David Fincher: What I wish I'd known

David Fincher wishes he'd told his younger self not to work with people he doesn't like.

The director helmed the iconic Fight Club and Se7en and is also behind this year's hit Gone Girl.

He's teamed with movie greats such as Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck, but the 52-year-old is now more brutal about the people he collaborates with.

"Trust your instincts regarding people you work with. Try not to work with people you don't like," he told Total Film magazine when asked what he would advise his younger self.

"[If it's not going well], finish it up! Be as quick as you can. It's actually really hard to make bad movies. I've made some and they're just as difficult to make as a good one.

"If I could go back, I'd probably listen more to what other people have said about directing. When you're young you go, 'That's not me. Those rules don't apply to me.' Then 12 years later you go, 'They kinda did.' But that's what maturity is."

Se7en and Fight Club star Brad, 50, arguably had his big break thanks to David. He is someone the filmmaker definitely wants to work with again, but laments is a "busy f**ker".

Brad recently married Angelina Jolie, with fans desperate to see pictures of the secret event once it was confirmed. David is glad the pair have each other to deal with the craziness of Hollywood.

"When we started Se7en we were on the streets of LA. Nobody cared," he recalled.

"Two weeks in, there's 25 girls at the end of the street. Five weeks in, there's 200. It was during that time he went from having enormous potential to being Brad Pitt. Him and Angie, people go bats**t over them. Thank God they each have someone who understands!"