjoys challenging people.[19][131] *Gone Girl* averaged 50 takes per scene. In one of the episodes for *Mindhunter*, it was reported that a nine-minute scene took 11 hours to shoot.[132] When asked about this method, Fincher said, "I hate earnestness in performance ... usually by take 17 the earnestness is gone." He added that he wants a scene to be as natural and authentic as possible.[59] Some actors appreciate this approach, arguing that the subtle adjustments have a big difference in the way a scene is carried. Others have been critical, with [R. Lee Ermey](/source/R._Lee_Ermey) stating, "[Fincher] wants puppets. He doesn't want actors that are creative."[129][133]

Fincher prefers shooting with [Red](/source/Red_Digital_Cinema) digital cameras, under natural or pre-existing light conditions rather than using elaborate [lighting setups](/source/Photographic_lighting).[134][135][136] Fincher is known to use [computer-generated imagery](/source/Computer-generated_imagery), which is mostly unnoticeable to the viewer.[137] He does not normally use [hand-held cameras](/source/Hand-held_camera) during filming, instead preferring cameras on a [tripod](/source/Tripod_(photography)). He said, "Handheld has a powerful psychological stranglehold. It means something specific and I don't want to cloud what's going on with too much meaning."[13] He has experimented with the disembodied camera movement, notably in *Panic Room*, where the camera glides around the house to give the impression of surveillance by an unseen observer.[13]

### Style and themes

One element of Fincher's visual style is the specific way in which he uses [tilt](/source/Tilt_(camera)), [pan](/source/Panning_(camera)), and [track](/source/Match_moving) in the camera movements. When a character is in motion or expressing emotions, the camera moves at the exact same speed and direction as their body. The movements are choreographed precisely between the actors and camera operators. The resulting effect helps the audience connect with the character to understand their feelings.[138][139] Similarly, in his music videos, Fincher appreciated that the visuals should enhance the listening experience. He would [cut](/source/Film_editing) around the vocals, and let the choreography finish before cutting the shot. Camera movements are synchronized to the beat of the music.[140]

Some regard Fincher as an [auteur](/source/Auteur) filmmaker, although he dislikes being associated with that term.[124][141] Much of his work is influenced by classical [film noir](/source/Film_noir) and [neo noir](/source/Neo-noir) genres.[142] Fincher's visual style also includes using monochromatic and [desaturated](/source/Colorfulness) colors of blue, green, and yellow, representing the world that the characters are in. In *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*, Fincher uses heavy desaturation for certain scenes, and increases or decreases the effect based on the story or characters' emotions.[143] [Erik Messerschmidt](/source/Erik_Messerschmidt), cinematographer for *Mindhunter*, explained the color palette: "The show has a desaturated green-yellow look ... [it] helps give the show its period feel." He states the effect is achieved through production design, costumes, and filming locations—not necessarily through lighting used on set. Fincher also favors detailed and pronounced shadows, as well as using minimal light.[144][145] When asked about his use of dim lighting, he said bright lights make the color of skin appear unnatural, and that the lights and colors in his films represent "the way the world looks to [him]".[127]

Fincher has explored themes of [martyrdom](/source/Martyr), [alienation](/source/Social_alienation), and [dehumanization](/source/Dehumanization) of both culture and society.[146] In addition to the wider themes of good and evil, his characters are usually troubled, discontented, engrossed and flawed outsiders, [outcasts](/source/Outcast_(person)), [loners](/source/Loner) and misfits; they are often unable to socialize and suffer from loneliness.[b] In *Seven*, *Zodiac*, and *The Social Network*, themes of pressure and obsession are explored, leading to the character's downfall. Quoting historian Frank Krutnik, the writer Piers McCarthy argues that "the protagonists of these films are not totally in control of their actions but are subject to darker, inner impulses".[157]

In a 2017 interview, Fincher explained his fascination of sinister themes: "There was always a house in any neighborhood that I ever lived in that all the kids on the street wondered, 'What are those people up to?' We sort of attach the sinister to the mundane in order to make things interesting ... I think it's also because in order for something to be evil, it almost has to cloak itself as something else."[158][159] Fincher once stated, "I think people are perverts. I've maintained that. That's the foundation of my career."[130]

### Collaborators

Frequent Fincher collaborators [Trent Reznor](/source/Trent_Reznor) and [Atticus Ross](/source/Atticus_Ross)

Over the course of his career, Fincher has shown loyalty to many members of his cast and crew. As a music video director, he collaborated with [Paula Abdul](/source/Paula_Abdul) five times, as well as [Madonna](/source/Madonna) and [Rick Springfield](/source/Rick_Springfield) four times each. Once he made the transition to feature films, he cast [Brad Pitt](/source/Brad_Pitt) in three of them. He said of Pitt, "On-screen and off-screen, Brad's the ultimate guy ... he has such a great ease with who he is."[128] [Bob Stephenson](/source/Bob_Stephenson_(actor)), [Michael Massee](/source/Michael_Massee), Christopher John Fields, [John Getz](/source/John_Getz), [Elias Koteas](/source/Elias_Koteas), [Zach Grenier](/source/Zach_Grenier), [Charles Dance](/source/Charles_Dance), [Rooney Mara](/source/Rooney_Mara), [Jared Leto](/source/Jared_Leto), [Arliss Howard](/source/Arliss_Howard), and Richmond Arquette have also appeared in at least two of his films.[160]

