Fans of Gillian Flynn's GONE GIRL were a little disappointed to learn the author rewrote the entire ending for David Fincher's film earlier this year, however while taking part in a Reddit AMA yesterday, Flynn said the upcoming movie won't be that different from her novel.
Those reports have been greatly exaggerated! Of course, the script has to be different from the book in some ways—you have to find a way to externalize all those internal thoughts and you have to do more with less room and you just don't have room for everything. But the mood, tone and spirit of the book are very much intact. I've been very involved in the film and loved it. Working with David Fincher is pretty much the best place to start for a screenwriter. Screenwriting definitely works different parts of your brain than writing a novel. I do love that with novels, you can really sprawl out–it feels quite decadent. With screenwriting, you have to justify every choice. It's a nice discipline, but definitely not decadent.
Now, she doesn't actually say the ending will be the same for the film, just that the script will be a slightly different compared to the book, but I do think there's a chance the ending won't be exactly the same in David Fincher's film. I'd probably be a little more worried about the changes made if someone else wrote the screenplay, but since it was penned by Flynn, I'm excited to see what will be different in the movie.
Synopsis:
On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior has everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?
David Fincher's GONE GIRL also stars Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Casey Wilson, Patrick Fugit, and Kim Dickens, and will be in theaters on October 3rd, 2014.