David Fincher Recalls Studios’ Confusion Over Comparing Zodiac to Se7en
In a recent interview with Variety, David Fincher, the director of the 2007 film Zodiac, reflected on the responses he received from studios when he first showed them the movie. Fincher, who is known for his work on true-crime based films, recalled that many executives were confused and compared Zodiac to his earlier film, Se7en, released in 1995.
Se7en, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, follows a pair of detectives as they track down a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins. The 1995 film was a commercial and critical success, and Fincher’s work on it put him on the map. When he began working on Zodiac, he was met with skepticism from studios, who seemed to expect a film similar to Se7en.
“I remember sitting with [executives] Jeff Robinov and Lynn Harris and Marc Evans and Brad Weston and Brad Gray and saying, ‘This is not Se7en. This is a different thing. We need to feel when we walk out of the movie and go try and find our car that we’ve been through a 35-year investigation,'” Fincher recalled. “Now, we want people to enjoy the ride. I don’t want them to endure the movie. But I do want them to endure the length of the movie and I want them to get lost in parts of it.”
Fincher’s goal for Zodiac was to create a film that would immerse the audience in the investigation into the Zodiac Killer, which took place in the 1960s and 1970s. The director spent extensive time researching the case, pouring over official records and interviewing those close to the investigation.
The film follows three men, a cartoonist, a journalist, and a police investigator, as they work to uncover the truth behind the Zodiac’s cryptic messages and killings. The film is notable for its detail-oriented approach, its slow-burning tension, and its refusal to reveal the identity of the killer.
Fincher’s experience with Zodiac serves as a reminder that even acclaimed directors can face skepticism from studios, and that sometimes, it takes time for artists to achieve their vision. Despite the initial resistance, Zodiac has since become a critically acclaimed film, and Fincher’s vision for it has been validated.