*Fight Club* was scored by the [Dust Brothers](/source/Dust_Brothers), who at that point had never scored a film. Describing their working relationship with Fincher, they said he "was not hanging over our shoulders telling us what to do" and that the only direction he gave was to make the music sound as great as the score from *[The Graduate](/source/The_Graduate)* (1967).[161] [Nine Inch Nails](/source/Nine_Inch_Nails) members [Trent Reznor](/source/Trent_Reznor) and [Atticus Ross](/source/Atticus_Ross) composed the music for *The Social Network*, *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*, *Gone Girl*, *Mank*, and *The Killer*. The musicians describe their working relationship as "collaborative, respectful, and inspiring" although quipped that it "hasn't gotten any easier".[162] Many years before the duo worked with Fincher, he arranged for a remix of the Nine Inch Nails song "[Closer](/source/Closer_(Nine_Inch_Nails_song))" to play over the opening credits of *Seven*. [Howard Shore](/source/Howard_Shore) composed the scores for *Seven*, *The Game*, and *Panic Room*.[163]

Darius Khondji and [Jeff Cronenweth](/source/Jeff_Cronenweth) have served as cinematographers for Fincher's films. Khondji said, "Fincher deserves a lot of credit. It was his influence that pushed me to experiment and got me as far as I did."[126] Fincher has hired sound designer [Ren Klyce](/source/Ren_Klyce) in all his films since 1995 and trusts him "implicitly".[164] He has worked with film editor Angus Wall since 1988. Wall has worked on seven of his films, five of which as editor.[165]

[Donald Graham Burt](/source/Donald_Graham_Burt) has served as a production designer for six films[166] and Bob Wagner has served as an assistant director for six.[167] Casting director Laray Mayfield has worked with Fincher for over 20 years.[168] In a 2010 interview, Fincher said, "You don't have to love all of your co-collaborators, but you do have to respect them. And when you do, when you realize that people bring stuff to the table that's not necessarily your experience, but if you allow yourself to relate to it, it can enrich the buffet that you're going to bring with you into the editing room."[127]

## Personal life

Fincher married model Donya Fiorentino (sister of actress [Linda Fiorentino](/source/Linda_Fiorentino)[169]) in 1990. They had one daughter together,[170] before divorcing in 1995.[171][172] Fincher married producer [Ceán Chaffin](/source/Ce%C3%A1n_Chaffin) in 1996.[173]

## Filmography

Main article: [David Fincher filmography](/source/David_Fincher_filmography)

See also: [David Fincher's unrealized projects](/source/David_Fincher's_unrealized_projects)

Year Title Distributor 1992 Alien 3 20th Century Fox 1995 Seven New Line Cinema 1997 The Game PolyGram Filmed Entertainment 1999 Fight Club 20th Century Fox 2002 Panic Room Sony Pictures Releasing 2007 Zodiac Paramount Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures 2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2010 The Social Network Sony Pictures Releasing 2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2014 Gone Girl 20th Century Fox 2020 Mank Netflix 2023 The Killer 2026 The Adventures of Cliff Booth

## Awards and recognitions

Main article: [List of awards and nominations received by David Fincher](/source/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_David_Fincher)

Tim Walker of *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)* praised Fincher's work, stating "His portrayals of the modern psyche have a power and precision that few film-makers can match."[171] In 2003, Fincher was ranked 39th in *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*'s 40 best directors.[2] In 2012, *The Guardian* listed him again in their ranking of 23 best film directors in the world, applauding "his ability to sustain tone and tension".[174] In 2016*, Zodiac* and *The Social Network* appeared in the [BBC](/source/BBC)'s [100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century](/source/BBC's_100_Greatest_Films_of_the_21st_Century) list.[175] In addition to films, Fincher has often been admired for producing some of the most creative music videos.[140][176][177]

Fincher received three [Academy Award for Best Director](/source/Academy_Award_for_Best_Director) nominations for *[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button](/source/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(film))* (2008), *[The Social Network](/source/The_Social_Network)* (2010), and *[Mank](/source/Mank)* (2020). He won both the [BAFTA Award for Best Direction](/source/BAFTA_Award_for_Best_Direction) and the [Golden Globe Award for Best Director](/source/Golden_Globe_Award_for_Best_Director) for *The Social Network*. He has four nominations for the [DGA Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film](/source/Directors_Guild_of_America_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_%E2%80%93_Feature_Film) for *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* (2008), *The Social Network* (2010), [*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*](/source/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_(2011_film)) (2011) and *Mank* (2020) as well as a nomination for [Outstanding Directing – Drama Series](/source/Directors_Guild_of_America_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_%E2%80%93_Drama_Series) for [*House of Cards*](/source/House_of_Cards_(American_TV_series)) (2013). His work on the latter also earned him the [Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_for_a_Drama_Series) and the [Peabody Award](/source/Peabody_Awards) in addition to four nominations for the [PGA Award for Best Episodic Drama](/source/Producers_Guild_of_America_Award_for_Best_Episodic_Drama).

Fincher also received two [Grammy Awards for Best Music Video](/source/Grammy_Award_for_Best_Music_Video) for "[Love Is Strong](/source/Love_Is_Strong)" (1995) by *[The Rolling Stones](/source/The_Rolling_Stones)* and "[Suit & Tie](/source/Suit_%26_Tie)" (2013) by [Justin Timberlake](/source/Justin_Timberlake) and [Jay-Z](/source/Jay-Z) as well as three [Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program](/source/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Short_Form_Animated_Program) for *[Love, Death & Robots](/source/Love%2C_Death_%26_Robots)*.

Awards and nominations received by Fincher's films Year Title Academy Awards BAFTA Awards Golden Globe Awards Nominations Wins Nominations Wins Nominations Wins 1992 Alien 3 1 1 1995 Seven 1 1 1999 Fight Club 1 2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 13 3 11 3 5 2010 The Social Network 8 3 6 3 6 4 2011 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 5 1 2 2 2014 Gone Girl 1 2 4 2020 Mank 10 2 6 1 6 Total 40 9 29 7 23 4

**Directed Academy Award performances** Under Fincher's direction, these actors have received [Academy Award](/source/Academy_Awards) nominations for their performances in the respective roles.

