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122-428: Se7en or SE7EN may refer to: Seven (1995 film) , stylized as Se7en , 1995 American thriller film Seven (comic book) , stylized as SE7EN , 2008 comic book based on the film Se7en (born 1986), stage name of singer Sevyn Streeter while in the band RichGirl Seven (South Korean singer) , stylized as Se7en (born 1984) David Gallegos, rapper and screamer of

244-552: A Nintendo Direct , and ultimately sold over a million copies on all platforms. If the game had not succeeded, the studio would have been forced to close. Among Us was released in June 2018 and received little mainstream attention at first, with the game only averaging at around 30 to 50 concurrent players. It received a sudden and significant jump in popularity in mid-2020 after being popularized by streamers on Twitch and YouTube . In November 2020, SuperData Research reported that

366-501: A cult following due to Roan's supporting act on Olivia Rodrigo 's Guts World Tour , her performances at music festivals like Coachella and Governors Ball , and the success of her follow-up single, " Good Luck, Babe! ". By June 2024, the album had peaked within the top ten on the Billboard 200 . Subsequently, several of its singles ("Femininomenon", " Casual ", " Pink Pony Club ", " Red Wine Supernova ", and " Hot to Go! ") entered

488-422: A film rating . Fincher described Seven as psychologically violent, implying violence without overtly showing it. In the opening scene, Walker portrays a corpse lying in a pool of blood; he said the blood was very cold and he had a minor panic attack once in place because he was worried about moving and ruining the shot. Following the removal of the planned opening train-ride scene with Somerset, Fincher needed

610-431: A serial killer from committing a series of murders based on the seven deadly sins . Walker, an aspiring writer, based Seven on his experiences of moving from a suburban setting to New York City during a period of rising crime and drug addiction in the late 1980s. An Italian film company optioned his script, but following financial difficulties, the rights were sold to New Line Cinema . Studio executives were opposed to

732-444: A "myth", as Walker had written it into the script. Lights with green color gels were shone through the window from the adjacent building to impart the scene with a green tint. The ending was scripted to take place directly beneath transmission towers , a location Doe selects to interfere with the police communications; the towers, however, interfered with the film crew's radios and the actors had to use cell phones to communicate with

854-534: A $ 33–$ 34   million budget. Seven garnered middling test audience results and was not predicted to perform well due to its violent and mature content. However, it grossed $ 327.3   million worldwide, becoming a sleeper hit and the seventh highest-grossing film of the year . Contemporaneous reviews were generally positive, praising the performances of the central cast and the ending. Seven revitalized Fincher's career and helped Pitt move from roles based on his appearance to more serious, dramatic roles. In

976-435: A Friday night call asking him to join and was filming by the following Tuesday. Spacey wanted his name omitted from the film's marketing and opening credits to ensure the killer's identity remained secret. He said: "I'd just done Swimming with Sharks (1994), The Usual Suspects , and Outbreak (both 1995)   ... I knew that if any of those movies did well, my profile would be   ... different   ... If I'm

1098-439: A brief, four-frame insert of Tracy as Mills pulls the trigger to compensate for not showing the contents of the box. To emphasize the darkness, Fincher and Khondji used an expensive, lengthy bleach bypass chemical process that retained some of the silver that would normally be removed from the film stock . The silver created a luminous effect in light tones and deeper, darker colors. Of the 2,500 prints sent to theaters, only

1220-578: A couple of weeks prior to release, without making them feel obliged to see a heavily promoted film. This alternative form of marketing strategy has been used in sleeper hits such as Sleepless in Seattle (1993), the Oscar winner Forrest Gump (1994), My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), There's Something About Mary (1998), The Blair Witch Project (1999), and The Sixth Sense (1999). Screenings for these films are held in an area conducive to

1342-479: A fan of his music video for "Closer" and sharing similar design sensibilities, but Cooper secured the role because of his previous experience on similar title sequences. Fincher told Cooper: "all I want is for the audience to want to run screaming from the theater during the title section". The title sequence depicts Doe's preparations and routines for his murderous plans, such as cutting off his fingertips, processing photographs in his bathtub, and making tea. This

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1464-591: A few hundred used the process. Seven was budgeted at $ 30–$ 31   million but Fincher persuaded studio executives to provide further funding to achieve his vision for the film, eventually pushing it $ 3   million over budget, to $ 33–$ 34   million, making it New Line Cinema's most expensive film at that point. A studio employee said executives would meet with Fincher, adamant he would receive no further funding, but his relentless and persuasive attitude would change their mind. Fincher hired Howard Shore to score Seven based on his score for The Silence of

1586-529: A focus on dialogue, akin to thriller films such as The Conversation (1974). Pitt described Mills as a well-intentioned "idiot" who "speaks before he really knows what he's talking about". He cut his hair for the role and lost weight to reduce the muscle he developed for Legends of the Fall . Sylvester Stallone and Denzel Washington rejected the role. Walker named the character Somerset after writer W. Somerset Maugham . He envisioned William Hurt playing

1708-522: A letter–number combination. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Se7en&oldid=1154948909 " Category : Letter–number combination disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Seven (1995 film) Seven (often stylized as Se7en )

