The future of Netflix’s acclaimed true crime series Mindhunter has been uncertain since 2020, when creator David Fincher expressed doubts about a third season. However, according to lead actor Holt McCallany, the story could return—not as a TV show, but as a series of movies.
Mindhunter explores the origins of the FBI’s criminal profiling program and stars McCallany as FBI special agent Bill Tench, a character inspired by real-life profiler Robert K. Ressler. He is joined by Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford and Anna Torv as Dr. Wendy Carr, based on pioneering FBI researchers. The series gained praise for its intense crime thriller atmosphere and complex movie characters that brought chilling real events to life.
Despite persistent fan inquiries about a third season, no official updates have emerged—until now. In a recent interview, McCallany revealed that he met with Fincher months ago and learned there’s a possibility Mindhunter will be revived as three two-hour movies for Netflix. Yet, McCallany cautioned this is only a chance. “David has to be happy with the scripts,” he said, highlighting Fincher’s well-known perfectionism.
The demanding production schedule remains a major hurdle. Fincher previously described the work on Mindhunter as a “90-hour workweek” that left him exhausted, casting doubt on his ability to immediately jump into breaking a new season. The actors’ contracts expired five years ago, and Fincher is currently attached to direct the sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which further complicates timing.
Still, McCallany remains optimistic. He explained that for the Mindhunter team—last seen interviewing infamous criminals like Charles Manson and David Berkowitz—to reunite, “the sun, the moon, and the stars would all have to align.” Netflix itself once suggested in 2020 that the show could return within five years, leaving the door open for the project’s future.
For now, fans of the series and the crime thriller genre will have to wait patiently. Should the movie series move forward, it would mark an intriguing evolution for Mindhunter, blending cinematic storytelling with the gripping narratives that have made the original series a standout in the film industry.
