David Fincher's 1999 Spider-Man Pitch: A Fresh Spin on the Web-Slinger's Origins
David Fincher, acclaimed director of Fight Club, wanted to revolutionize Spider-Man in 1999 by omitting the clichéd origin story He aimed to challenge the superhero genre with a fresh take, rejecting the conventional red and blue spider and delving into Peter Parker's character on a deeper level
Director David Fincher pitched his idea for a superhero film featuring Spider-Man in 1999. However, he faced rejection as he wanted to overlook Peter Parker's origin story, which did not appeal to those in charge. Fincher expressed his lack of interest in the character's beginnings and understood why his idea was turned down. He believed that the origin story was not compelling and did not align with his creative vision.
Sam Raimi, known for his horror roots with Evil Dead, directed one of the most beloved superhero trilogies ever. The trilogy began with Spider-Man in 2002, starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Willem Dafoe. At the same time, David Fincher, who had previously directed Fight Club in 1999, went on to direct Panic Room in 2002 and Zodiac in 2007.
Interestingly, this is the second superhero project by Fincher that recently failed to materialize. In September, Man of Steel writer David S. Goyer revealed that he had collaborated with Fincher on a draft for a Blade film before the release of Se7en in 1995. Although the movie never officially went into production, it came very close to doing so.
At one point, Fincher was set to direct a sequel to World War Z, a project he compared to "The Last of Us." His latest film, titled The Killer and featuring Michael Fassbender, recently debuted in cinemas and will be released for streaming on Netflix on November 10.
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about David Fincher's 1999 Spider-Man pitch. On the one hand, I can understand why he wanted to omit the clichéd origin story. After all, the origin story of Spider-Man has been told and retold so many times that it's become a bit stale. On the other hand, I think the origin story is an essential part of Spider-Man's character. It's the story of how a young boy becomes a superhero, and it's a story that has inspired many people.
I think Fincher's idea to focus on Peter Parker's character on a deeper level is a good one. Spider-Man is a complex character, and there's a lot more to him than just his superpowers. I would have been interested to see Fincher's take on the character.
Ultimately, I think it's a shame that Fincher's Spider-Man movie never got made. I think it would have been a very different film from the ones we've seen before, and I think it would have been a very interesting film.
