David Fincher is officially sticking a fork in Mindhunter.
In a new interview, the Netflix series’ EP dashed any and all hopes for a third season — and he’s explaining why.
“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 [for Season 3],” Fincher told French outlet Le Journal du Dimanche. “I don’t blame them; they took risks to get the show off the ground… It’s a blessing to be able to work with people who are capable of boldness. The day our desires are not the same, we have to be honest about parting ways.”
Although Netflix never formally cancelled Mindhunter, the show’s primary cast — including Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany and Anna Torv — were released from their contracts shortly after Season 2 dropped in August 2019. At the time, Fincher’s busy schedule was to blame. “He may revisit Mindhunter again in the future,” a rep for the streamer told TVline in January 2020. “But, in the meantime, [he] felt it wasn’t fair to the actors to hold them from seeking other work while he was exploring new work of his own.”
The following October, Fincher provided an ominous update on a potential third season, but nonetheless stopped short of saying the show was dead. “Listen, for the viewership that it had, it was an expensive show,” he told Vulture at the time. “We talked about, ‘Finish Mank and then see how you feel,’ but I honestly don’t think we’re going to be able to do it for less than I did Season 2. And on some level, you have to be realistic about dollars have to equal eyeballs.”
