Here’s how a Mindhunter movie trilogy could dive deeper into America’s darkest minds

Mindhunter might not be finished after all. Holt McCallany recently shared that David Fincher is considering a possible return but as three feature-length films instead of a third season.

This change opens up a huge opportunity. A trilogy format could push Mindhunter into unexplored cases, diving into some of the FBI's most difficult and emotionally complex investigations.

Here's how these films could take us even further into the shadows.

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From Butcher Baker to Green River: A chilling timeline for the Mindhunter trilogy

If Mindhunter returns as a movie trilogy, there's a clear path the story could take, and it starts with Robert Hansen, known as the Butcher Baker. In real life, FBI profiler John Douglas helped track him down in Alaska, and his involvement fits perfectly into where season two left off.

Shifting the setting to the isolated wilderness of Anchorage offers more than just atmosphere. It also reflects how far justice was for Hansen's victims. His story, which begins in 1983, makes it a natural continuation after the events of the Atlanta Child Murders.

Then there's Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, whose crimes lasted for decades on end. Douglas profiled him, too, and the case was filled with major complications.

Ridgway didn't just kill. He manipulated the police, cut deals to avoid sentences, and stretched the system to its extreme limits. Including this case would let Mindhunter look through how forensics has evolved through the late 20th century.

It would also expose the moral gray zones investigators had to enter just to bring one man to justice.

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Tying it all together with BTK’s long game

Since the first season, Mindhunter has teased the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader, through scattered moments and cold opens. He's always been in the background, his life quietly unfolding while the main cases took center stage.

But if Fincher ends the story with a trilogy, BTK's reveal could be a powerful final act. Not only was Rader one of the most chilling serial killers in the history of American serial killers, but his story lasted for nearly 30 years, with a capture that came as late as 2005.

This would allow the trilogy to stretch beyond the 1980s and into a more modern era of crime-solving.

In 2020, Fincher told Variety,

"The hope was to get all the way up to the late 90s, early 2000s, hopefully get all the way up to people knocking on the door at Dennis Rader's house."

Holt McCallany also spoke about this to CBR, saying,

"There is a chance that it may come back as three two-hour movies, but I think it's just a chance."

He added,

"David has to be happy with the scripts..."

This only shows that while hope is alive, it's still uncertain.

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A Mindhunter movie trilogy wouldn't just continue where the show left off, and it could turn scattered threads into a full, unforgettable arc.

With Hansen, Ridgway, and Rader lined up, there's real potential to explore how evil adapts and how the FBI's response had to evolve. If Fincher returns, this could be the perfect way to close the case.