David Fincher’s ‘Mank’: Netflix December 2020 Release Date & What We Know So Far

Mank, Netflix’s latest biopic, is based on the life of Herman J. Mankiewicz: the co-writer of one of the most highly regarded films in Hollywood history, Citizen Kane. The filming ended in 2020. It will now be on Netflix from December 4, 2020. We’ve put together everything we know about Mank, including the plot, cast, and release date.

Mank, a Netflix Original Biopic-Drama, is based on Jack Fincher's screenplay. Jack Fincher was the father of David Fincher. David Fincher will direct the film, while Jack Fincher is responsible for writing. Mindhunter had been originally placed on hold by Mank. However, Fincher has now put the series on hold while he is busy with Mank and Love, Death & Robots, as well as other projects.

Before you watch Mank, here are some TL;DR facts about the subject:

• Filmed in only black and white
• David Fincher is directing and it’s based on the screenplay written by his father before he passed.
• This story is about Herman J. Mankiewicz, as he creates Citizen Kane.
• Expected to be available on Netflix October 2020
• Erik Messerschmidt, who was the director of photography on Ant-Man as well as Gone Girl is mentioned.
• The movie’s runtime is 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Is Mank on Netflix when?

After months of speculation, we’re pleased to announce the movie is currently set to release on Netflix on December 4th, 2020. There’s also a trailer set to release on Netflix by the end of the week starting October 5th, 2020.

The first time we heard of any sort of release date was earlier in the year when a October release was floated when IndieWire interviewed Eric Roth and mentioned that they’re “eyeing an October release”. It was speculated that the film would be released in November after the October release schedule became public.

The movie is still set to see a limited theatrical release (to allow it into movie award ceremonies) and that’s slated to be at some point in November 2020 in the US. As to what theaters it’ll premiere in, looking at our guide for US theaters for The Irishman should give you a good idea. COVID-19 could alter this.

Is there a plot to Mank's story?

Netflix has provided the synopsis of Mank:

Follows screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz’s tumultuous development of Orson Welles’ iconic masterpiece Citizen Kane.

Herman J. Mankiewicz: Who are you?

American screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay for the critically acclaimed Citizen Kane. Herman Mankiewicz, a highly respected figure in the film industry, was involved with the screenplays for dozens of movies and was frequently asked to fix screenplays by other writers. He went uncredited.

Mankiewicz, Citizen Kane and The Pride of St. Louis were part of some of the most important films of the time. He worked with Citizen Kane on The Wizard of Oz (Pride of St. Louis), Pride of the Yankees (Pride of the Yankees), Dinner at Eight (Pride of the Yankees) His credits include having worked on more than 25 films from 1929 to 1935.

Herman J. Mankiewicz

Although he did not receive a screenwriting credit, his contribution to The Wizard of Oz was hugely influential. Writing the ‘Kansas sequence’ it was Mankiewicz who had instructed the beginning of the film to be in black and white as to depict the stark contrast between bland lifeless Kansas to the rich, vibrant and energetic world of Oz.

The most controversial part of Mankiewicz’s career was centered around Citizen Kane. His co-author Orson Welles was in a heated dispute over the credits. Mankiewicz claimed that Welles had offered him a bonus of ten thousand dollars if he would allow Welles to take full credit for the screenplay, eventually, the Screen Writers Guild decreed joint credit, placing Mankiewicz’s name first.

What are the Cast Members of Mank's Mank Band?

Mank boasts a strong cast, with most of its main actors having appeared in other Netflix movies. Gary Oldman for example featured in one of Netflix’s big movies for 2019, The Laundromat.

Mank will star the main cast:

• Amanda Seyfried (Les Misérables) will play the role of Marion Davies.
• Rita Alexander as Lily Collins, The Mortal Instruments
• Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as Herman Mankiewicz
• Tom Pelphrey, Ozark Iron Fist as Joseph Mankiewicz
• Tuppence Middleton, Sense8 as Sara Mankiewicz
• Leven Rambin, The Hunger Games (Eve)

Cast grid guide for Mank on Netflix

The following cast members will also be featured:

• Charles Dance (Gosford Park)
• Tom Burke portrays Orson Welles in "Only God Forgives"
• Arliss H. Howard, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• Jamie McShane (Bloodline)
• Toby Leonard Moore (John Wick).
• Elvy (Mildred)

Production history for Netflix’s Mank

In July 2019, the movie's first announcement was made. Gary Oldman wasn't initially involved in the film.

The filming officially began in November 2019, and was completed in February 2020.

IMDb has listed the following filming locations that were used in Mank:

• Los Angeles, Californa
• Victorville, California

DailyMail managed to capture Gary Oldman at the drama's set in January 2020.

Gary Oldman – Picture: DailyMail

We’ve also seen several other pictures from behind the scenes of Mank including the clapperboard.

An interview with Amanda Seyfried also revealed that they shot more than 200 takes in one week and she considered it to be one of her most difficult projects.

How high is Mank's parental rating?

While the official parental rating is yet to be confirmed, we’d expect to see Mank listed as R. The reason for the R rating would be because of Mankiewicz’s history of alcoholism. David Fincher has a microscopic eye for detail so we’d expect to see what Mankiewicz’s addiction to alcohol as a heavy part of the story.

Is the movie available for streaming in 4K resolution?

Netflix demands that its latest Originals, including Mank's, be streamable in 4K. This biopic-feature-length film was shot with an 8K camera and RED Monstrochrome, with Leica Summilu C Lenses. At the time of writing, 8K isn’t available to stream on any platform, but perhaps in the future we’ll see Mank available to stream in 8K.

Do you look forward to Mank Comment below to let us know your thoughts!