Casting on David Fincher’s next project is happening fast. Just earlier this week we learned that Looking and Hamilton actor Jonathan Groff had signed on to Fincher’s new Netflix series Mindhunter in an unspecified role, and while we figured we’d have to wait a bit for the next piece of casting, we now know who’s leading the show. Per THR, Fringe actress Anna Torv and Fight Club actor Holt McCallany have been tapped to fill the starring roles for Mindhunter, which is based on the 1996 book Mind Hunter: Inside FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshanker.
The series will take place in 1979 and revolve around two FBI agents who interview serial killers in an effort to help them solve current murders. McCallany is set as Bil Tench, “the inquisitive, skilled and forward-thinking detective,” while Torv will play a psychologist and Groff is set as one of the special agents.
This marks a reunion for Fincher and McCallany, as the actor not only appeared in Fight Club but also in Fincher’s debut, Alien 3. Torv, meanwhile, makes her return to the small screen after her five-year stint on the beloved Fox drama Fringe.
Mindhunter was originally set up at Fox before Fincher and fellow executive producer Charlize Theron moved the series to Netflix, following the dissolution of Fincher’s potential HBO shows over budget disputes. Fincher will direct the first episode of Mindhunter, but in a curious piece of news, Dexter alum Scott Buck will be serving as showrunner and penning the script alongside Joe Penhall (The Road). Buck oversaw the last few seasons of Dexter, which were downright terrible, but he’s also set as the showrunner of Marvel’s Iron Fist, which is also in the midst of casting.
It appears that Buck will be pulling double duty between Mindhunter and the Netflix series, following in the footsteps of other multi-tasking showrunners like Ryan Murphy and Bryan Fuller. Regardless, the involvement of Fincher and a promising cast makes this a must-watch.
