Not all heroes wear capes, and not all comic book movies are about superheroes. This has been the case for a number of years, and will continue to be that way, especially with upcoming book-to-screen adaptations like The Killer. David Fincher’s long-in-the-works movie based on Alexis Nolent and Luc Jacamon’s French graphic novel series will be coming to Netflix by the end of the 2023 movie schedule, bringing with it a story about a deadly assassin with a change of heart, and other dilemmas.
If this is the first you’re hearing about the movie starring Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, and several others, don’t worry, because we have you more than covered. With information on its release date, cast, story, and so much more, here’s everything we know about The Killer.
What Is The Killer Release Date?
The Killer is scheduled to be released for anyone with a Netflix subscription on November 10, as revealed by the streamer in its 2023 film preview video posted at the beginning of the year. There is no word on whether or not the movie will receive a limited theatrical release, like other Netflix titles such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story and more recently, Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction 2, but be on the lookout for more information on this in the weeks and months to come.
Michael Fassbender Leads The Killer Cast
When the movie arrives on Netflix in late fall 2023, it will see Michael Fassbender in the lead role. The X-Men star’s involvement in David Fincher’s upcoming graphic novel adaptation was reported on by Deadline back in early 2021, a time in which details about the project weren’t yet set in stone. That October, Tilda Swinton told The Playlist that she was going to co-star in the assassin thriller, but the Academy Award winner didn’t have too many details on it.
Well, The Killer cast became a lot more concrete in January 2023, when Deadline shared the details of Netflix’s massive movie slate for the upcoming year. In addition to info about the story, the report also confirmed that Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, and Sophie Charlotte would round out the cast.
The Killer Follows An Assassin As He Develops A Conscience
When news about The Killer first started to pick up steam in early 2021, just months after David Fincher’s Mank landed on Netflix, The Hollywood Reporter published a story about the project that provided some key insight into the story. According to that report, the thriller will follow Fassbender’s assassin as he begins to develop a conscience after years of holding back the psychological damage of being a decorated and prolific contract killer. But, this change of heart will ultimately put the hitman at odds with his employers and himself.
About The Graphic Novel
First published in October 1998 (around the time David Fincher was working on Fight Club), writer Alexis Nolent, a.k.a, Matz, and illustrator Luc Jacamon unleashed upon the world The Killer. Over the course of the next two decades, Nolent and Jacamon would release multiple installments in the sprawling series, one that told the story of an assassin as he goes from a killer with nerves of steel to a man on the verge of a psychological breakdown, according to Simon & Schuster.
The complete collection, totaling 768 pages, is still available to purchase if you want to read up on the complex and incredibly violent psychological thriller before the film adaptation comes out this fall.
David Fincher And Se7en Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker Adapted The Killer Into A Movie
Though Andrew Kevin Walker served as a script doctor for Fincher films like The Game and Fight Club, he hasn’t written a movie for the filmmaker since they first worked together on Se7en back in 1995. Well, that changes now, as the pair who created one of the best psychological thrillers of all time have teamed up for The Killer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. However, it should be noted that Walker wrote an episode of Fincher’s animated sci-fi anthology series, Love & Robots, in 2022.
In the years since breaking out with his Se7en script, Walker has gone on to write movies like 8mm, Sleepy Hollow, The Wolfman, and most recently, Windfall.
David Fincher Has Been Developing The Killer For A Decade-And-A-Half
Much like with Mank, which is still one of the best movies on Netflix, David Fincher has been trying to get The Killer off the ground for a number of years. In fact, the filmmaker has been developing the graphic novel adaptation for the past decade-and-a-half, according to Collider.
Fincher’s plans go all the way back to November 2007, when Variety announced that the director would be teaming up with Brad Pitt and his Plan B Entertainment for a film that would be released by Paramount Pictures. For unknown reasons, the project never moved forward, and it wouldn’t gain any momentum until nearly 14 years later.
Production On The Killer Wrapped In 2022
If The Killer is delayed from its November release date, it won’t be because of shooting woes, as production on the upcoming Netflix movie wrapped more than a year ago. In March 2022, camera operator Dwayne Barr took to his Instagram to share a picture of the clapboard from the last day of shooting, as well as a caption reading:
And so it ends… We wrapped David Fincher’s ‘The Killer’ last night. Thank you @emesserschmidt for the wrap gift. Too tired to express everything I desire to share. Kudos to Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.
There’s still no word on when we’ll see more footage from The Killer outside of the quick glimpse we got in the Netflix sizzle reel, but that should change sooner rather than later.
The Killer Has Been Described As A ‘Provocative And Interesting Movie’
Again, the world hasn’t seen a lot of The Killer yet, but those familiar with the project have great things to say about Fincher’s upcoming assassin thriller. When speaking with Variety back in late 2021, Scott Stuber, head of Netflix’s global films division, described it as “provocative” and “interesting,” saying:
It’s a really provocative and interesting movie. It is about the methodology of that world, which David details better than anyone. He’s so good in the detail of method… of watching something unfold. It’s a really fun, big movie in the hands of one of the best filmmakers.
For now, we’ll have to take Stuber’s word for it. But considering the success he’s had with other Netflix movies like the well-reviewed The Irishmen, he appears to be onto something.
Expect to hear much more about The Killer as we get closer to its November 10th release. In the meantime, take a look at the Netflix 2023 movie schedule so you don’t miss out on any of the other promising streaming films coming your way this year.