1830-404: A limited appeal and rarely received positive reviews. Fincher's public image had also been tarnished by the failure of Alien 3 , and although Freeman and Pitt were proven stars who were capable of attracting audiences, New Line Cinema struggled to capitalize on Pitt's popularity. Pitt's core audience, teenage girls, were not the film's target audience and research showed young men would avoid taking

1952-527: A more inclusive popular media since the song's original release: "Black women are more visible than ever on magazine covers; fashion is having broader conversations about size, racial, and ethnic diversity. Lizzo's presence in these spaces signals a future of greater inclusion." Chappell Roan 's debut studio album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was not an immediate commercial success upon its release in September 2023, however, it began to garner

2074-412: A more-mainstream ending in which the detectives confront Doe in a church described as either on fire or burned out. In this revised script, Doe embodies the sin of envy and kills Mills before being shot dead by Somerset, while a pregnant Tracy leaves the city. In a 2017 interview, Walker said he felt he was ruining his script and should have left the project. To meet the studio's demands, Walker wrote

2196-486: A person they believed was an intrusive journalist at the sloth crime scene. Doe calls the apartment and speaks of his admiration for Mills. On Saturday, Somerset and Mills investigate the fourth victim, lust , a prostitute who has been raped with a custom-made, bladed strap-on by a man held at gunpoint. The following day, the pride victim is found: a model whom Doe facially disfigured. Unable to live without her beauty, she committed suicide. As Somerset and Mills return to

2318-479: A preference for the original script. They mutually decided to begin filming that version within six weeks, wary that any further delay might attract unwanted executive attention and potential interference with their plan. Kopelson and studio executives continued efforts to lighten Seven ' s tone and change the ending. Fincher was resistant to any changes, and was unwilling to compromise his creative control and vision. De Luca remained supportive of Fincher, and

2440-466: A relatively low amount. Most media ignored the games, but largely by word-of-mouth stemming from the hidden character Mew 's introduction, their popularity gradually spread throughout Japan, selling a million units by the end of 1996. They eventually became the best-selling video games ever in Japan, with 7.8 million copies sold, and 45 million sold worldwide. After becoming a national sensation in Japan,

2562-909: A romantic partner to films featuring Pitt because they felt "threatened" by his appeal. The positive word-of-mouth following Seven ' s release resulted in the marketing campaign shifting focus toward targeting Pitt's female fans. The premiere of Seven took place on September 19, 1995, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California . The event was attended by over 800 guests, including Fincher, Freeman, McGinley, Spacey, Tia Carrere , Elliott Gould , Matthew Modine , Lori Petty , Lou Diamond Phillips , Michael Rapaport , Eric Roberts , Robert Rodriguez , Steven Seagal , John Singleton , Christian Slater , Quentin Tarantino , and Jennifer Tilly . Seven received

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2684-435: A scale of A+ to F. New Line Cinema distribution executive, Mitch Goldman had moved forward the release date of Seven to avoid competition and strategically opened the film in more theaters than usual to target suburban and small-town locations where Pitt's recent films had fared well. Sleeper hit Some sleeper hits in the film industry are strategically marketed for audiences subtly, such as with sneak previews

2806-452: A serial killer driven by the seven deadly sins would attract attention and help begin a professional writing career. Walker intended to leave the script's narrative open to interpretation to avoid invalidating the opinions of the prospective audience. He wanted to defy audience expectations, and leave them feeling "violated and exhausted" by the conclusion. According to Walker, "there's lots of evil out there, and you're not always going to get

2928-690: A slight frame for the emaciated character. The filmmakers asked him to lose more weight but he refused. The effects team made a body cast of MacKay to develop rubber prosthetics that could be applied all over his body. These prosthetics were painted to appear bruised and scarred, MacKay's skin painted a pale white with highlighted veins, and he was fitted with gelatin sores, overgrown fingernails, skeletal teeth, and matted hair. The process took up to 14 hours, requiring MacKay to begin at 5   am to be ready for filming by 8   pm. He had to remain fairly still during four hours of filming, having to limit his breathing to prevent his stomach rising and falling, and

3050-462: A smear effect combined with variants of the same text achieved by placing the text over a light box and filming them over-exposed, creating an animation-style effect. "Disquieting" sounds were added throughout the sequence at a low frequency, such as barking dogs and screams. The title sequence cost $ 50,000. New Line Cinema had low expectations for Seven based on middling scores from test audiences. The studio's marketing president Chris Pula called

3172-435: A temporary title sequence to screen Seven for studio executives. He recruited R/GA designer Kyle Cooper and his team to assemble a montage reflecting Doe's perspective. This helped to establish the character and the threat he poses prior to his appearance in the film's final act. The sequence was set to the "Closer" remix at Fincher's request. The sequence was well-received by executives, who suggested retaining it for

3294-424: A thin vagrant outside Doe's apartment, and Richmond Arquette plays Doe's delivery man. Doe's victims include: Bob Mack as gluttony, a morbidly obese man who is force-fed until his stomach bursts; Gene Borkan as greed victim Eli Gould, a criminal attorney who is forced to cut off his own flesh; and Michael Reid MacKay as the sloth victim Theodore "Victor" Allen, a drug dealer and child abuser. Cat Mueller portrays

