The Killer VFX Breakdown Stuns Fans By Revealing Fully CG Michael Fassbender

Check out this behind-the-scenes video from David Fincher's The Killer.

By Jamie Jirak

The Killer is now streaming on Netflix, and the new David Fincher film stars Michael Fassbender and is based on Le Tueur, the French comic book series by writer Alexis Nolent (under the name Matz) and artist Luc Jacamon. The movie was well-received by critics, earning an 85% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its audience score is at a much lower 59%. While the movie may not be getting quite as much praise as many of Fincher's previous works, some fans have taken to social media to admire the VFX. Wylie Co. VFX recently shared a behind-the-scenes breakdown from the film, and folks are impressed by a fully CG Fassbender. 

"The Killer digi-double visual effects sequence & breakdown. This is our first of many breakdown reels we're going to post on X for our VFX work on The Killer," the VFX company shared on Twitter. "For this particular sequence in The Killer, Eric Barba, Peter Mavromates and David Fincher approached us with an extremely difficult task, to create close up, photoreal digi-double shots of Michael Fassbender riding a scooter." 

"The quality of the work had to seamlessly cut back to back between live action shots of The Killer on set. Extra complexity was added because the original plan to shoot these shots on a virtual stage didn't live up to what Fincher had envisioned," they added. "Because of this there were no HDRI's or usable array footage and sparse reference photos. The lighting and lookdev had to be dialed in by eye. We began with the Killer asset, adding fine facial detail and cloth simulations." 

"We then used photogrammetry to assist with cascading streetlight timing and travel speed. The final result was high res meticulously crafted nearly full CG shots cut into the live action sequence with the ultimate goal of nobody noticing," the thread concludes. You can check out their video below:

Many people took to the comments to praise the VFX work. "This is just unbelievably impressive. You guys are the unsung heroes of cinema," one fan wrote. "Amazing work! Well Done! Not for a second I thought it was CG," another added.

What Is The Killer About?

You can read a description of The Killer here: "After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers and himself on an international manhunt he insists isn't personal." The Killer "tells the story of an assassin that begins to develop a conscience and doubts his work, which happens at a time when clients demand his particular set of skills." 

The Killer stars Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, leading a cast that includes Kerry O'Malley as Dolores, Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick) as Hodges, Arliss Howard (Full Metal Jacket), and Brazilian star Sophie Charlotte. Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt (Mindhunter) is re-teaming with Fincher for the film, while his musical collaborators Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, Mank) will compose the score. Fincher's Se7en screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker penned the script, which is based on the French graphic novel by Alexis Nolent.

"This is the type of film I was salivating to do," Fassbender shared with Empire. "There's suspense and intrigue. A slow drip. I love that kind of movie." He added, "There's just trying to understand the mind of a sociopath ... I try and put together a lifespan, to where the character is now."

The Killer is now streaming on Netflix.

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