When Cary Fukunaga isn’t behind the lens directing – be it the brilliant inaugural season of True Detective or Netflix hit Beasts of No Nation – you’ll often find the prolific writer-director working to get other projects up and running in a producing capacity.
Currently, he’s poised to direct Maniac, a new series starring Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, while also hosting talks with HBO about the possibility of taking the reins of Napoleon. Elsewhere on the slate, you’ll find a miniseries adaptation of Caleb Carr’s thriller The Alienist, but we now have word of a change of plans.
Deadline has the scoop, confirming that although Fukunaga was initially in line to write and direct for TNT, he’s now switched gears to executive producer, paving the way for Jakob Verbruggen (Black Mirror, House Of Cards) to take point at the helm. It’ll be a relatively quick turnaround for all involved, too, with filming due to take place in Budapest soon after the turn of the year.
Seemingly a natural fit for the Carr’s seedy crime saga, one set against the bustling New York City of 1896 (AKA the Gilded Age), news of Fukunaga bowing out of directing duties is certainly disappointing. True Detective season 1 showcased the filmmaker’s cinematic flair, and part and parcel of why season 2 proved so underwhelming is that it failed to emulate Fukunaga’s directing style, given that he seemingly wasn’t all that involved in the creative process.
But now, with Verbruggen taking his place for The Alienist, Deadline notes that Fukunaga will be shifting focus over to The Black Count, an adaptation of Tom Reiss’ epic about the French Revolution.