One of this year’s most anticipated movies is The Killer by Colorado-born Golden Globe winner and Oscar-nominated David Fincher (Mank, Se7en, Zodiac). It follows the journey of a cold-blooded assassin who finds himself in a psychological crisis in a world lacking a moral compass. Michael Fassbender plays the lead, a haunted, troubled assassin desperate to extricate himself from the political consequences his assignments have led to.

Updated September 3, 2023: In honor of The Killer's premiere at the 80th Venice Film Festival, this article has been updated by Yosra Ben lagha with more information regarding the upcoming David Fincher film.

The film is based on a French graphic novel of the same written by Alexis "Matz" Nolnet and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, which has been in the makings for the past twenty years. It has become one of the most anticipated movies of 2023 and just recently had its Venice Film Festival premiere. What do we know about the film? Here is a breakdown of Fincher's latest film before it opens.

The Plot: What Else to Expect

Fassbender in The killer (2023)
Netflix

The plot of the film follows Michael Fassbender as the titular Killer, an assassin who battles his employers as well as himself on an international manhunt.

Netflix’s Scott Stuber (Battleship, The Kingdom) recently described The Killer to Variety by saying:

“It is a really fun, big movie. I’m so excited about it. [Fassbender is] charming and great-looking and funny and all these things that you want him to have chances to show in film. He’s a giant star ready to explode in the world, and he’s just looking for those parts that can take advantage of who he is as a person. Opportunistically you see what David has done with talent throughout his career, and how he constantly elevates people to do their best work. The combination of those two we’re really excited about. It’s David working with Andrew Kevin Walker again for the first time in a long time [since ‘Seven’]. It’s a really provocative and interesting movie. He’s just in the midst of shooting it right now.”

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The renowned producer added:

"The Killer is based on a graphic novel, and it is about someone who is a contract killer and the methodology of that world and what he does, which David does detail better than anyone. He’s so good in the detail of method, of watching something unfold. Seeing that early stages of what he does, and something goes awry which then affects him personal. It’s a really fun, big movie in the hands of one of the best filmmakers, and someone we’re really lucky to have a relationship with.”

The movie's premise is based on the birth of a conscience in a previously cold, calculating killer and the psychological burdens and fractures that this new birth will impose on the killer's mind. A similar idea has been previously explored by Russian novelist Dostoevsky in his famous novel Crime and Punishment. Rodion Raskolnikov, the protagonist, makes a 'logic-based' murder but spends the rest of his life in accelerating mental anguish as his view of the world and morality changes. However, the details about how this birth of a conscience will take place, its triggers, and its consequences are not yet revealed.

The Cast & Crew

A recent picture of David Fincher

The Killer is David Fincher's first film in three years following the release of Mank in 2020, which was also released on Netflix. Fincher has been associated with the project since 2007 when it was set up at Paramount. The first volume of the graphic novel was published in 1998, and as of now, it is unclear which part will serve as the source material for the movie.

However, we know that it got adapted to the big screen by Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, Fight Club, Sleepy Hollow). This collaboration marks the first time Walker and Fincher have reunited since their gruesome classic, Se7en. However, Walker did uncredited polishing on scripts for Fincher, including rewrites for The Girl Who Played with Fire and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Unfortunately, these films did not come to pass. Ceán Chaffin, Fincher’s wife and long-time producing partner, is also contributing to the project. Production companies such as Panic Pictures, BOOM! Studios and Archaia Entertainment are also involved.

Academy Award-winning cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt (Legion, Fargo, Mank), a frequent collaborator of Fincher, is also on board. Messerschmidt and Fincher are expected to bring a thrilling neo-noir to our screens based on the muddy political atmosphere of the ‘70s.

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According to the Hollywood Reporter, Fincher initially chose the megastar Brad Pitt for the leading role; however, because of previous engagements, Pitt had to let it go. The role now belongs to Michael Fassbender (Shame, X-Men) along with his co-star Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The French Dispatch). Actors who are expected to pop up in the movie as well are Sophie Charlotte (Tangled Hearts) as Magda, Stunt performer Monique Ganderton, Kerry O'Malley (Grey's Anatomy, Shameless) as Dolores, Arliss Howard (The Time Traveler's Wife), and Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick).

Is There a Trailer for The Killer?

After much anticipation, a one-minute-and-a-half teaser trailer was released on August 29, not so much to reveal the mystery behind the movie's premise as to raise further questions and stir further suspense. It focuses on Michael Fassbender as he cogitates about his mission, describing the steps he must make to flawlessly kill his next target. His cold narration is like a list of affirmations he makes every time he is on a difficult mission. As the brooding killer tells himself to "forbid empathy," the audience can already have a feel of the dark, hair-raising events that will follow.

A very short behind-the-scenes video was also released in which Fassbender calls it a privilege and "a dream come true" to work with "one of the best filmmakers out there." It looks like the lead actor is not at all bothered but fascinated by Fincher's minute, precise, and perfectionist filming methods. He seems to fully embrace the long hours, numerous notes, and inevitable exhaustion that comes with being part of a movie of this caliber.

Release Date

The killer 2023
Netflix

The Killer will be released in select theaters on Oct. 27 and will then premiere on Netflix on November 10, 2023. Fincher has been in an exclusive contract with the streamer since November 2020. He has been involved in past Netflix projects such as House of Cards, Love, Death & Robots, and Mindhunter. Fincher’s passion project's budget is also rumored to be a jaw-dropping $175,000,000, raising the expectations for the film.

Fans are already wondering if Fincer will land an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, as the field has become very competitive, with Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan already emerging as frontrunners for their films Barbie and Oppenheimer, respectively.