“Mindhunter” may return, but not in the form fans expected.
In an interview published Tuesday by Screen Rant, “Mindhunter” star Holt McCallany revealed he recently had a meeting with the series’ showrunner and lead director, David Fincher, who floated the idea of reviving the cult-favorite true-crime drama. “I had a meeting with David Fincher in his office a few months ago, and he said to me that there is a chance that it may come back as three two-hour movies, but I think it’s just a chance,” McCallany explained.
The actor went on to imply that screenplays for the aforementioned “Mindhunter” movies are actually being written right now, adding, “I know there are writers that are working, but you know, David has to be happy with scripts.”
Based on true events, “Mindhunter” followed a pair of FBI investigators (McCallany and Jonathan Groff) and a psychology professor (Anna Torv) who led the founding of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit and helped establish the modern version of criminal profiling. Its episodes frequently focused on its protagonists’ conversations with imprisoned serial killers, including Charles Manson (Damon Herriman) and Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton). It also frequently touched on the rise of the BTK Strangler (Sonny Valicenti) in the 1970s.
The series received rave reviews across its two seasons for its writing, performances and direction, and it gradually garnered a passionate fanbase. Despite that, “Mindhunter” did not generate enough mainstream attention to motivate Netflix to renew it for a third season, much to the dismay of its fans.
In February 2023, Fincher seemingly confirmed that the show was dead for good. “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,” he told French newspaper JDD. “I don’t blame them, they took risks to get the show off the ground, gave me the means to do ‘Mank’ the way I wanted to do it, and they allowed me to venture down new paths with ‘The Killer.’”
“It’s a blessing to be able to work with people who are capable of boldness,” Fincher added about Netflix. “The day our desires are not the same, we have to be honest about parting ways.”
At the time, Fincher’s comments made many “Mindhunter” fans lose all hope that the series could one day return. Now, however, it seems like Fincher may have found not only a new way for the true-crime drama to come back but also a new source of hope for its viewers. McCallany, meanwhile, told Screen Rant that he would love to reprise his “Mindhunter” role should he be given the chance.
“I felt very fortunate and privileged to have gotten to do that show at all. I would love it if it were to return,” the actor said. “I think that in terms of dates and logistics, it could all be worked out, but it has to do, you know, with David really having the time and the inclination and being happy, you know, with the material. And, you know, that’s a big question mark.”