3416-409: A total of thirteen drafts. As the script option was due to expire and Penta Film was experiencing financial difficulties—leading to its dissolution in 1994—the studio sold the rights to producer Arnold Kopelson , who subsequently took it to New Line Cinema . Chechik left the project, and Guillermo del Toro and Phil Joanou were approached to replace him; Joanou rejected the offer because he found

3538-469: A visceral effect on him; he incorporated his reaction into the sequence's score, providing little accompaniment during the dialogue between Mills, Somerset, and Doe, but using it to punctuate significant moments such as Somerset opening the box. Shore's opening theme "The Last Seven Days", a more upbeat piece, was replaced with Nine Inch Nails 's song " Closer ", which was remixed by Coil and Danny Hyde . David Bowie 's song " The Hearts Filthy Lesson "

3660-481: A wide-release in the United States and Canada on September 22, 1995. During its opening weekend, Seven grossed $ 14   million across 2,441 theaters—an average of $ 5,714 per theater—making it the number-one film of the weekend, ahead of the debut of Showgirls ($ 8.1   million), and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar ($ 4.5   million), in its third week of release. Seven had

3782-491: Is a 1995 American crime thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker . It stars Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman , with Gwyneth Paltrow and John C. McGinley in supporting roles. Set in an unnamed, crime-ridden city, Seven ' s narrative follows disenchanted, nearly retired Detective Lieutenant William Somerset (Freeman) and his newly transferred partner David Mills (Pitt) as they try to stop

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3904-541: Is a fine place, and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part." Seven also features Julie Araskog as Mrs. Gould, John Cassini as Officer Davis, Reg E. Cathey as Doctor Santiago, Peter Crombie as Doctor O'Neil, Richard Portnow as Doctor Beardsley, Richard Schiff as Mark Swarr, and Mark Boone Junior as a "greasy FBI man". Hawthorne James appears as George the library night guard, Michael Massee portrays "man in massage parlor booth", Leland Orser plays "crazed man in massage parlor", Pamala Tyson portrays

4026-422: Is now considered a modern animation classic and one of the greatest animated films ever made. Napoleon Dynamite made back its $ 500,000 budget and became a phenomenon in 2004, grossing almost $ 45 million within a year of its release, and became the basis for a short-lived animated series featuring the film’s entire cast. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) also went on to become a sleeper hit, expanding

4148-648: Is used for the end credits. Seven features songs including "In the Beginning" by the Statler Brothers , " Guilty " by Gravity Kills , " Trouble Man " by Marvin Gaye , "Speaking of Happiness" by Gloria Lynne , " Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 Air " by Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and Karl Münchinger , " Love Plus One " by Haircut One Hundred , " I Cover the Waterfront " by Billie Holiday , "Now's

4270-639: The Billboard Global 200 and the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since their release. The COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in audiences' rediscovery of previously-released media, including music, primarily through video sharing service TikTok and other social media platforms. Songs which were released up to several years prior but failed to make an immediate impression commercially have gained renewed popularity and chart success. In September of 2023, Billboard introduced

4392-595: The Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, while not charting at all in the United Kingdom. It eventually became one of the most popular songs of the 1980s thanks to its use in various advertising campaigns. The Waterboys 1985 single " The Whole of the Moon " charted initially in several countries on the lower end of charts including No. 26 in the UK. The song was re-released in 1991 to much acclaim peaking at No. 3 in

4514-530: The Billboard charts. The album went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide, and has since become one of the world's best-selling albums of all time . " Thank You " by Dido was first featured in the movie Sliding Doors in 1998 and released as a single in September of 2000 but did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100 until Eminem sampled the track for his hit single " Stan ", which helped propel "Thank You" and Dido's debut album No Angel , which

4636-464: The Ozploitation movement and helped to popularize the post-apocalyptic dystopia genre, held the record for the biggest profit-to-cost ratio for several years until it was broken in 1999 by The Blair Witch Project , also a sleeper hit. The independent film Halloween , which played over the course of fall 1978 through fall 1979 and relied almost completely on word-of-mouth as marketing,

4758-516: The Seven script. Initially uninterested in the police procedural elements, Fincher found himself captivated by the gradual revelation of Doe's plans, admitting, 'I found myself getting more and more trapped in this kind of evil   ... and even though I felt uncomfortable about being there, I had to keep going.' Fincher recognized the script aligned with his own creative sensibilities, especially its exploration of evil, and uncompromising ending in which

4880-541: The 2010s. Nirvana 's second album Nevermind was released in September 1991 with low expectations, hoping to sell 500,000 copies. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 144, but slowly climbed up the charts over the following months, entering the top 40 in November. The album was selling 300,000 copies a week by December, before in January 1992, it even replaced Michael Jackson 's Dangerous at number 1 on

