David Fincher's The Killer, Starring Michael Fassbender, Begins Filming In Chicago This Week

Michael Fassbender and David Fincher are taking a trip to the Windy City this week. The actor-director duo are in the midst of production on "The Killer," with filming having already taken place in New Orleans, Paris, and the Dominican Republic. Upon wrapping up the shoot in Chicago, Fincher and his crew will then travel to Los Angeles for some additional filming without the movie's key cast.

According to Screen Magazine, Fincher will begin shooting "The Killer" in Chicago this Friday, February 25, and continue on through until, at least, Thursday, March 17. Filming will reportedly begin at Union Station in downtown Chicago before moving to the River West neighborhood near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, followed by the Bucktown neighborhood near Fullerton and Western in March. I confess, as someone who's never actually been to Chicago and knows nothing about its layout, this doesn't mean anything to me, but it's exciting news for those who happen to live in or around any of the areas listed above.

"The Killer" has Fincher directing from a script by his "Se7en" scribe Andrew Kevin Walker, based on the French graphic novel of the same name written by Alexis Nolen (who's also known by his pen name, "Matz") and illustrated by Luc Jacamon. The comic book's official plot summary reads as follows:

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.

Fassbender is playing the titular assassin in "The Killer," which sounds like the kind of dark, psychological, noir-tinged crime-thriller that lies firmly in Fincher's wheelhouse as a director. The "12 Years a Slave" and "Prometheus" actor hasn't been on-screen since 2019's "X-Men: Dark Phoenix," but is looking to rebound from that not-so-beloved superhero movie, between his role here and in Taika Waititi's upcoming sports dramedy "Next Goal Wins."

Behind the camera, "The Killer" reunites Fincher with his "Mindhunter" and "Mank" director of photography Erik Messerschmidt, who's coming off his first Oscar win for the latter project. As with "Mindhunter" and "Mank," Fincher is helming "The Killer" for Netflix as part of the four-year exclusive deal he signed with the streamer back in 2020. The way things are shaping up, the movie might even be ready in time for a late 2022 awards season run, although it's possible Netflix is eyeing this one for 2023 instead.