‘What Is This?’: David Fincher Puzzled by 5-Minute Venice Standing Ovation for ‘The Killer’

David Fincher spooked Venice with the world premiere of his latest movie “The Killer,” which stars Michael Fassbender as an assassin.

The Netflix thriller earned a respectable 5-minute standing ovation at its screening on the Lido on Sunday night.Fassbender and co-star Tilda Swinton couldn’t attend the premiere because of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Fincher walked the carpet alone, with a small group of Netflix executives, as he signed posters of some of his most beloved movies, from “Fight Club” to “Se7en.”But Fincher must not have received the memo about Venice’s tradition of showering movies with standing ovations after a gala premiere.

As the audience clapped for him, he uncomfortably shifted on his feet and flailed his hands in the air and mouthed: “What is this?” A producer led him down the stairs from his balcony seat to meet fans, but Fincher thought he was leaving the theater.

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