Year Performer Film Result Academy Award for Best Actor 2008 Brad Pitt The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Nominated 2010 Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network Nominated 2020 Gary Oldman Mank Nominated Academy Award for Best Actress 2011 Rooney Mara The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Nominated 2014 Rosamund Pike Gone Girl Nominated Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress 2008 Taraji P. Henson The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Nominated 2020 Amanda Seyfried Mank Nominated

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Attributed to multiple sources.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-158)** Attributed to multiple sources.[147][148][149][150][151][152][153][154][155][156]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Guardian_1-0)** Catterall, Ali; Lyne, Charlie; Mumford, Gwilym; Wise, Damon (August 31, 2012). ["The 23 best film directors in the world today"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/sep/01/best-film-directors-world-2012). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171026194355/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/sep/01/best-film-directors-world-2012) from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-theguardian.com_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-theguardian.com_2-1) ["40 best directors | Features | guardian.co.uk Film"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/features/page/0,11456,1082823,00.html). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190629200059/https://www.theguardian.com/film/features/page/0,11456,1082823,00.html) from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-EW_3-0)** Stack, Tom (February 22, 2011). ["25 Greatest Working Directors"](https://www.firstshowing.net/2011/entertainment-weeklys-list-of-the-25-greatest-working-directors/). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170829204325/http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/entertainment-weeklys-list-of-the-25-greatest-working-directors/) from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bean, Travis. ["Every David Fincher Movie, Ranked And In Order"](https://www.forbes.com/sites/entertainment/article/david-fincher-movies/). *[Forbes](/source/Forbes)*. Retrieved February 18, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Fear, David (January 12, 2021). ["David Fincher: The Rolling Stone Interview"](https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/david-fincher-rolling-stone-interview-1096204/). *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved February 18, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Hassenger, Jesse (March 7, 2025). ["The Best David Fincher Movies, Definitively Ranked"](https://www.gq.com/story/the-best-david-fincher-movies-definitively-ranked). *[GQ](/source/GQ)*. Retrieved March 7, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-REW_8-0)** ["The Membership > Obituaries: Howard Kely "Jack" Fincher"](http://www.wolfensberger.org/pages/NL_BKUP/WFA_NL/2003May.pdf) (PDF). Vol. 9, no. 2. Wolfensberger: Newsletter of the Wolfensberger Family Association. May 2003. p. 3. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161118205924/http://www.wolfensberger.org/pages/NL_BKUP/WFA_NL/2003May.pdf) (PDF) from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2010. He is survived by ... and David Andrew Leo Fincher. David Fincher is a Hollywood motion picture director...

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Davies, Gareth A (December 23, 2008). ["Forrest Griffin to show his police brutality"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150911133804/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/3918373/Forrest-Griffin-to-show-his-police-brutality.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. London. Archived from [the original](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/3918373/Forrest-Griffin-to-show-his-police-brutality.html) on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2010. ...David Leo Fincher, the American film director and music video director...

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-biography.com_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-biography.com_10-1) ["David Fincher: Director (1962–)"](https://www.biography.com/people/david-fincher-411094). [Biography.com](/source/Biography.com) ([FYI](/source/FYI_(TV_network)) / [A&E Networks](/source/A%26E_Networks)). Retrieved August 25, 2017.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Hochman, David (September 19, 1997). ["David Fincher gets back in 'The Game'"](http://www.ew.com/article/1997/09/19/david-fincher-gets-back-game). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090421162703/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C289517%2C00.html) from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2014. (Archived article on two pages headlined "Game Boy")

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-playboy2014_12-6) Rebello, Stephen (September 16, 2014). ["Playboy Interview: David Fincher"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150829153003/http://www.playboy.com/articles/playboy-interview-david-fincher). *[Playboy](/source/Playboy_(magazine))*. Archived from [the original](http://www.playboy.com/articles/playboy-interview-david-fincher) on August 29, 2015. Retrieved October 14, 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Swallow, James (2003). "Dark and Light". *Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher*. Reynolds & Hearn. p. 11. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-903111-52-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-903111-52-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:8_14-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:8_14-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:8_14-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:8_14-3) Perkins, Will; Albinson, Ian; Perkins (August 27, 2012). Ian Albinson Lola Landekic Will (ed.). ["David Fincher: A Film Title Retrospective"](https://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/david-fincher-a-film-title-retrospective/). *www.artofthetitle.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200109144547/https://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/david-fincher-a-film-title-retrospective/) from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.

