Posted in: Movies, Netflix, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: chinatown, david fincher, netflix, robert towne

Chinatown: Towne, Fincher Prequel Series Scripts Ready for Netflix

Oscar-winning Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne shared some big updates regarding his and David Fincher's prequel series for Netflix.

Every now and then, an update comes across our screens on a major project that we completely forgot was even in development. In this case, we're talking about a potential Chinatown series that was first reported to be in play at Netflix in 2019 – with Academy Award-winning original film screenwriter Robert Towne and David Fincher (Mindhunter) working together on a prequel to the Jack Nicholson & Faye Dunaway-starring, Roman Polanski-directed classic film that would spotlight the early days of Nicholson's detective J.J. Gittes when he first began patrolling the streets of you-know-where. Speaking with Variety, Towne offered a very positive update on where things stand and shared some thoughts that he and Fincher shared regarding the series' focus.

"All I'm likely to say is yes, all the episodes have been written for Netflix. Working with a force of nature like David Fincher, tho' occasionally humbling, is never less than enlightening," Towne shared regarding where things stand from a script standpoint (though Netflix did not have a comment on the report). In terms of the series' big bad, Towne shared that he and Fincher weren't looking to offer another Noah Cross (John Huston) – the force of darkness in the original film – but to show how the evils from the film are a continuation of the evils of the past. "When David and I first started talking, we agreed we wouldn't try to replicate Noah Cross," Towne added. "But we did want to keep in mind that the crimes that history considers monstrous are those that will not remain in the past but insist on visiting the future, and I think we managed that."

One person from the original film who will be playing a major role in the potential series is Lt. Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez), who shares a past with Gittes as a police officer who patrolled Chinatown alongside him – and knows about the incident that would leave Gittes changed forever. "Chinatown, with all its implications for an evolving Los Angeles, is central to understanding the evolving Jake Gittes, as is his friendship with and dependence on his partner Lou Escobar," Towne explained. "It was enlightening to delve into their backstory, Escobar's in particular. Small details that are touched on in the film are given life and breadth in a way that surprised even me."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!