Ben Affleck in first image from David Fincher's 'Gone Girl'

By Mark Olsen

Dec. 28, 2013 12 AM PT

With Oscar nominating ballots out to Academy members and the deluge of top-10 lists perhaps on the downward slope, there’s no time like now to start thinking about potential awards movies for next year. Which may be why on Friday 20th Century Fox posted to its Twitter account the first official image from David Fincher’s adaptation of the novel “Gone Girl.”

The thriller is currently set for release on Oct. 3. Gillian Flynn is writing the adaptation of her own book, the story of a man (Ben Affleck) whose wife (Rosamund Pike) disappears on their fifth anniversary after they have moved from New York City back to the small Missouri town he is from.

The novel “Gone Girl” sold over 2 million copies in its first year after being released in 2012 and was widely referred to as a publishing phenomenon, often spoken of in the same breath as the “50 Shades of Grey” series. The adaptation of “Gone Girl” will beat the upcoming “50 Shades” movie to theaters by a few months.

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The “Gone Girl” cast also includes Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Kim Dickens, Scoot McNairy and Emily Ratajkowski. Among the film’s producers is actress Reese Witherspoon, who does not have an on-screen role.

Check out @BenAffleck as Nick Dunne, a suspect seeking the truth in his wife’s disappearance in #GoneGirl. pic.twitter.com/BFyogUBzbT — 20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) December 28, 2013

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Follow Mark Olsen on Twitter: @IndieFocus