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1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:18_141-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:18_141-1) ["Watch: What Makes David Fincher One of the Best Music Video Directors of All Time"](https://nofilmschool.com/2017/02/watch-david-fincher-and-craft-music-videos). *No Film School*. February 17, 2017. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20171103143450/http://nofilmschool.com/2017/02/watch-david-fincher-and-craft-music-videos) from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-142)** Rose, Steve (October 27, 2023). ["'Who doesn't think they're an outsider?' David Fincher on hitmen, 'incels' and Spider-Man's 'dumb' origin story"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oct/27/david-fincher-on-hitmen-incels-and-spider-mans-dumb-origin-story). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved March 13, 2025. Despite being one of the most renowned and distinctive film-makers in the business, Fincher is not comfortable with being described as an "auteur", or even an artist. "There's this fallacy that film directors come in and explain exactly what it is that they want to see and then they go to their trailer," he says. "And then it's presented to them and they make a few revisions, and then it's trapped in aspic for all eternity. That's just not it. It's much more sock puppetry and daycare and plumbing – you know, pouring concrete. It's a lot more physical labour than people probably imagine.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-147)** Hanson, Peter, 1969- (2002). *The cinema of Generation X : a critical study of films and directors*. Jefferson, NC: [McFarland & Company](/source/McFarland_%26_Company). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7864-8078-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-8078-4). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [606617292](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/606617292).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-148)** Rose, Steve (October 27, 2023). ["'Who doesn't think they're an outsider?' David Fincher on hitmen, 'incels' and Spider-Man's 'dumb' origin story"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/oct/27/david-fincher-on-hitmen-incels-and-spider-mans-dumb-origin-story). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved March 13, 2025. But there are some recurring themes in his work, such as troubled, outsider white males. They are often violent (as in *[The Killer](/source/The_Killer_(2023_film))* and *[Fight Club](/source/Fight_Club)*), or at least wilfully anti-establishment (*[Mank](/source/Mank)*, *[The Social Network](/source/The_Social_Network)*), and sometimes serial killers (*[Seven](/source/Seven_(1995_film))*, *[Zodiac](/source/Zodiac_(film))* and the Netflix series *[Mindhunter](/source/Mindhunter_(TV_series))*). "I honestly believe that the high school quarterback who's dating the homecoming queen cheerleader – even that guy thinks he's an outsider. Who doesn't think that they're an outsider?" he says. "That's the fundamental difference between me and [Tim Burton](/source/Tim_Burton). Tim Burton believes that *[Edward Scissorhands](/source/Edward_Scissorhands)* is an anomaly. I just don't know anybody who doesn't think, in some kind of way, that they're Edward Scissorhands.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-172)** Mottram, James (December 18, 2011). ["The anti-social network: Why David Fincher is the perfect man for 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'"](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-anti-social-network-why-david-fincher-is-the-perfect-man-for-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-6277070.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160913121349/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-anti-social-network-why-david-fincher-is-the-perfect-man-for-the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo-6277070.html) from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:17_173-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:17_173-1) Walker, Tim (October 8, 2010). ["David Fincher: All the best connections"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-fincher-all-the-best-connections-2101849.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160307220245/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-fincher-all-the-best-connections-2101849.html) from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LA-May1997_174-0)** ["Regrets Only"](https://books.google.com/books?id=YF0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22the+sister+of+actress+Linda+Fiorentino+and+ex-wife%22&pg=PA22). *[Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles_(magazine))*. May 1997. p. 22. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201114150134/https://books.google.com/books?id=YF0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22the+sister+of+actress+Linda+Fiorentino+and+ex-wife%22&pg=PA22) from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-175)** Galloway, Stephen (February 2, 2011). ["David Fincher: The Complex Mind of 'Social Network's' Anti-Social Director"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-fincher-complex-mind-social-95704). *[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200718094258/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-fincher-complex-mind-social-95704) from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-176)** Catterall, Ali; Lyne, Charlie; Wise, Gwilym Mumford & Damon (August 31, 2012). ["The 23 best film directors in the world today"](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/sep/01/best-film-directors-world-2012). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130827055954/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/sep/01/best-film-directors-world-2012) from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-177)** ["The 21st Century's 100 greatest films"](https://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films). [BBC](/source/BBC). August 23, 2016. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170131124228/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films) from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-178)** ["The 15 Most Accomplished Music Video Directors15. Marcus Nispel"](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/08/the-15-most-accomplished-music-video-directors/). *Complex*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190817190706/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2011/08/the-15-most-accomplished-music-video-directors/) from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-179)** Charles, Baptiste (August 7, 2015). ["10 Music Video Directors You Should Know"](https://www.raindance.org/10-music-video-directors-you-should-know/). *Raindance*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181210162409/http://www.raindance.org/10-music-video-directors-you-should-know/) from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2020.

## Bibliography

- [Waxman, Sharon](/source/Sharon_Waxman), ed. (2005). *Rebels on the Backlot: Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System*. [HarperEntertainment](/source/HarperCollins).

- Browning, Mark (2010). [*David Fincher: Films that Scar*](https://books.google.com/books?id=kGp4FLsn_AsC). ABC-CLIO. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-313-37772-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-313-37772-3).

- Hartenstein, Katharina (2007). [*Expositionsanalyse des Films "Fight Club" von David Fincher*](https://books.google.com/books?id=wTUwC-rPQqIC). GRIN Verlag. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-638-76361-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-638-76361-5).

- Januschke, Alexander (2010). [*Die Bildsprache von David Fincher anhand SE7EN und FIGHT CLUB*](https://books.google.com/books?id=LtPeBaT8R4wC). GRIN Verlag. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-640-64899-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-640-64899-3).

- Lacey, Nick (November 1, 2001). [*Se7en: director, David Fincher*](https://books.google.com/books?id=bH5ZAAAAMAAJ). Longman. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-582-45257-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-582-45257-2).

- Swallow, James (April 1, 2007). [*Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher*](https://books.google.com/books?id=4GV0AAAACAAJ). Reynolds & Hearn. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-905287-30-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-905287-30-7).

## External links

**David Fincher**  at Wikipedia's [sister projects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia_sister_projects)

- [Media](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:David_Fincher) from Commons
- [Quotations](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Fincher) from Wikiquote
- [Data](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184903) from Wikidata

- [David Fincher](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000399/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

v t e David Fincher Awards and nominations Bibliography Filmography Unrealized projects Films Alien 3 (1992) Seven (1995) The Game (1997) Fight Club (1999) Panic Room (2002) Zodiac (2007) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) The Social Network (2010) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Gone Girl (2014) Mank (2020) The Killer (2023) The Adventures of Cliff Booth (2026) Related Jack Fincher (father) Ceán Chaffin (wife)

