I’ve been really excited about the Gone Girl film adaptation since I read the book last year. As we discussed in this past weekend’s CB Book Club post, I loved Gone Girl and I think it’s probably Gillian Flynn’s best book (that I’ve read, at least). Flynn adapted the screenplay (she’s already said that she significantly changed the ending too) and David Fincher has directed the film. And now we have the first trailer… starring Ben Affleck as Nick, Rosamund Pike as Amazing Amy and Elvis Costello’s “She”.
It took me a second to figure out the identity of one of the brunette women: the woman in most of the Affleck scenes is supposed to be his sister. Did you see Emily Ratajkowski at all? She plays the (spoiler?) mistress. And I didn’t see Neil Patrick Harris either. This is a decent FIRST trailer, but they better give us more in subsequent trailers.
My takeaway… it’s the correct mood. It might be a little bit too pretty (I imagined Amy and Nick’s house to be more modern and McMansion-y) but my guess is that Rosamund Pike is going to kill it as Amy. Affleck as Nick… well, he’s fighting a losing battle because he was so grossly miscast. It should have been someone younger and smaller. I’m uncomfortable with the way he’s towering over Rosamund and how she looks younger than him.
Photos courtesy of WENN, EW.
Boring. Another minus Zodiac.
For the cover of Entertainment Weekly to post such an image…….. to the parents, husbands and children of all the missing women out there. Insensitive.
That cover is disgusting. I hope that is not the movie poster.
Looks like a serial killer lovingly designed it.
That cover photo reminds me of John and Yoko. Sorry.
MeganDraper
Im trying to be serious. Dont make me laugh. There goes my rant down the toilet.
Sigh, Yoko looked dead in that picture too.
Me don’t like it, the trailer. I love Fincher. This is not fincheresque, I hope there will be another trailer that doesn’t seems like the work of a 22 year old film student. I love Ben Affleck as a director and screenwriter. As an actor: not that much.
Really? I think it has David Fincher’s style stamped all over it.
The dark atmosphere and the cinematography, yes. Slightly, but enough. Not the pace of the trailer, and the editing is very poor. but again, I hope that this trailer doesn’t mirror the actual movie.
The Social Network is a masterpiece but apart from that one and Figth Club I dont really like his work a lot. Benjamin Button was a disopointment and GWTDT also. I like ben, not the best actor in town but a competent one. This was supossed to be a big oscar contender but I really have my doubts.
**Looks around and whispers** I really liked “The Girl with the Dragon tattoo”…… but I did have to watch it three times in order to understand the whole thing.
Hautie, I loved his version of GWTDT. It was much more exciting and had more mood than the swedish version.
I much preferred the Swedish version…
I really liked the American version. I’ve heard the Swedish version is better, but I can’t watch it because (for some reason) Noomi Rapace really creeps me out.
I haven’t read the book but I’ve seen enough spoilers so I kind of know what happens. Since Flynn adapted the screen play and changed the ending maybe Ben fits better for the role now?
I dunno, maybe cause I didn’t read the book I’m willing to give Affleck a shot, he’s a decent actor so I have no idea why he couldn’t pull it off.
I am really excited to watch the movie actually. But, I must admit, that I did not like the ending of the book. I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down and then it just went down hill, for me. Anyway, I love Rosamund and will be watching it regardless of how I liked the book.
Fncher had the end changed by the author. I didn’t liked the ending either, but I hate that a respected author agrees to change the end of her book to pleased a director. And I love Fincher, but works ethics has to mean something.
Any idea how they changed the end? Is is supposed to be a..well..happier ending?
The ending of the book stressed me out.
Same here!! I was PISSED when I got to the end. It started out really well and then just went flat for me. I had to force myself to finish it.
Me too evie! I literally threw the book down and had to have a heavy sigh and eyeroll at the end!
I have also read Sharp Objects and Dark Places by Flynn. They have disappointing endings as well.
