David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on a short story by which author?

David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's satirical story was first published in Collier's Magazine on May 27, 1922, and later appeared in his collection Tales of the Jazz Age.

The original story follows Benjamin Button, who is born in Baltimore in 1860 with the appearance of a 70-year-old man and grows progressively younger. Its tone is comic and socially satirical, focusing on how family, schools, romance, business, and society react to his unusual condition.

The 2008 film, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, keeps the reverse-aging premise but substantially changes the plot, setting, characters, and emotional emphasis. The screenplay was written by Eric Roth, and the film's expansive life story is much different from Fitzgerald's compact 27-page tale.

A common mix-up is assuming the film was adapted from a novel because of its sweeping narrative. It was actually inspired by Fitzgerald's short story, while the film's screenplay is a separate adaptation.