Awards for David Fincher v t e BAFTA Award for Best Direction Mike Nichols (1968) John Schlesinger (1969) George Roy Hill (1970) John Schlesinger (1971) Bob Fosse (1972) François Truffaut (1973) Roman Polanski (1974) Stanley Kubrick (1975) Miloš Forman (1976) Woody Allen (1977) Alan Parker (1978) Francis Ford Coppola (1979) Akira Kurosawa (1980) Louis Malle (1981) Richard Attenborough (1982) Bill Forsyth (1983) Wim Wenders (1984) No Award (1985) Woody Allen (1986) Oliver Stone (1987) Louis Malle (1988) Kenneth Branagh (1989) Martin Scorsese (1990) Alan Parker (1991) Robert Altman (1992) Steven Spielberg (1993) Mike Newell (1994) Michael Radford (1995) Joel Coen (1996) Baz Luhrmann (1997) Peter Weir (1998) Pedro Almodóvar (1999) Ang Lee (2000) Peter Jackson (2001) Roman Polanski (2002) Peter Weir (2003) Mike Leigh (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Paul Greengrass (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Michel Hazanavicius (2011) Ben Affleck (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Guillermo del Toro (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Sam Mendes (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Edward Berger (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Brady Corbet (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director Roman Polanski (1980) Steven Spielberg (1981) Steven Spielberg (1982) Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani (1983) Bertrand Tavernier (1984) John Huston (1985) David Lynch / Oliver Stone (1986) Stanley Kubrick (1987) Stephen Frears (1988) Woody Allen (1989) Martin Scorsese (1990) Jonathan Demme (1991) Robert Altman (1992) Steven Spielberg (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Ang Lee (1995) Mike Leigh (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) John Boorman (1998) David O. Russell (1999) Cameron Crowe (2000) David Lynch (2001) Roman Polanski (2002) Sofia Coppola (2003) Zhang Yimou (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Julian Schnabel (2007) Gus Van Sant (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Steve McQueen (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Todd Haynes (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Paul Thomas Anderson (2017) Lynne Ramsay (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Ryusuke Hamaguchi (2021) Todd Field (2022) Jonathan Glazer (2023) Sean Baker (2024) Ryan Coogler (2025) v t e Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Robert Zemeckis (1988) Spike Lee (1989) Martin Scorsese (1990) Jonathan Demme (1991) Robert Altman (1992) Steven Spielberg (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Oliver Stone (1995) Joel Coen (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Terrence Malick (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) David Lynch (2001) Todd Haynes (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Clint Eastwood (2004) David Cronenberg (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Steve McQueen (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Christopher Nolan (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) RaMell Ross (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Director Mel Gibson (1995) Anthony Minghella (1996) James Cameron (1997) Steven Spielberg (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Ron Howard / Baz Luhrmann (2001) Steven Spielberg (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Martin Scorsese (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Michel Hazanavicius (2011) Ben Affleck (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Guillermo del Toro (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho / Sam Mendes (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Jon M. Chu (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Kevin Costner (1990) Oliver Stone (1991) Clint Eastwood (1992) Steven Spielberg (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Mike Figgis (1995) Joel Coen (1996) James Cameron (1997) Steven Spielberg (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Ron Howard (2001) Peter Jackson (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Martin Scorsese (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Jason Reitman (2009) David Fincher (2010) Alexander Payne (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Guillermo del Toro (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Sam Mendes (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Sean Baker (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials Robert Lieberman (1979) George Gomes (1980) Richard Levine (1981) Joe Pytka (1982) Bob Brooks / Stuart Hagmann (1983) Stuart Hagmann (1984) Ed Bianchi (1985) Joe Pytka (1986) Richard Levine (1987) James Gartner (1988) David Cornell (1989) Peter Smillie (1990) Joe Pytka (1991) Leslie Dektor (1992) James Gartner (1993) Michael Bay (1994) Robert Lieberman (1995) Tarsem Singh (1996) Bruce Dowad (1997) Kinka Usher (1998) Bryan Buckley (1999) Leslie Dektor (2000) Bob Kerstetter (2001) Baker Smith (2002) David Fincher (2003) Noam Murro (2004) Craig Gillespie (2005) Dante Ariola (2006) Nicolai Fuglsig (2007) Peter Thwaites (2008) Tom Kuntz (2009) Stacy Wall (2010) Noam Murro (2011) Alejandro González Iñárritu (2012) Martin de Thurah (2013) Nicolai Fuglsig (2014) Andreas Nilsson (2015) Derek Cianfrance (2016) Martin de Thurah (2017) Spike Jonze (2018) Spike Jonze (2019) Melina Matsoukas (2020) Bradford Young (2021) Kim Gehrig (2022) Kim Gehrig (2023) Andreas Nilsson (2024) Kim Gehrig (2025) v t e Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jack Smight (1959) Robert Mulligan (1960) George Schaefer (1961) Franklin J. Schaffner (1962) Stuart Rosenberg (1963) Tom Gries (1964) Paul Bogart (1965) Sydney Pollack (1966) Alex Segal (1967) Paul Bogart (1968) David Greene (1969) Paul Bogart (1970) Daryl Duke (1971) Alexander Singer (1972) Jerry Thorpe (1973) Robert Butler (1974) Bill Bain (1975) David Greene (1976) David Greene (1977) Marvin J. Chomsky (1978) Jackie Cooper (1979) Roger Young (1980) Robert Butler (1981) Harry Harris (1982) Jeff Bleckner (1983) Corey Allen (1984) Karen Arthur (1985) Georg Stanford Brown (1986) Gregory Hoblit (1987) Mark Tinker (1988) Robert Altman (1989) Thomas Carter / Scott Winant (1990) Thomas Carter (1991) Eric Laneuville (1992) Barry Levinson (1993) Daniel Sackheim (1994) Mimi Leder (1995) Jeremy Kagan (1996) Mark Tinker (1997) Mark Tinker (1998) Paris Barclay (1999) Thomas Schlamme (2000) Thomas Schlamme (2001) Alan Ball (2002) Christopher Misiano (2003) Walter Hill (2004) J. J. Abrams (2005) Jon Cassar (2006) Alan Taylor (2007) Greg Yaitanes (2008) Rod Holcomb (2009) Steve Shill (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Tim Van Patten (2012) David Fincher (2013) Cary Joji Fukunaga (2014) David Nutter (2015) Miguel Sapochnik (2016) Reed Morano (2017) Stephen Daldry (2018) Jason Bateman (2019) Andrij Parekh (2020) Jessica Hobbs (2021) Hwang Dong-hyuk (2022) Mark Mylod (2023) Frederick E. O. Toye (2024) Adam Randall (2025) v t e Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Joel Coen (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Peter Weir (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Peter Jackson (2001) Martin Scorsese (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Alexander Payne (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Jason Reitman (2009) David Fincher (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Ben Affleck (2012) Steve McQueen (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Christopher Nolan (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Céline Sciamma (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Park Chan-wook (2022) Todd Haynes (2023) Bertrand Bonello (2024) Park Chan-wook (2025) v t e Golden Globe Award for Best Director Henry King (1943) Leo McCarey (1944) Billy Wilder (1945) Frank Capra (1946) Elia Kazan (1947) John Huston (1948) Robert Rossen (1949) Billy Wilder (1950) László Benedek (1951) Cecil B. DeMille (1952) Fred Zinnemann (1953) Elia Kazan (1954) Joshua Logan (1955) Elia Kazan (1956) David Lean (1957) Vincente Minnelli (1958) William Wyler (1959) Jack Cardiff (1960) Stanley Kramer (1961) David Lean (1962) Elia Kazan (1963) George Cukor (1964) David Lean (1965) Fred Zinnemann (1966) Mike Nichols (1967) Paul Newman (1968) Charles Jarrott (1969) Arthur Hiller (1970) William Friedkin (1971) Francis Ford Coppola (1972) William Friedkin (1973) Roman Polanski (1974) Miloš Forman (1975) Sidney Lumet (1976) Herbert Ross (1977) Michael Cimino (1978) Francis Ford Coppola (1979) Robert Redford (1980) Warren Beatty (1981) Richard Attenborough (1982) Barbra Streisand (1983) Miloš Forman (1984) John Huston (1985) Oliver Stone (1986) Bernardo Bertolucci (1987) Clint Eastwood (1988) Oliver Stone (1989) Kevin Costner (1990) Oliver Stone (1991) Clint Eastwood (1992) Steven Spielberg (1993) Robert Zemeckis (1994) Mel Gibson (1995) Miloš Forman (1996) James Cameron (1997) Steven Spielberg (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Ang Lee (2000) Robert Altman (2001) Martin Scorsese (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Clint Eastwood (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Julian Schnabel (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) James Cameron (2009) David Fincher (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Ben Affleck (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Guillermo del Toro (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Sam Mendes (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Steven Spielberg (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Brady Corbet (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Honorary César Ingrid Bergman (1976) Diana Ross (1976) Henri Langlois (1977) Jacques Tati (1977) Robert Dorfmann (1978) René Goscinny (1978) Marcel Carné (1979) Charles Vanel (1979) Walt Disney (1979) Pierre Braunberger (1980) Louis de Funès (1980) Kirk Douglas (1980) Marcel Pagnol (1981) Alain Resnais (1981) Georges Dancigers (1982) Alexandre Mnouchkine (1982) Jean Nény (1982) Andrzej Wajda (1982) Raimu (1983) René Clément (1984) Georges de Beauregard (1984) Edwige Feuillère (1984) Christian-Jaque (1985) Danielle Darrieux (1985) Christine Gouze-Rénal (1985) Alain Poiré (1985) Maurice Jarre (1986) Bette Davis (1986) Jean Delannoy (1986) René Ferracci (1986) Claude Lanzmann (1986) Jean-Luc Godard (1987) Serge Silberman (1988) Bernard Blier (1989) Paul Grimault (1989) Gérard Philipe (1990) Jean-Pierre Aumont (1991) Sophia Loren (1991) Michèle Morgan (1992) Sylvester Stallone (1992) Jean Marais (1993) Marcello Mastroianni (1993) Gérard Oury (1993) Jean Carmet (1994) Jeanne Moreau (1995) Gregory Peck (1995) Steven Spielberg (1995) Lauren Bacall (1996) Henri Verneuil (1996) Charles Aznavour (1997) Andie MacDowell (1997) Michael Douglas (1998) Clint Eastwood (1998) Jean-Luc Godard (1998) Pedro Almodóvar (1999) Johnny Depp (1999) Jean Rochefort (1999) Josiane Balasko (2000) Georges Cravenne (2000) Jean-Pierre Léaud (2000) Martin Scorsese (2000) Darry Cowl (2001) Charlotte Rampling (2001) Agnès Varda (2001) Anouk Aimée (2002) Jeremy Irons (2002) Claude Rich (2002) Bernadette Lafont (2003) Spike Lee (2003) Meryl Streep (2003) Micheline Presle (2004) Jacques Dutronc (2005) Will Smith (2005) Hugh Grant (2006) Pierre Richard (2006) Marlène Jobert (2007) Jude Law (2007) Jeanne Moreau (2008) Roberto Benigni (2008) Romy Schneider (2008) Dustin Hoffman (2009) Harrison Ford (2010) Quentin Tarantino (2011) Kate Winslet (2012) Kevin Costner (2013) Scarlett Johansson (2014) Sean Penn (2015) Michael Douglas (2016) George Clooney (2017) Penélope Cruz (2018) Robert Redford (2019) Cate Blanchett (2022) David Fincher (2023) Agnès Jaoui (2024) Christopher Nolan (2024) Julia Roberts (2025) Costa-Gavras (2025) Jim Carrey (2026) v t e Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Director Tim Burton (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Nicolas Winding Refn (2011) Ben Affleck (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Greta Gerwig (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Brady Corbet (2024) Ryan Coogler (2025) v t e London Film Critics' Circle Award for Director of the Year Nicolas Roeg (1980) Andrzej Wajda (1981) Costa-Gavras (1982) Andrzej Wajda (1983) Neil Jordan (1984) Roland Joffé (1985) Akira Kurosawa (1986) Stanley Kubrick (1987) John Huston (1988) Terence Davies (1989) Woody Allen (1990) Ridley Scott (1991) Robert Altman (1992) James Ivory (1993) Steven Spielberg (1994) Peter Jackson (1995) Joel Coen (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Peter Weir (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Spike Jonze (2000) Alejandro González Iñárritu (2001) Phillip Noyce (2002) Clint Eastwood (2003) Martin Scorsese (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Paul Greengrass (2006) Paul Thomas Anderson (2007) David Fincher (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Michel Hazanavicius (2011) Ang Lee (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) László Nemes (2016) Sean Baker (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Steve McQueen (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Todd Field (2022) Jonathan Glazer (2023) RaMell Ross (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Sidney Lumet (1975) Sidney Lumet (1976) Herbert Ross (1977) Michael Cimino (1978) Robert Benton (1979) Roman Polanski (1980) Warren Beatty (1981) Steven Spielberg (1982) James L. Brooks (1983) Miloš Forman (1984) Terry Gilliam (1985) David Lynch (1986) John Boorman (1987) David Cronenberg (1988) Spike Lee (1989) Martin Scorsese (1990) Barry Levinson (1991) Clint Eastwood (1992) Jane Campion (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Mike Figgis (1995) Mike Leigh (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Steven Spielberg (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) David Lynch (2001) Pedro Almodóvar (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Alexander Payne (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Paul Greengrass (2006) Paul Thomas Anderson (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) Olivier Assayas / David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Paul Thomas Anderson (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Guillermo del Toro / Luca Guadagnino (2017) Debra Granik (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Todd Field (2022) Jonathan Glazer (2023) Mohammad Rasoulof (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction Tim Newman (1984) Jean-Baptiste Mondino (1985) Steven Barron (1986) Stephen R. Johnson (1987) Andy Morahan and George Michael (1988) David Fincher (1989) David Fincher (1990) Tarsem (1991) Mark Fenske (1992) Mark Pellington (1993) Jake Scott (1994) Spike Jonze (1995) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (1996) Beck (1997) Jonas Åkerlund (1998) Torrance Community Dance Group (1999) Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (2000) Spike Jonze (2001) Joseph Kahn (2002) Jamie Thraves (2003) Mark Romanek (2004) Samuel Bayer (2005) Robert Hales (2006) Samuel Bayer (2007) Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto (2008) Marc Webb (2009) Francis Lawrence (2010) Adam Yauch (2011) Romain Gavras (2012) David Fincher (2013) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2014) Colin Tilley and the Little Homies (2015) Melina Matsoukas (2016) Dave Meyers and The Little Homies (2017) Hiro Murai (2018) Calmatic (2019) Taylor Swift (2020) Lil Nas X and Tanu Muino (2021) Taylor Swift (2022) Taylor Swift (2023) Taylor Swift (2024) Lady Gaga, Bethany Vargas, and Parris Goebel (2025) v t e National Board of Review Award for Best Director Jean Renoir (1945) William Wyler (1946) Elia Kazan (1947) Roberto Rossellini (1948) Vittorio De Sica (1949) John Huston (1950) Akira Kurosawa (1951) David Lean (1952) George Stevens (1953) Renato Castellani (1954) William Wyler (1955) John Huston (1956) David Lean (1957) John Ford (1958) Fred Zinnemann (1959) Jack Cardiff (1960) Jack Clayton (1961) David Lean (1962) Tony Richardson (1963) Desmond Davis (1964) John Schlesinger (1965) Fred Zinnemann (1966) Richard Brooks (1967) Franco Zeffirelli (1968) Alfred Hitchcock (1969) François Truffaut (1970) Ken Russell (1971) Bob Fosse (1972) Ingmar Bergman (1973) Francis Ford Coppola (1974) Robert Altman / Stanley Kubrick (1975) Alan J. Pakula (1976) Luis Buñuel (1977) Ingmar Bergman (1978) John Schlesinger (1979) Robert Redford (1980) Warren Beatty (1981) Sidney Lumet (1982) James L. Brooks (1983) David Lean (1984) Akira Kurosawa (1985) Woody Allen (1986) Steven Spielberg (1987) Alan Parker (1988) Kenneth Branagh (1989) Kevin Costner (1990) Jonathan Demme (1991) James Ivory (1992) Martin Scorsese (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Ang Lee (1995) Joel Coen (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Shekhar Kapur (1998) Anthony Minghella (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Todd Field (2001) Phillip Noyce (2002) Edward Zwick (2003) Michael Mann (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Tim Burton (2007) David Fincher (2008) Clint Eastwood (2009) David Fincher (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Spike Jonze (2013) Clint Eastwood (2014) Ridley Scott (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Greta Gerwig (2017) Bradley Cooper (2018) Quentin Tarantino (2019) Spike Lee (2020) Paul Thomas Anderson (2021) Steven Spielberg (2022) Martin Scorsese (2023) Jon M. Chu (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director Michelangelo Antonioni (1966) Ingmar Bergman (1967) Ingmar Bergman (1968) François Truffaut (1969) Ingmar Bergman (1970) Bernardo Bertolucci (1971) Luis Buñuel (1972) François Truffaut (1973) Francis Ford Coppola (1974) Robert Altman (1975) Martin Scorsese (1976) Luis Buñuel (1977) Terrence Malick (1978) Woody Allen / Robert Benton (1979) Martin Scorsese (1980) Louis Malle (1981) Steven Spielberg (1982) Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani (1983) Robert Bresson (1984) John Huston (1985) David Lynch (1986) John Boorman (1987) Philip Kaufman (1988) Gus Van Sant (1989) Martin Scorsese (1990) David Cronenberg (1991) Clint Eastwood (1992) Steven Spielberg (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Mike Figgis (1995) Lars von Trier (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Steven Soderbergh (1998) Mike Leigh (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Robert Altman (2001) Roman Polanski (2002) Clint Eastwood (2003) Zhang Yimou (2004) David Cronenberg (2005) Paul Greengrass (2006) Paul Thomas Anderson (2007) Mike Leigh (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Michael Haneke (2012) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Todd Haynes (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Greta Gerwig (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Greta Gerwig (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Ryusuke Hamaguchi (2021) Charlotte Wells (2022) Jonathan Glazer (2023) Payal Kapadia (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director John Ford (1935) Rouben Mamoulian (1936) Gregory La Cava (1937) Alfred Hitchcock (1938) John Ford (1939) John Ford (1940) John Ford (1941) John Farrow (1942) George Stevens (1943) Leo McCarey (1944) Billy Wilder (1945) William Wyler (1946) Elia Kazan (1947) John Huston (1948) Carol Reed (1949) Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1950) Elia Kazan (1951) Fred Zinnemann (1952) Fred Zinnemann (1953) Elia Kazan (1954) David Lean (1955) John Huston (1956) David Lean (1957) Stanley Kramer (1958) Fred