Season 3 of Netflix’s thriller series Mindhunter is on hold due to director and actor issues. Based on the books by real-life FBI profiler John Douglas, Mindhunter debuted on Netflix in 2017 and immediately garnered acclaim for its meticulous storytelling and unsettling tone.
Focused on the activities of fictionalized FBI agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and his team, season 1 presented unnervingly convincing portrayals of famous killers like Ed Kemper and Richard Speck, while teasing a future story about BTK Killer Dennis Rader. Mindhunter was indeed a second Netflix triumph for executive producer David Fincher, following on the heels of his game-changing series House of Cards. With Fincher still at the helm as EP and occasional episode director, the show returned in 2019 for a second season featuring depictions of famed psychopaths Charles Manson, David Berkowitz and Atlanta Child Murders perpetrator Wayne Williams.
Unfortunately for the show’s many devoted fans, it seems the wait for Mindhunter season 3 is going to be a long one – if it ever arrives at all. As reported by EW, the third season is on hold as Fincher is doing other work and cast members’ contracts have lapsed, freeing them to also pursue other opportunities. As a spokesperson for Fincher explained:
Indeed, Fincher’s next project is the period drama Mank, which tells the story of Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz and director Orson Welles during the difficult development of that classic film. Fincher is also heavily involved in a second season of Love, Death and Robots, the animated sci-fi anthology series that debuted on Netflix in 2019. As for the Mindhunter cast, lead actor Groff is set to join the cast of The Matrix 4, a production that may take up a lot of time, while his co-star Holt McCallany has signed on for Guillermo del Toro’s noir remake Nightmare Alley.
“David is focused on directing his first Netflix film Mank and on producing the second season of Love, Death and Robots. He may revisit Mindhunter again in the future, but in the meantime felt it wasn’t fair to the actors to hold them from seeking other work while he was exploring new work of his own.”
Again, it’s unfortunate news for Mindhunter fans to learn that Fincher appears to be stepping away from the show in order to focus on other projects, allowing his main cast members to also go ahead with other work. In fact, the wording of the spokesperson’s statement is somewhat ominous, as it only says Fincher “may revisit” Mindhunter in the future. If the Netflix show does come to an end after only two seasons, it will feel like somewhat of a missed opportunity, especially given the way Fincher and company set up the investigation into the BTK Killer without any payoff thus far. Fans will just have to keep their fingers crossed that Fincher and his cast eventually clear their slates and are able to step back into the compelling world they helped create with those two seasons of Mindhunter.
More: Mindhunter: 10 Things In The Show That Only Make Sense If You Read The Books
Source: EW
