New World Cinema: David Fincher Once Wanted To Make a Second Life Movie, Instead He's Made One About Facebook

This is a beautifully composed trailer to an upcoming movie about the Internet's largest virtual world -- that is to say, Facebook. The Social Network was written by Aaron The West Wing Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, famous for his dark visions of modern life in Se7en and Fight Club. (First rule of Facebook Club: Everyone talks about Facebook Club.) Be sure to watch in high definition for full Fincherian chiaroscuro flavah:

I'm somewhat less interested in the corporate geek shenanigans between founder Mark Zuckerberg and his former friends/partners, than the beautiful montage in the trailer's beginning, which really conveys the yearning people have to share select parts of themselves online, to their friends and their extended network of friends, while also trying to define who they are when they do so. Which is something a massive social network like Facebook and a niche but powerful one like Second Life share.

There's another connection to this project and SL. A few years ago, David Fincher actually attempted to make a movie about Second Life:

He optioned the late Tim Guest's Second Lives, and hired a screenwriter to write an adaptation. I heard rumors from an inside source that, yes, Brad Pitt was interested in playing the Philip Rosedale character; then again, at some point, Brad Pitt's name is pretty much associated with every Hollywood project. (Borat creator and star Sasha Baron Cohen was rumored to play a loony SL Resident who drives Rosedale bonkers.)

In any case, as Second Life's prominence waned, that Fincher project was apparently put into turnaround, so for now, here's his take on Internet community and the sharp-elbowed business behind the scenes. Who knows, if Second Life is able to acquire a massive growth rate, maybe we'll still see David Fincher's take on SL. Like virtual worlds, Hollywood projects never really die, they just sit around on shelves, waiting for another chance to shine.

Comments

[Loki]

Enough with the growth rate already!

[Fogwoman Gray]

So Sasha Baron Cohen was rumored to be slated to play......Whom?
*falls over laughing*

[Melissa Yeuxdoux]

Facebook is a virtual world? I have a hard time thinking it's any more a virtual world than Twitter or a blog.