Summary
Chinatownwriter Robert Towne provides an update on David Fincher’s upcoming prequel series of the celebrated 1974 film. Fincher and Towne have been collaborating to create a Netflix prequel series that explores the life ofJ.J. “Jake” Gittes (Jack Nicholson)before the events ofChinatown. The project, along with Fincher and Towne’s involvement, was first announced in 2019, with the latest update being the most substantial since its initial announcement.
While speaking withVariety, Towne shared that allthe scripts for theChinatownprequel series have been completed. He spoke about the creative process of working with Fincher and their efforts to meaningfully build off the foundation of the original film. Towne also teased how the series will examine the police partnership of Gittes and Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez). Read Towne’s comments below:
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. When David and I first started talking we agreed we wouldn’t try to replicate Noah Cross. 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.
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. 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.
Why Chinatown’s Prequel Series Is Promising
Towne & Fincher Are The Perfect Team For This Story
The involvement of Towne and Fincher, along with Towne’s comments, indicate that theChinatownprequel series may do the original film justice. Having written the script forChinatown,Towne understands Gittes' character and how the setting is essentially its own character as well. Towne is conscientious of expanding onChinatown’s most successful and enduring elements, delving into largely unexplored territory like the partnership between Gittes and Escobar, while also not leaning too much on what has already been done with the villainous Noah Cross (John Huston).
Chinatown Ending Explained
Frequently recognized as one of the greatest movies of all time, 1974’s Chinatown is particularly remembered for its dour and heartbreaking ending.
As for Fincher, many of his past works have dealt with complex partnerships, from David Mills and William Somerset inSe7ento Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin inThe Social Network.Fincher’sSe7enhas parallels to the premise of theChinatownprequel series,with a pair of police officers investigating a horrifying case in a crime-ridden city, keeping the dynamics and police officers' partnership at the heart of the story.Se7enandChinatown’s memorable villains raise a high bar, but Towne teases that this bar has been reached through the crimes Gittes and Escobar will be investigating.
Towne’s comments also indicate that aspects of the prequel series, particularly where Escobar is concerned,will enhance small details from the 1974 film, making the mystery classic even more rewarding during a rewatch. With the scripts already written for Netflix and Towne confident in the material, one of the next updates will likely be related to casting. Finding the right actors to play the young Gittes, Escobar, and other characters will be essential to making theChinatownprequel series work fifty years after the original film’s release.
Chinatown
Cast
Chinatown is a 1974 neo-noir film featuring Jack Nicholson as private investigator Jake Gittes. Tasked with investigating an alleged extramarital affair in pre-World War II Southern California, Gittes is drawn into a complex web of duplicity, unraveling a series of intertwined personal and political scandals.