The ending made me hate the book. I loved it, loved it, loved it and then Hated it. Really hope I like the movie (and new! ending), but I’m going in holding my breath. In large part because I love David Fincher so very much.
I read this book non-stop (my poor hubby lol) because it kept me totally enthralled, I couldn’t stop reading…and then the ending…I was so let down. I’m still anxious to see the film though, I hadn’t heard before about the alternate ending so I’m excited about that!
Am I the only one that actually loved the ending? It was ballsy and dared to end without the very stereotypical law and order closure. When i first read it, disliked it but then after thinking about it the more it made sense. Grew to love the ending. It fit the characters, both of them. The ending is why I like the book so much because Flynn wrote what few authors wouldn’t dare to write.
Terrible. Most of the casting is terrible. I really haven’t seen Rosamund Pike in anything, so I really can’t comment but slight spoiler…
Amy is supposed to be a few years older than Nick. Making her younger ruins a huge part of her motivations.
And I hate Tyler Perry in general, he is wrong for any part in any film.
I didn’t find the age difference that significant when I read the book. “A few years” is really a small amount of time when it comes to adults. I feel like their differences were more the result of their personalities than their ages.
I feel kind of like Nick and Amy were a sort of twisted version of Phil and Clare Dumphey on Modern Family. The type B guy that gets to be the relaxed fun one, the type A girl who needs a certain amount of control over life. Then they take it to dark extremes.
For most people a few years isn’t a big deal. But Amy and Nick are not most people.
The age is an issue for several keys areas that were points of conflict such as their fertility issues and then later the much younger mistress. And there are several references to Nick lording things over Amy in the months before the action in the book starts. Nick seems like the immature type to use her age against her in an argument.
THIS!!!! I don’t think Tyler Perry should be in any movies, ever. EVER. In fact, I don’t even think he should be allowed to go to the movies or own a camera. Or a phone that has a camera on it.
The casting of Tyler Perry pissed me off. One, the character he is playing – Nick’s lawyer is a white man, who is married to a black woman. I wonder will they still opt for an interracial couple? Or will his wife be cast with a black actress? I have a problem with either. 1) a black actress lost out on a part in what will be a blockbuster and 2) if the couple will not be interracial, I question the motive behind it. They should have left well enough alone and kept the ethnicities in the book the same.
I don’t see the wife in the cast list on IMDB, I wouldn’t be surprised if she has been cut. She doesn’t have a huge role in the book. I would have been okay with them changing ethnicity if they had cast someone like Jesse Williams who seems more the part.
He is a very odd choice.
Instead of Affleck I would have liked so much someone like Ben Foster: more intense and with inner demons. And a way much more better actor than Affleck.
Yes BEN FOSTER would have been perfect playing Nick.
No way. Nick is supposed to be a smarmy, good looking, all-American type. Ben Foster has way too much crazy eyes to play him.
Well IMHO he’s pretty good looking and enough all american type to me.
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/wennpic/ben-foster-afi-fest-2011-01.jpg
I agree, Jen. Nick isn’t supposed to look like he has inner demons. IMO, he is more of a eternal frat-boy type, which is what I think leads to animosity against him. You have this charmed life and this is what you do to it…
Ben Foster is more of a character actor, and Nick’s character is more of a leading man type.
Bradley Cooper at 33 was perfect to play Nick for me
Brad Pitt would’ve been perfect too. Actually Paul Walker had the look too.
I just noticed that all the comments below me say James Marsden – I concur!
I’m not sure about the trailer, especially the music, not what I expected. But certain details seem correct, like the shopping mall. Creepy.
As for their house, I envisioned it as vintage and funky and kind of small, like a starter home, not a big upscale place.
I hadn’t heard that Flynn rewrote the ending, that’s interesting. I know lots of people hated it. It grew on me, I guess. I’ll be curious to know how the Hollywood version ends.
No kidding. They had to pick the worst Elvis Costello song ever???
