Claim: Fight Club stars Edward Norton.

Fight Club is a 1999 American film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk . The film was directed by David Fincher , and stars Brad Pitt , Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter . Norton plays the unnamed protagonist , referred to as the narrator , who is discontented with his white-collar job . He forms a `` fight club '' with soap maker Tyler Durden , played by Pitt , and they are joined by men who also want to fight recreationally . The narrator becomes embroiled in a relationship with Durden and a dissolute woman , Marla Singer , played by Bonham Carter .   Palahniuk 's novel was optioned by 20th Century Fox producer Laura Ziskin , who hired Jim Uhls to write the film adaptation . Fincher was one of four directors the producers considered , and was selected because of his enthusiasm for the film . Fincher developed the script with Uhls and sought screenwriting advice from the cast and others in the film industry . The director and the cast compared the film to Rebel Without a Cause -LRB- 1955 -RRB- and The Graduate -LRB- 1967 -RRB- . They said its theme was the conflict between a generation of young people and the value system of advertising . The director copied the homoerotic overtones from Palahniuk 's novel to make audiences uncomfortable and keep them from anticipating the twist ending .   Studio executives did not like the film and restructured Fincher 's intended marketing campaign to try to reduce anticipated losses . Fight Club failed to meet the studio 's expectations at the box office and initially received polarizing reactions from critics , becoming one of the most controversial and talked-about films of the year . Critics praised the acting , directing , themes and messages but debated the explicit violence and moral ambiguity . Over time , however , reception towards the film has become largely positive with critics and audiences , finding critical and commercial success with its DVD release , which established Fight Club as a cult film . It is now regarded by many as one of the greatest films of the 1990s .