5002-476: The Lambs (1991), and The French Connection (1971), as well as the over-the-shoulder viewpoint used in documentary television show Cops because of its implicit vulnerability. Cinematographer Darius Khondji named the crime thriller Klute (1971) as a significant influence because of its "use of toplight   ... widescreen compositions for intimacy rather than big vistas, the way that vertical strips of

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5124-424: The Lambs (1991). Shore said Fincher would attend recording sessions but rarely interfered with Shore's process. The score, which was performed by an orchestra of up to 100 musicians, combines elements of brass (including trumpets), percussion, piano. "Portrait of John Doe" serves as the central theme with two cue notes ; a rising version is used for Tracy's appearances. Shore described the film's ending as having

5246-481: The Spider-Verse ' s international box office total and in January 2024, the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. The romantic comedy Anyone but You (2023) also opened below projections. It was projected to gross around $ 7 million during its opening weekend, but opened to $ 6.3 million instead. However, the film experienced a gradual increase in weekend gross and stayed within

5368-461: The Time" by Charlie Parker , and " Straight, No Chaser " by Thelonious Monk . Sound engineer Ren Klyce and Fincher inserted frequent diegetic background sounds, such as rain or screaming, to create a psychological impression that terrifying things are occurring off-screen even when the audience cannot see or escape it. Klyce and sound designer Steve Boedekker also produced the music that is heard at

5490-515: The UK and No. 3 in Europe, and becoming certified platinum in the UK. The song became one of their most successful songs and well known. The 1987 single " Welcome to the Jungle " by American rock band Guns N' Roses performed poorly in both the United States and the United Kingdom when first released in September of that year. As the band's popularity grew steadily in 1988, it became a sleeper hit in

5612-554: The US and reached the top 10 of the Billboard charts. It was then re-released in the UK, charting within the top 40 there. The 1990 single " Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World " by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole became a sleeper hit after being featured in numerous film and TV soundtracks throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the song eventually charted across Europe in 2010 and 2011, finishing 16th on Germany's decade-end charts for

5734-425: The advertising campaign for Seven risky because it had to prepare people for the film's dark, violent content while making it a topic of discussion among potential audiences. Early trailers and newspaper, television, and radio advertisements focused on the seven sins, presenting Seven as an "edgy" prestige film rather than a jumpscare -style horror. Entertainment professionals believed violent or horrific films had

5856-407: The audience on Mills's side regardless of the character's actions. To help secure Pitt's involvement, Kopelson shortened the pre-production schedule from twelve weeks to five to accommodate Pitt's schedule. Pitt rejected several offers from other films because he wanted to escape his typecasting as a romantic lead character in favor of something with a more "documentary feel" with urban settings and

5978-411: The box office but eventually became a sleeper hit through television airings on the 13 Nights of Halloween block on what is now Freeform . The Iron Giant (1999) was a box-office failure due to lack of marketing from distributor Warner Bros. , who did not have faith in the film. However, it received universal acclaim and earned a cult following once it arrived on home video and television, and

6100-414: The character but Fincher cast Freeman; the studio was concerned pairing a black detective with a white one would make Seven seem derivative of the action film Lethal Weapon (1987). Robert Duvall , Gene Hackman , and Al Pacino rejected the role. The script was further modified after Pitt's and Freeman's castings to better match their acting styles; Mills was made more verbose and Somerset's dialogue

6222-481: The chart, debuting at just No. 170, and staying beneath the top 40 for 8 months. However, with their popular hit single, " This Love ," released in 2004, and the equally popular follow-up, " She Will Be Loved ," both peaking at No. 5, with the former spending 14 weeks in the top ten and 43 weeks on the chart, it gave new hype for the album at the beginning of 2004, being certified platinum in February, and finally making

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6344-434: The chase, Pitt would keep his hand in his pocket or otherwise obscured to hide the injury. The crew had to clear used condoms and crack pipes from the location of the sloth victim sequence, replacing them with prop crack pipes and air fresheners. It has been said the actors were not told the sloth victim was a person in costume, and McGinley's shock at the body's movement is real; however, this has also been disputed as

6466-475: The city are shown in horizontal mode, the fragments of faces and bodies   ... the look of Se7en has this heightened sense of realism—a realism that's been kicked up several notches and becomes its own style". Fincher chose one scene in Klute in which the only illumination is the character's flashlight, saying he disliked other films in which characters state visibility is low but the audience can clearly see

6588-469: The city. She reveals her unhappiness at moving there, especially after learning she is pregnant, and believes the city is an unfit place to raise a child. Somerset sympathizes with Tracy, having persuaded his former girlfriend to abort their child for similar reasons and regretting it ever since; he advises Tracy to inform Mills only if she intends to keep the child. A remark by Mills inspires Somerset to research libraries for anyone checking out books based on

6710-580: The cold on set was worsened by makeup artists repeatedly spraying his body with water. Unable to move, he tensed his muscles to warm himself. He described the relief that came when he was permitted to cough in McGinley's inspecting face, because he could move and breathe again. For Schanz's pride victim, Fincher added blood to her while her nose was taped to the side and her face was covered in gauze. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) mandated cuts to some scenes of Bottin's effects work to secure

