Having developed, executive produced and directed several episodes of both House of Cards and Mindhunter, David Fincher clearly has a solid working relationship with Netflix. Indeed, in the midst of putting the finishing touches to Mank, the black and white biographical drama that’s now establishing itself as a major awards season player, the acclaimed filmmaker committed his immediate future to the streamer by signing an exclusive four-year deal.
Mank may have only arrived on the platform a little over three months ago, but Fincher is already in the process of finalizing his next Netflix project, and it sounds like a real doozy. All the way back in 2007, the Gone Girl director had an adaptation of acclaimed French graphic novel series The Killer set up at Paramount, and he’s now reviving the movie as part of his development deal with the world’s most popular streaming service.
Not only that, but Se7en writer Andrew Kevin Walker will tackle the script, with Michael Fassbender reportedly being eyed for the lead role. The premise follows an assassin who finds himself stricken by an existential and psychological crisis in a world without any sort of moral compass, which sounds like it’s right up Fincher’s street.
Any new David Fincher movie is good news, but the thought of him returning to the deep dark depths of noir makes The Killer an even more exciting and intriguing prospect, especially with an actor of Fassbender’s caliber circling the pic. The 58 year-old director is known for his reluctance to compromise his creative vision, so you can understand why he’d find the complete freedom afforded by Netflix to be so appealing.