Zinnemann (1959) Jack Cardiff / Billy Wilder (1960) Robert Rossen (1961) No Award (1962) Tony Richardson (1963) Stanley Kubrick (1964) John Schlesinger (1965) Fred Zinnemann (1966) Mike Nichols (1967) Paul Newman (1968) Costa-Gavras (1969) Bob Rafelson (1970) Stanley Kubrick (1971) Ingmar Bergman (1972) François Truffaut (1973) Federico Fellini (1974) Robert Altman (1975) Alan J. Pakula (1976) Woody Allen (1977) Terrence Malick (1978) Woody Allen (1979) Jonathan Demme (1980) Sidney Lumet (1981) Sydney Pollack (1982) Ingmar Bergman (1983) David Lean (1984) John Huston (1985) Woody Allen (1986) James L. Brooks (1987) Chris Menges (1988) Paul Mazursky (1989) Martin Scorsese (1990) Jonathan Demme (1991) Robert Altman (1992) Jane Campion (1993) Quentin Tarantino (1994) Ang Lee (1995) Lars von Trier (1996) Curtis Hanson (1997) Terrence Malick (1998) Mike Leigh (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Robert Altman (2001) Todd Haynes (2002) Sofia Coppola (2003) Clint Eastwood (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Mike Leigh (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Michel Hazanavicius (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Steve McQueen (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Todd Haynes (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Sean Baker (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Joshua Safdie and Benjamin Safdie (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) S. S. Rajamouli (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) RaMell Ross (2024) Jafar Panahi (2025) v t e Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Director James Cameron (1997) Steven Spielberg (1998) Sam Mendes (1999) Darren Aronofsky (2000) David Lynch (2001) Peter Jackson (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Michel Gondry (2004) David Cronenberg (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Christopher Nolan (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Paul Thomas Anderson (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Christopher Nolan (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Coralie Fargeat (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Todd Haynes (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Alexander Payne (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Paul Greengrass (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Gus Van Sant (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) Darren Aronofsky / David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Barry Jenkins (2016) Guillermo del Toro (2017) Spike Lee (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Todd Field (2022) Jonathan Glazer (2023) Brady Corbet (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Satellite Award for Best Director Joel Coen (1996) James Cameron (1997) Terrence Malick (1998) Michael Mann (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) Baz Luhrmann (2001) Todd Haynes (2002) Jim Sheridan (2003) Mel Gibson (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Bill Condon / Clint Eastwood (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Nicolas Winding Refn (2011) David O. Russell (2012) Steve McQueen (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Tom McCarthy (2015) Kenneth Lonergan (2016) Jordan Peele (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) James Mangold (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) James Cameron (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Brady Corbet (2024) Chloé Zhao (2025) v t e St. Louis Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Alexander Payne / Martin Scorsese (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Michel Hazanavicius (2011) Ben Affleck (2012) Steve McQueen (2013) Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2014) Tom McCarthy (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Guillermo del Toro (2017) Spike Lee (2018) Quentin Tarantino (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Sarah Polley (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Denis Villeneuve (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Atom Egoyan (1997) Steven Spielberg (1998) Paul Thomas Anderson (1999) Steven Soderbergh (2000) David Lynch (2001) Paul Thomas Anderson (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Michel Gondry (2004) David Cronenberg (2005) Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne / Stephen Frears (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Jonathan Demme (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Paul Thomas Anderson (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) Todd Haynes (2015) Maren Ade (2016) Greta Gerwig (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Charlotte Wells (2022) Jonathan Glazer (2023) RaMell Ross (2024) Paul Thomas Anderson (2025) v t e Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director Steven Soderbergh (2000) Baz Luhrmann (2001) Stephen Daldry (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Clint Eastwood (2004) Ang Lee (2005) Alfonso Cuarón (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) David Fincher (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Terrence Malick (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Alejandro González Iñárritu (2014) George Miller (2015) Kenneth Lonergan (2016) Paul Thomas Anderson (2017) Paul Schrader (2018) Bong Joon Ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Denis Villeneuve (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Sceinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Denis Villeneuve (2024) Ryan Coogler (2025) v t e Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Director Spike Jonze / Sam Mendes / Denzel Washington (2002) Peter Jackson (2003) Michel Gondry (2004) Steven Spielberg (2005) Martin Scorsese (2006) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (2007) Danny Boyle (2008) Kathryn Bigelow (2009) David Fincher (2010) Martin Scorsese (2011) Kathryn Bigelow (2012) Alfonso Cuarón (2013) Richard Linklater (2014) George Miller (2015) Damien Chazelle (2016) Christopher Nolan (2017) Alfonso Cuarón (2018) Bong Joon-ho (2019) Chloé Zhao (2020) Jane Campion (2021) Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (2022) Christopher Nolan (2023) Brady Corbet (2024) Ryan Coogler (2025)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [David Fincher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Fincher) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Fincher?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