The trailer does look good overall, but I think James Marsden should’ve been Nick, Anyone but Ben Affleck. I need to reread Gone Girl before the movie. I read it a couple of summers ago and thought it was great. Part of the fun of the book is all the great twists. I hope the movie can build those in successfully. Not sure if I will see it in the theater or wait until it comes out on demand. The book has some raunchy scenes and if those are in the movie, not sure if I want to take my mom along to see it (though she could probably handle them).
James Marsden has a “punchable face” is my opinion so yeah, he would have been PERFECT!
Yeah there’s one rally raunchy scene that stands out in my mind (wine bottle) that I would be mortified to watch with my mom.
James Marsden would have been a great Nick! But I’m not horrified by Affleck.
Crap I forgot about that scene. My mom and I are supposed to go see it together too. Ugh.
+3 for Marsden
I’m a Ben Affleck fan, but can admit he’s a much better director than he is an actor. I guess I’m okay with Ben playing Nick, but think James Marsden would have been much better!
James Marsden, wow, excellent call. This casting is bringing me back to Tom Hanks’ casting in The DaVinci Code and I hate it.
Funny Story about family members and raunchy movies:
My grandparents went to Boogie Nights because they thought it was about disco! LOL!!!!
My aunt took her then ten year old to the cinema and since whatever blockbuster they wanted to see was sold out she bought tickets to closer, you know the Jude law movie where they talk about sex and adultery nonstop?
Perfect for a 10 year old, lol!
I agree JM would have been great.
I think this all came about at the time when Argo was huge and Ben was really high profile, so I’m not surprised they wanted to grab such a big name. But I think a better casting decision could have been made.
I totally visualized Marsden when I was reading the book. Affleck is a terrible choice
Underwhelming. Though I think Rosamund may be my new lady crush.
I am really disappointed in the trailer. It looks visually disjointed and muddy–dank rather than dark. I liked the book except for the ending, so I will probably see it eventually to see how the ending was changed, but this trailer doesn’t do it for me.
I will be interested to see how the ending is changed. I thought Part 3 of the book was just awful. It was a huge let down to me given that Parts 1 and 2 were so well done.
I think Ben is perfectly cast. He’s got just the right amount of dickishness under his innate charming likability. I don’t know why you think he should be small. I don’t remember much mention of his size in the book. I can’t wait to see this.
Yeah, I really don’t understand why so many people have a problem with this. To me Affleck is PERFECT for this role exactly for the reasons you mentioned.
Exactly. Ben is perfect. He IS Nick Dunne in real life.
Right?! I totally agree. Ben won’t even have to act. He will be perfect. His face always looks like he’s saying something sarcastic – he is great casting. Sh*tty smirk is his only face. I’m actually surprised he took the role. It seems “off brand” of his shiny happy family thing the last few years.
Ben’s detached manner and coldness towards Jen Garner reminds me of Scott Petersen. Egomanical and disingenuous. Therefore, Ben is perfect for this role. Rosamond is very refined and beautiful..she is luminous and intelligent. British class.
Yesss! He’s the actually-not “every guy” neoliberal trading up working class dude. I honestly can’t see why so many take issue with this casting–if you’ve read the book, Nick Dunne is supposed to come off as rakish and a little too unfazed, with emotion popping up in certain moments. His character is reflective yet so out of touch and remote.
Also–and this isn’t a bad thing–I actually think Rosamund Pike could be a year or two older than Affleck, depending on the acting. She’s got the chops, and from what I saw of her in the trailer, by no means does she look like his young play thing.
I agree, I think Rosamund has the ability to bring a lot of maturity and gravitas to the role, she is an amazing actress. Also, in some interviews I have seen her in, you can tell she hasn’t tweeked her face at all. I think depending on the lighting, they could easily add the feeling of age to her face by highlighting the fine lines on her face with lights. Rosamund isn’t 23 or something, I don’t get all of the outrage/focus on her age.
