Since making it to the big leagues, David Fincher has cast Brad Pitt in three of his acclaimed films, which involves Seven, Fight Club, and their last outing together, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And for Fincher’s latest thriller The Killer, based on the French graphic novel by Alexis Nolent, the Oscar-winner was initially seen as the favorite to take the lead part in the film.
But it didn’t pan out, leading the director to bring Michael Fassbender on board to play the titular character, and Fincher recently went on to reveal the reason why Pitt dropped his offer.
Brad Pitt Found the Story Too Nihilistic
David Fincher originally pitched the idea to adapt Alexis Nolent’s work to Brad Pitt back in 2008, which witnessed their last outing together, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, the Inglourious Basterds Star found the story of the jaded assassin too nihilistic, leading to the actor turning down the offer, which resulted in Fincher’s The Killer coming to a standstill. But over a decade later, the director would eventually find the right man for the job in Michael Fassbender, who didn’t take long to accept the Gone Girl director’s offer. Fincher told Rolling Stone:
“I’d originally been thinking of Brad [Pitt] back in 2008. But his response had been, “Eh, a little too nihilistic for me… Then a dozen or so years later, when Andy and I were in the middle of hashing it out, I thought of Michael Fassbender. [I sent him the script with a note saying] ‘I’d love to send this to you to read, I don’t know what your life is like now, I know you’re racing…’ And a few hours later, he called back and told me he was in.”
On the flip side, Brad Pitt, who dropped the shot to lead the critical hit, did go on to take the role of an assassin in the box-office hit Bullet Train, which couldn’t be more different than The Killer tonally.
Brad Pitt Recently Showered David Fincher With Adulation
While it has been over 15 years since the two last collaborated on a film, this hasn’t impacted their offscreen bond, as the two remain close friends and the Seven Star has nothing but admiration for Fincher. Speaking at the LACMA Art+Film Gala (The Hollywood Reporter), Pitt showered the director with laudation for his commitment to the craft, which helped everyone elevate their game.
“Working with him, you will know what excellence feels like. His films — they’ve always challenged our sense of safety. As he says, ‘If we’re not out there juggling chainsaws, we’re doing ourselves a disservice.’”
Although witnessing Brad Pitt leading The Killer would’ve been enticing, Michael Fassbender didn’t drop the ball and delivered an impeccable performance in the jaded role.
The Killer is available to stream on Netflix.
