David Fincher Reveals Shocking Truths about the Catastrophic Alien 3

David Fincher reflects on his directorial debut with Alien 3, following the acclaimed work of Ridley Scott and James Cameron on the previous installments. The third film in the Alien franchise tells the story of Ripley crash-landing on a maximum-security prison filled with dangerous inmates, inadvertently bringing along an alien organism. Alien 3 faced criticism from both critics and audiences, with a troubled production history that saw the original director, Vincent Ward, being replaced by Fincher. Despite the challenges, Fincher candidly describes the experience as a "truly f**ked up situation" during a recent interview at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. However, he emphasizes that the ordeal taught him a valuable lesson, which he carried with him throughout the rest of his directorial career.

I emerged from a profoundly messed-up situation and vowed to never repeat the same error. Although I ended up making numerous new mistakes, I always ensured that any endeavor I embarked upon had a well-defined script, one that I genuinely believed in, understood, and could effectively communicate to others. Additionally, I had come to realize that I preferred to make my own mistakes rather than inheriting them from others.

David Fincher Was Better Off After Alien 3

Fincher, admitting his mistake, made the error of signing on to direct Alien 3 without a completed script, given the constant rotation of writers involved in the project. Consequently, the script had to undergo continuous revisions during filming, leading to a lack of coherence and consistency in the narrative. However, this experience proved to be a valuable lesson for Fincher, who ensured that he never repeated the same mistake in his subsequent illustrious career. He became more discerning in selecting projects, refusing to direct any scripts he did not have faith in. As a result, he has successfully avoided being part of troubled productions or experiencing a flop like Alien 3.

Fincher's commitment to directing projects with well-crafted and unified scripts became evident after Alien 3. His partnership with BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker on Se7en garnered him critical acclaim. In subsequent works, Fincher collaborated with esteemed screenwriters, including Eric Roth for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network, and Steven Zaillian for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Notably, his most recent films, Gone Girl and Mank, were the creative endeavors of singular writers - Gillian Flynn for both the novel and screenplay of Gone Girl, and his late father Jack Fincher for Mank.