6832-454: The crew from afar. The film's ending remained a point of contention between New Line Cinema and the filmmakers; Fincher, intending to stun the audience, wanted to follow Mills's shooting of Doe with a sudden cut to black but executives believed this would alienate audiences. Fincher instructed staff at a test screening to keep off the lights following the cut to black so the audience could take it in but his instructions were not followed. After

6954-403: The crunk group Brokencyde Damien Broman Se7en, one of the stage names used by rapper Silver Bullet Headshots: Se7en , a 2005 remaster compilation album by the band Atmosphere See also [ edit ] 7 (disambiguation) , also includes Seven [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title formed as

7076-406: The darkness of the city but there was insufficient budget to film it. As a result, scenes of Somerset looking at the wallpaper piece had to be cut. Richard Francis-Bruce edited the 127-minute theatrical cut. His style focused on "having a motivated cut" in which every cut had a specific purpose. For the finale, he introduced more rapid cuts to emphasize the tension as Doe's plan is revealed, and

7198-488: The entrance to the sex club where the lust victim is murdered. Production designer Arthur Max , costume designer Michael Kaplan , Fincher, and Khondji collaborated on establishing a unified vision for the art direction. These guidelines established that the designs should represent a world where everything is corrupted, dysfunctional and in a state of decay. Fincher was influenced by the photography of William Eggleston and Robert Frank , who focused on "coolness", making

7320-601: The film crossing $ 400 million worldwide by early August 2023, which ultimately became Disney's biggest animated success during the pandemic. It also performed well internationally, particularly in South Korea, which became the film's third-largest market. This was attributed to director Peter Sohn 's Korean-American background and the incorporation of elements that resonated with Korean audiences. Upon hearing this news, Sohn stated "I think my heart burst with joy." By August 20, 2023, Elemental had surpassed Spider-Man: Across

7442-462: The film's demographic. In the case of Sleepless in Seattle , a romantic comedy , screenings were held at suburban shopping malls where romantic couples in their mid-20s to early 30s spent Saturday afternoons before seeing a new film. In theory, a successful screening leads to word-of-mouth marketing , as it compels viewers to discuss an interesting, low-key film with co-workers when they return to work after their weekend. Easy Rider (1969), which

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7564-420: The following weekend to 1,249 theaters and earning $ 3 million, as well as $ 1.1 million on Labor Day . Elemental (2023) originally opened below projections, earning $ 29.5 million in its opening weekend. However, positive word-of-mouth led the movie to become a sleeper hit by managing to make a drastic turnaround, with many news outlets praising Pixar Animation Studios ' unprecedented box office comeback upon

7686-425: The franchise was introduced to the United States in September 1998, going on to start a worldwide craze dubbed "Pokémania". Portal was released in 2007 with little fanfare as part of the game compilation The Orange Box , but eventually became a "phenomenon". SteamWorld Dig (2013) was released on the 3DS by little-known developer Image & Form . It became one of the first indie games mentioned in

7808-428: The game had over half a billion users, proclaiming it to be "by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players." Helldivers 2 , the sequel to Helldivers by developer Arrowhead Game Studios , began to have server issues because it was not designed to have a player base exceeding 250,000; at the time, the player base reached over 450,000. Because of its unforeseen success, Helldivers 2 became one of

7930-400: The ground-based scenes had to be color-corrected to match the new footage. The opening credits were scripted to be set over footage of Somerset visiting a countryside home he intended to purchase for his retirement, taking a piece of the wallpaper which he would carry through the film, before returning to the city by train. This was intended to create a stark contrast between the countryside and

8052-415: The highest-grossing September opening weekend of its time, replacing 1991's Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare ($ 12.6   million). The successful opening was credited to Pitt's broad popularity, a lack of competing action films, and the marketing campaign overcoming audience skepticism around the premise. Audiences polled by market research firm CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on

8174-465: The location was too dark for the camera to capture Freeman's face. Pitt insisted on performing his own stunts for the scene; he slipped on a rain-slicked car bonnet , crashing through the windshield and sustaining injuries including cut tendons and nerves in his left hand; Fincher said he saw exposed bone. Pitt returned to the set a few days later, having received stitches and a forearm cast, which had to be written into later scenes. For scenes set prior to

8296-510: The lust victim, a sex worker who is impaled with a bladed sex toy, and Heidi Schanz appears as model Rachel Slade, pride, whom Doe disfigures. Writer Andrew Kevin Walker makes a cameo appearance as a corpse Somerset investigates during the film's opening scene; Morgan Freeman's son Alfonso appears as a fingerprint technician; and columnist George Christy portrays the police department janitor scraping Somerset's name from his door. In 1986, aspiring screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker moved from

8418-496: The mind of somebody who's lost it   ... [the audience] won't understand while they're watching it, but they'll get it later". Clive Piercy and John Sabel made Doe's journals, which cost tens of thousands of dollars each to fill with text and images; about six complete journals were made, supplemented by blank ones on shelves. Artist Wayne Coe storyboarded the sequence, which Harris Savides filmed and Angus Wall edited. Cooper regularly conferred with Wall on ideas, and spent