I like Ben here, too. He does baffled well and seems like the guy who can’t believe what he’s caught up in — and that works for Nick. I think of his Jack Ryan as being kind of similar, without the boyishness from that film.
Plus, a lot of the names thrown around upthread would not work with Rosamund Pike. I wasn’t sure about her as Amy, but I like it. She can do plotting ice queen, but she’s otherwise so gorgeous, she really needs a hunky looking guy to go with her. Ben doesn’t do much for me, but there’s no denying he’s a pretty good looking guy and his height adds to his appeal.
Thank you Kristen! I have been trying to explain why I think Affleck is perfect, but I think you nailed it here: “He’s got just the right amount of dickishness under his innate charming ”
Perfect.
I was afraid I would get to the bottom of the comments and see that NO ONE thinks Ben will be good in this. I think he’s great for the part. I can’t wait to see this.
Also, while it violates out sense of justice, the ending really does fit the characters even though we’d like to see them pay for what they’ve done.
Why is the song so loud? And not really a great audio version of it either.
But I am not obsessive about Affleck being wrong for the role. It was the Amy casting that had me concerned, when I first heard about the movie. But I like Rosamund Pike.
I am more grateful that Reese Witherspoon isn’t playing, Amy. I really thought she would have been first choice. She has that mean sneaky bitchy blonde girl thing down. Think about it. After that arrest in Georgia for being the mean mouthy drunk girl…. she has a real future in being the mean mouthy girl in a movie and people believing it! 🙂
This would have been the perfect role for Reese to break her streak of bad romcoms and I’m surprised her agent didn’t try hard enough to land this role for her. Reese has mostly done silly romcoms the last decade, but she was great in dark comedies and creepy roles like this when she was younger. I haven’t read Gone Girl yet, but I can imagine Amy being an older and slightly creepier version of Tracy Flick from the movie Election. Reese does have the sneaky look that would have been perfect for this character. However, Rosamund to me is a better actress than Reese and I think she will do a very good job as Amy.
Reese is actually producing the film so I think she could have had the role if she ha wanted it. I like the choice of Rosamund, like Ben Affleck, and look forward to the movie.
He’s too old and big for his part! Nick in the book is younger than his wife and a”pretty boy”.His age is a problem in their relationReese was a good idea for me.My choice was Amy Adams ( her age,her physic and see her in American Hustle) but i’m okay for Rosamund
Ive had this book on my bookshelf for a while, I need to pick it up stat before the movie comes out and its ruined for me
When I was reading the book, I really visualised Nick as Ben Aflect, I think that’s really great casting actually. Really looking forward to this film.
Me too! Ben Affleck is the epitome of all-American smarmy. The perfect jackass.
I agree. Nick is Ben all the way. Ben Circa the Bennifer years would have been perfect. He is Nick Dunne personified. Ben has a face – as Nick says – that you just want to punch.
Not sure how I feel about this – I loved the book, and agree with Kaiser that the house is wrong. It needed to be the typical new subdivision McMansion. And the atmosphere, at least based on what we see here, needed to be lighter, to make a better contrast with the surreal dread and mystery of the story. Affleck is more than a few years too old, but has that “removed” air about him that is perfect for the character. Rosamund Pike will be great. I’ll definitely be seeing this.
It was supposed to be a large sterile McMansion – that is emphasized in the book. And you’re right, all the gloom just deadens the suspense, not heightens it. The point was the shiny, perfect surface of their lives. They weren’t the Adams Family.
I am intrigued by a changed ending, bec the ending in the book was awful. When BA was announced, I thought he’d make a good Nick. Will definitely see this one!
I think it looks pretty good. I would not of cast Ben myself but hopefully he does a good job. Rosamunde seems great in the Amy role.
Even though I didn’t like the ending of the book, I respect that was the authors choice. Not sure how I feel about her chain you get for the film, but at least they had her change it rather than just another screenwriter.
