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.

The official logline for the film reads, “A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he’s losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody, and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.” But what else do we know? Let’s find out.

The Plot: What Else to Expect

     HBO

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

The renowned producer added:

The Cast & Crew

     Netflix

The action-mystery-crime-thriller-drama is based on the graphic novel series The Killer by Alexis Nolan (pen name: Matz) and artist Luc Jacamon and has been in the makings for the past twenty years. Fincher has been associated with the project since circa 2007, when it was set up at Paramount. The first volume of the series 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 movies have not been made yet. 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. The long-gestating passion project stars Michael Fassbender (Shame, X-Men) and co-stars Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The French Dispatch). Rumored actors who might pop up in the movie are Monika Gossmann (Mank), Caitlin Turner (Interview with the Vampire), and Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood).

According to IMDb, chameleon-like Swinton has seven movies in the makings. She confirmed her participation in The Killer back in October 2021 and opened up about her work with director Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Fincher by saying, “They are very different. That’s the thing. Every filmmaker is a unique individual, just as each person is a unique individual."

Release Date

Production started in Paris last fall, and the movie wrapped in downtown Chicago this March and moved into post-production. The Killer is expected to be released through Netflix. The pulpy, gritty film will be released either late 2022 or early 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 a jaw-dropping $175,000,000.