8540-406: The most shocking and unforgettable in cinematic history. In an unnamed city overcome with violent crime and corruption, disillusioned police Detective Lieutenant William Somerset is one week from retirement. He is partnered with David Mills, a young, short-tempered, idealistic detective who recently relocated to the city with his wife, Tracy. On Monday, Somerset and Mills investigate an obese man who

8662-434: The new TikTok Billboard Top 50 , which keeps track of songs from how many plays they get on TikTok. Examples of TikTok sleeper hits since 2020 include: Pocket Monster Red and Green were released in 1996 in Japan, and later released as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998. They followed several years of development and became sleeper hits. Believing it to be a one-time product, Nintendo initially shipped 200,000 copies,

8784-532: The next in some countries, including the USA. and the UK, and eventually becoming No. 1 hits in those countries. "Poker Face", in particular, went on to become the world's best-selling single of 2009 overall . R&B singer Miguel 's 2010 debut album All I Want Is You performed poorly at first, debuting at number 109 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 11,000 copies, while underpromoted by his record label. As its singles achieved radio airplay and Miguel toured in

8906-475: The night before filming locating items such as fish hooks and loose hairs from his drain, which he believed would make interesting inclusions. Filming took place over eight days, including two days filming a hand-model stand-in for Doe. Fincher was upset at the casting because the model's hands were shorter and chunkier than Spacey's. A further five weeks were spent assembling the sequence. Although digital options were available, Cooper's team chose to assemble

9028-402: The original ending gained further backing as the project secured prominent actors, including Freeman, Pitt, and Spacey. Pitt joined Seven on condition the head-in-the-box ending be retained, as he was upset that the original ending of his previous film Legends of the Fall (1994) had been cut in response to negative test-audience responses. He also insisted that Mills kill Doe, believing it

9150-461: The package contains her severed head. He urges Mills to become wrath, telling him Tracy begged for her life and that of her unborn child, and takes pleasure in realizing Mills was unaware of the pregnancy. Despite Somerset's pleas, Mills, distraught and enraged, shoots Doe dead, completing Doe's plan. Police remove the catatonic Mills, and Somerset tells his captain he will "be around." Somerset says in voiceover: " Ernest Hemingway once wrote: 'The world

9272-558: The police because it would rob the audience and characters of the anticipated satisfaction, opting instead to leave them in discomfort leading up to the finale. In the early 1990s, Italian company Penta Film  [ it ] , under manager Phyllis Carlyle, optioned the script. Walker received the minimum fee permitted by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which proved sufficient to quit his job, relocate to Los Angeles, and dedicate himself to working on Seven . To lead

9394-438: The police station, Doe arrives covered in blood and surrenders himself. He threatens to plead insanity at his trial, potentially escaping punishment, unless Mills and Somerset escort him to an undisclosed location where they will find the envy and wrath victims. During the drive, Doe says he believes God has chosen him to send a message about the ubiquity of, and apathy toward, sin. Doe has no remorse for his victims, believing

9516-491: The project, Penta Film hired director Jeremiah S. Chechik , known for his recent success directing the comedy film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and seeking a more serious project. Chechik and Penta Film insisted on several script changes, including the removal of the bleak conclusion, in which Tracy's severed head is delivered in a box. Facing the ultimatum of complying with these requests or risking replacement or project cancellation, Walker acquiesced and wrote

9638-433: The protagonists do not engage in a last-minute action sequence to save Tracy because she is already dead. Fincher expressed his interest to the studio, which realized he had been sent Walker's original script. New Line Cinema sent Fincher an up-to-date draft in which Tracy survives but Fincher insisted on directing the original script. In discussions with Michael De Luca , New Line Cinema's president of production, both shared

9760-476: The record's promotion, All I Want Is You became a sleeper hit and reached 404,000 copies sold by 2012. As of November 2017, the album has been certified platinum in the US. " Truth Hurts " by Lizzo was released in September 2017, and did not chart until its appearance in the 2019 romantic comedy film Someone Great led to the single debuting at the number 50 position on the Billboard Hot 100. As

9882-465: The satisfaction of having any sort of understanding of why that is. That's one of the things that scares people the most about serial killers". To shape the character of the killer, Walker drew inspiration from his own experiences navigating city streets, where he witnessed crimes and sins unfolding openly on every corner. This exploration led him to contemplate the idea of an individual who deliberately fixated on these sins. He had Doe surrender himself to

10004-557: The scene lead Somerset and Mills to the sloth victim, a drug-dealing pederast whom they find emaciated and restrained to a bed. Photographs reveal the victim was restrained for precisely one year. Somerset surmises the murders are based on the Christian concept of the seven deadly sins . Tracy invites Somerset to share supper with her and Mills, helping the detectives overcome their mutual hostility. On Friday, Tracy meets privately with Somerset because she has no other acquaintances in

10126-409: The scene to lose its momentum, affecting the pacing and emotion. The helicopter scenes were also filmed in post-production because there was no time during principal photography; the studio agreed the provision of extra time and funding for additional scenes if they were deemed necessary. Because these scenes were filmed several months later than the rest of the film, the green ground had turned brown and