Goodness, that was supposed to say changing the end of the film. Stupid iphone!
It’s so intensely…..yellow. I know that’s Fincher’s “thing” but GOOD LORD.
Also I hated this book. All the characters are terrible human beings. But that’s the same in all Gillian Flynn books. It’s like she’s incapable of writing a character that isn’t an awful person.
Agree about most of her characters being awful humans. But I don’t think that’s a reason to hate Flynn’s writing — not everyone has to be likeable because they sure aren’t in real life. I kinda like that she’s chosen to go there, it’s kind of audacious. She makes a ton of very insightful observations and that’s part of what made Gone Girl so shockingly crazy for me — that there was just no possibility for redemption for some of these awful people. Most fiction doesn’t dare to do that.
I agree that not EVERYONE has to be likable. But like….at least one person? A few? I literally can’t think of even one character in any of her books that didn’t turn out to be a wretched human being in some way.
dp
Jen, I hear you. But again, that’s one of the reasons I kept going with Gone Girl and didn’t finish — and recommended it to my sister and said “trust me, this is far crazier than you can imagine.” It was a different device than most authors use.
And this type of dark stuff is definitely not my usual cup of tea — I love characters with redeeming qualities. Maybe had I typically read more of this type of thing I wouldn’t have been so shocked and hooked.
I feel the same way. And I can definitely appreciate awful people as characters. Usually I really enjoy that, because even in bad people you can almost always find some sliver of sympathy or whatnot. But I honestly did not care one whit about either of the main characters. And it’s hard to stay engaged in a story where you simply just don’t care what happens to them.
And the ending was absolute shite. It’s like the author had a deadline and couldn’t be bothered. And the first third of it was decent. I liked the twists. It just devolved very quickly for me.
All that said, I think Ben Affleck is perfect, if maybe a little old. As someone else said, he’s perfect at smarmy all-American.
For me, it wasn’t the unlikeable characters that bothered me, it was the feeling that the author betrayed me. Diary entries are close to first person narrative and assumed to be truthful, and to spend half the book falling in love with a character that doesn’t exist drove me crazy. The first half of the book I was calling the best book I’ve read in years, the second half – I was grateful I got it from the library because I will never even think of reading it again.
A dubious narrator is one of literature’s greatest devices. Turn of the Screw anyone?
I must be the only person who loved the ending of the book. It was just. Sometimes people get away with things. Not everyone goes to jail or gets their comeuppance. Not everything ends with a neatly tied bow.
I loved the casting all around. Ben Affleck IS Nick Dunne. Rosamund Pike can do crazy very well.
Imperfect endings often make for the best stories – Cassablanca, Gone With the Wind, etc. I actually thought Gone Girl was extremely manipulative in the way the author established sympathy for the heroine, and for some reason, I need to trust the author of a book I read. In my opinion, reading the diary was like being told a character’s thoughts. If a book ended by telling me that all the thoughts written were fake – I just don’t know what to do with that.
I feel like the trust the reader has with the author is similar to the trust a woman has with her husband and he has with his wife. The reader gets to experience the same feeling of disillusionment and betrayal…but with no real consequence in real life.
I like being tricked. I hate figuring out the ending before I get there. I loved this book, but I can see why it isn’t for everyone.
Overall, it seems like a decent enough movie. The choice of actors, on the other hand, makes me less interested in seeing it. Ben Affleck is too old. I would rather see someone younger, less known. Pike is not American enough to me. After all, she is British. I would like to see someone warm and bubbly to play Amy and Rosamund comes across as very cold and emotionless. Every time I see her, I think she will start throwing knives
Like I wrote earlier Ben Foster. I don’t know why while I was reading the book I’ve pictured him as Nick all the time. As Amy I would put Amy Adams. Talking about intense couple.
ITA!! Amy Adams would’ve been a much better choice.
