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Mank Trailer: David Fincher Goes BTS of Citizen Kane With Gary Oldman
The trailer for David Fincher's Citizen Kane drama Mank puts the cast, including Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Charles Dance, in the spotlight. Fincher's Netflix movie, which is hitting select theaters in November and the streaming service on December 4, was written by his father, Jack, in the 1990s, but remained unproduced following a failed attempt to put it on screen before Jack's death in 2003. It tells the tale of Herman J. Mankiewicz, and his tussle with legendary director Orson Welles over credit for the screenplay of Citizen Kane.
The first images from the film, released back in September, revealed that Mank was shot in black and white by Fincher, taking inspiration from the movie which is the subject of the film. Those images also gave a first look at the wider cast, including Seyfried's Marion Davies, an actress and long-time mistress of the newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Here, Hearst will be played by Game of Thrones alum Charles Dance, while there are also roles for Arliss Howard as studio head Louis B. Mayer, Lily Collins as Rita Alexander and Tom Burke as Welles himself.
Now, Netflix releases the full trailer, as well as a stylish black and white poster, for Mank have been released. The trailer is edited in the style of an old Hollywood trailer, from the black and white MPAA title card at the beginning, to the credits listing the impressive cast done with 1930s typeface. The poster, too, is a throwback to old hollywood, featuring the entire cast assembled in hand-drawn style. You can watch the trailer, and see the poster, below:
The footage reveals Fincher, usually known for his dark psychological thrillers like Se7en, Fight Club and Gone Girl, is in an unusually playful mood with this one, taking the opportunity to skewer classic Hollywood at the same time as telling one of its most famous behind-the-scenes tales. Oldman looks to be in terrific form as the titular screenwriter, reigning his usual over-the-top performances for something a little more subtle, despite the character's predilection for drunken antics. Given the film's release timing, and appearance in theaters, expect Oldman to be in the running for yet another Best Actor Oscar.
Dance, too, is in serious form as Hearst, the tycoon who attempted to stop production on Citizen Kane due its thinly veiled portrayal of his life. Burke's Welles is mostly sidelined, portrayed in the trailer as a shadowy figure pulling the strings behind the scenes, making him out to be the ostensible villain of the piece. It remains to be seen just how central a role he will play in the film. But the trailer and poster for Mank really make it clear that the movie is all about Oldman's performance, with Fincher's direction also standing out. Overall, it looks like a fascinating dive into a classic Hollywood tale that's never really been told before.