10248-410: The scene. Fincher wanted precise staging for every scene to make the audience feel as if they were in the location. Believing it was important to create limitations to challenge himself, Fincher had sets built without removable walls, and the crew had to film within their confines. Doe's murder scenes were influenced by photography, such as the work of Joel-Peter Witkin . The sloth scene in particular

10370-403: The scene. Khondji used a mixture of lighting, using the warm light of Chinese lanterns to represent the past and present, and the cold light of Kino Flos to represent the future. The studio was unhappy with the darkness of the dailies ; Khondji suggested printing the footage brighter but Fincher refused to compromise. Available footage was made into a well-received promotional showreel for

10492-442: The screening, one female audience member walking by Fincher said: "the people who made that movie should be killed". According to Fincher, the screening invitation only told audiences that the film would feature Pitt and Freeman, both of whom were known for films very different in tone to Seven . Executives wanted a mainstream conclusion in which Mills and Somerset pursue Doe and a kidnapped Tracy, who would survive. According to Pitt,

10614-497: The script's bleak conclusion, insisting on a more mainstream and optimistic outcome. Fincher, determined to re-establish himself after a career setback with his directorial debut Alien 3 (1992), was mistakenly sent Walker's original script and, convinced of its merit, committed to directing the project if the original ending remained intact. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles between December 1994 and March 1995, on

10736-452: The senior director of charts at Billboard , noted the rarity of a song topping the Hot 100 almost two years after its release, but explained that, "in the digital era, it's much easier than ever before for music fans to be exposed to older songs that might've been overlooked the first time around." According to Paper magazine's Michael Love Michael, Lizzo's sleeper hit can also be explained by

10858-432: The sequence by hand, believing any irregularities and accidents in the images would enhance the overall aesthetic, and manually added scratches, tears, and pen marks directly to the film negative. Fincher and Cooper devised a rough-looking text for the credits to appear as if written by a "disturbed hand". The text was etched onto a black-surfaced scratchboard and visually manipulated while being transferred to film to add

10980-440: The seven deadly sins, leading the pair to John Doe 's apartment. Unexpectedly, Doe returns home and is pursued by Mills. Doe incapacitates Mills by striking him with a tire iron and holds him at gunpoint, but chooses to leave him alive and flees. The police investigate Doe's apartment, finding a large amount of cash, hundreds of Doe's notebooks, and photographs of some of his victims; the cache includes images of Somerset and Mills by

11102-479: The shocking murders will force society to pay attention to him. Doe leads the detectives to a remote location far outside the city limits, where a delivery van approaches. Somerset intercepts the vehicle, whose driver was instructed to deliver a package to Mills at this specific time and location. Somerset is horrified at the package's contents and tells Mills to put down his gun. Doe reveals he himself represents envy because he envied Mills's life with Tracy and implies

11224-419: The sloth victim involved him portraying a corpse that slowly turned his head towards the camera; his performance was deemed "creepy" enough. Set decorator Cat Mueller portrayed the lust victim after Fincher's assistant said she had the personality and body to portray a dead prostitute. She received $ 500 for six hours of filming over two days but described being nude in front of Pitt as a perk. Model Heidi Schanz

11346-526: The song became a sleeper hit on the chart, the music video—featuring the singer in a "wedding-gone-wild" concept—went viral . By September 2019, the single had reached number one on the chart. The music video has been viewed over 290 million times as of August 2022. The single also benefited from its use in TikTok videos by users who lip-synced or referenced the lyric "I just took a DNA test, turns out, I'm 100 percent that bitch". During its chart run, Gary Trust,

11468-487: The song rapidly rising in popularity, despite music industry scorn; cover versions (including one by Larry Hooper and the Lawrence Welk orchestra) were quickly rushed into production, and by 1953, there were no fewer than four hit recordings of the same song circulating, including Howard's original. The Romantics ' 1980 single " What I Like About You " was a minor hit upon its release, charting at number 49 on

11590-409: The story too bleak. David Fincher was known mainly for directing popular music videos, such as " Vogue " and " Who Is It ". His only feature film, Alien 3 (1992), had been a negative experience as the studio edited it against Fincher's intent, leading to him disowning the project, stating "I'd rather die of colon cancer than make another movie". Despite this, Fincher's agent presented him with

11712-506: The studio wanted a more heroic ending for Mills in which he did not kill Doe, and instead of Tracy's head being in the box, for it to be the head of one of Mills's dogs. Freeman preferred a storyboarded sequence of Somerset killing Doe, sparing Mills from losing his career as well, but Pitt believed Mills had to kill Doe and test audiences preferred that version. Another alternative ending depicted Mills shooting Somerset to stop him killing Doe first. Fincher and Pitt both refused to compromise with

11834-406: The studio's request to replace the head-in-the-box ending but settled for a longer epilogue showing Mills being arrested and Somerset delivering a concluding narration, offering some humanity. Pitt and Fincher were unhappy with the car-ride scene leading into the ending because the dialogue had to be overdubbed after too much ambient sound had been picked up during filming. Pitt believed this caused