That combo would have been amazing. There is a quietly threatening air about Ben Foster, and Amy Adams is complex and vulnerable.
I really do not understand the kerfuffle about Ben Affleck. The age/sizes of the characters didn’t play into the story for me at all. That he is accused of her murder has zero to do with his age and size. I wish people would give ol’ Ben the benefit of the doubt.
People just hate Affleck. Wouldn’t matter if he was perfect for the role, people would still kvetch.
I don’t hate Affleck but it’s not my idea of Nick .Nick was younger than his wife
I love Ben…he is so handsome…and when I read the book, I thought he would be perfect for the role!
If you haven’t read it, or have but may want to experience it differently, I highly recommend the book on CD. The male and female readers do a *superb* job. I can’t imagine reading it as a book – those two brought the story to life so vividly. But argh, the ending! I’ll be interested to see how it’s changed in the movie.
i love this book and the trailer looks good enough. Not great, but i’m still willing to give it chance. Affleck is miscasted but we will see.
I’m disappointed that they decided to change the ending, i LOVED it when i read the book and i still can’t believe why so many people hated it.
I also loved the ending! I don’t get the hate, I thought it made it a really memorable book.
UGH,. The song is awful. And he would have been good… 15 years ago for the role! She is perfect for it I think. I wonder what the endign will be I read the book- I am intrigued she changed it for the movie. Strategic or no? I guess box office numbers will show the answer.
Ben always plays himself, one note. Though it might be appropriate casting, who wants to see his sameold same old again?
I kept waiting for Anna Scott and William Thacker to appear.
The EW cover is creepy.
I really enjoyed the book, so I’m very excited for this movie. I think I’m one of the few people who think Ben Affleck was perfectly cast as the role of Nick! He’s the good looking all-American Irish type, which I pictured Nick to be. As for the ages not being the same as the characters in the book, that matters little to me as long as the actors do a good job. I don’t know anything about the woman playing Amy, but as long as she’s manipulative and terrible, who cares if she’s physically younger looking than Ben Affleck.
And if the ending of the movie is going to be dramatically different than the book’s ending… Maybe it’s because the author knew she pissed a lot of people off with the book’s ending lol. I was actually okay with how it ended – SPOILER – terrible people having to live with their terrible decisions and each other.
I JUST realized Rosamund is Jane Bennet *headdesk* So yeah, she’ll be great in this.
Don’t feel bad, I only just realized it too. I kept thinking her face looked familiar but couldn’t place it.
He is too old. Horrible casting on par with Cruise in “Interview with a Vampire”.
I love Rosamund!
I bet he is good in bed. When he is in a black T-shirt and jeans, that’s where my mind always goes. LOL
I thought this book was unbelievably stupid – the characters were uneven in their thoughts and reactions from one chapter to the next; the writing was adolescent; and the basic plotline beggared belief. The husband goes from hating his wife so much that he truly doesn’t care when she appears to have been kidnapped, to welcoming her back into his life because she brought excitement into it. This reaction makes about as much sense as wearing a marshmallow on your head and calling it a hat. And the wife was oh-so-clever to have thought up the scheme to fake her own kidnapping in order to frame her husband for it – a scheme which took into account all sorts of minute variables – but didn’t foresee the quite obvious hiccups in her own plan that even I, the lowly reader, could see looming from a mile away? Yeah. Right.
Some people on here probably haven’t read the book, you should at least say SPOILERS before you gave them and basically give away the plot.
Casting Ben Affleck was spot on. His Nick Dunne creepily reminds me of Scott Peterson.
The whole story was derivative of the Scott Peterson crime. With a huge detour, of course.
I really hope Fincher finishes the Millennium trilogy. That’s all I want to say.
So many people loved that book! I downloaded the sample & didn’t even read the whole thing before I deleted. This looks like something I might rent tho, depending on ratings. (I’m on a budget & hardly ever fork out $14 / $15 for a theater ticket these days.)