David Fincher will direct Columbia Pictures’ chess drama “Pawn Sacrifice,” which has Tobey Maguire on board as a producer with an eye on the lead role.
The picture centers on American chess player Bobby Fischer and his unlikely 1972 victory over Russian chess champ Boris Spassky which saw him take Spassky’s world champion title in a match billed as a “Cold War battle.”
The enigmatic Fischer should prove an interesting subject for both Fincher and Maguire, in spite of the obvious bore that chess is as a spectator sport. That said Steve Zaillian’s 1993 picture, “Searching For Bobby Fischer” is an excellent film. A grandmaster at the age of 15, Fischer’s rise in the chess world was marred only by his fall into seclusion, unnecessary forfeiting of the title and fall out with the U.S. government. He briefly reappeared in 1992 to beat Spassky in a rematch. This project, however, will only follow his infamous match with Spassky and its lead up.
“Eastern Promise” writer Steven Knight recently turned in a script that attracted many big-name directors but will now be the second Fincher-Columbia collaboration in quick succession after his Facebook-film “The Social Network.” Fincher reportedly fell out with his previous go-to studio Paramount over troubles with “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” likely leading to the demise of projects such as his anthology-pic “Heavy Metal” and Elliot Ness-crime-thriller “Torso” at that studio (“Heavy Metal” still seems like it has legs though).
The director is also being linked to the English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” which has an eye on Carey Mulligan for the lead role. No deal has been struck yet but with Scott Rudin producing ‘Dragon Tattoo,’ “Pawn Sacrifice” and “The Social Network,” Fincher’s potential involvement won’t be a surprise.
Either way, “Pawn Sacrifice” seems likely to be Fincher’s follow up to “The Social Network,” which hits theaters October 1st. Update: In case you have doubts. This picture is next for Fincher and will shoot this fall according to Deadline after “The Social Network” is released, and presumably press obligations for the film are out of the way. Maguire is committed to star in the picture which doesn’t mean he’s 100% signed on the line, but it looks like that’s likely going to happen.