11956-726: The suburbs of Pennsylvania to New York City, and described the culture shock of living in a city undergoing significant rises in crime and drug abuse . While working as a sales assistant for Tower Records in 1991, Walker began writing a spec script called Seven , which is set in an unnamed, bleak and gloomy city that was inspired by his "depressing" time in New York. Walker said: "it's true that if I hadn't lived there I probably wouldn't have written Seven   ... " Film studios were eager for high concept spec scripts—simple and succinct ideas that could be easily sold to audiences. Walker believed his thriller about police officers pursuing

12078-519: The theater-owner convention ShoWest , after which complaints about the darkness ceased. Khondji used Panavision Primo lenses, which offered a sharp image with good contrast, and Kodak film stocks that could capture the "gritty" interiors and deep blacks for night-time exteriors. Khondji described the scene in which Mills pursues Doe as one of the most-difficult scenes to film due to its length, fast camera movements in rain, and tight, barely lit interior spaces. One segment had to be re-filmed because

12200-414: The theatrical release. Fincher did not want to appear to be accepting their suggestion and instructed Cooper to develop a new concept; Cooper persuaded Fincher to use a more-elaborate and detailed version of the montage. Cooper focused on Doe's elaborate journals, briefly glimpsed in the film, while Fincher suggested the sequence should depict Doe. Fincher wanted Mark Romanek to direct the sequence, being

12322-462: The third-billed actor in a movie where the top two billings are trying to find somebody and they don't find that somebody until the last reel, then it's obvious who that somebody is   ... I felt very strongly that it was the right thing to do for the movie. We finally won because it was a deal-breaker; I was either going to be on a plane to shoot the movie or I wasn't". The 480 lb (220 kg) actor Bob Mack made his film debut as gluttony, who

12444-466: The top 10 a month later. The R&B singer Raphael Saadiq 's classic soul -inspired album The Way I See It was a sleeper hit. Overlooked upon its release in 2008, it ended up charting for 41 weeks on the US Billboard 200 . " Just Dance " and " Poker Face " by pop singer Lady Gaga were both released in 2008 but did not become popular hits until the end of that year and the start of

12566-524: The top five. The film led the box office from January 8, 2024 to January 11, which saw the debut of new films. Don Howard's 1952 recording of " Oh Happy Day " was one of the earliest sleeper hits. Featuring only Howard's baritone vocals and his acoustic guitar played at an amateur level, it was initially released regionally and was never expected to become a hit. A massive groundswell of support from teenagers in Howard's home base of Cleveland , Ohio, led to

12688-400: The visuals simultaneously gritty, stylized, classic, and contemporary. Khondji said Frank's style could be seen in Seven ' s very bright exteriors and dark interiors, a visual contrast achieved by underexposing the film negative. The final scene with Mills, Somerset, and Doe, had inconsistent lighting because the actors were always lit from behind by the sun regardless of their placement in

12810-404: The years since its release, the critical reception has been more positive. The film has inspired a number of TV series and films with its aesthetic, music, and premise. Its title sequence, which depicts the killer preparing for his actions in the film, is considered an important design innovation that sparked a renewed interest in title design, while the film's twist ending has been named as one of

12932-626: Was also a sleeper hit, having a box office take of $ 70 million on a budget of only $ 325,000. Its success caused other slasher films to try the same approach, although few fared as well since horror films heavily rely on opening weekend box office and quickly fall from theaters. Other notable examples of horror sleeper-hits to follow in Halloween 's wake include A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, Scream in 1996, The Blair Witch Project in 1999, Saw in 2004, and Paranormal Activity in 2007. Hocus Pocus (1993) underperformed at

13054-591: Was cast as the pride victim after the previous actor dropped out. Fincher, who was running low on time, wanted a model with existing headshots and pictures that could be displayed in the character's apartment. The film's content made casting and crewing Seven difficult; Gary Oldman turned down an unspecified role, Fincher's former costume designer declined to work on the film, and talent agents refused to pass offers on to their clients, describing Seven as "evil and misogynistic". Principal photography began on December 12, 1994, and concluded on March 10, 1995. Walker

13176-474: Was completed by August 1994. Pitt had established himself as an in-demand and highly-paid film star following successes with Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Legends of the Fall , but Fincher had not considered him to portray Mills because he felt Pitt did not fit the image he had for the character. However, after meeting Pitt, Fincher believed he was charismatic and likeable enough that he could keep

13298-496: Was considered a failure for the first 6 months of its release until it found popularity in midnight screenings afterwards. A Christmas Story (1983) was initially a modest success with little promotion, but after Ted Turner purchased the MGM back-catalog a few years later and began rerunning the film on his cable networks every December, it became an iconic Christmas classic. The 1979 Australian film Mad Max , which sprung from

13420-553: Was considered but filming dates conflicted with the band's tour. Val Kilmer declined the role; R. Lee Ermey auditioned but Fincher found his portrayal unsympathetic and lacking depth. Kevin Spacey was preferred by Pitt but executives refused to pay his asking price. Doe's scenes were initially filmed with an unknown actor portraying Doe; the filmmakers quickly decided to replace them and Pitt helped negotiate Spacey's involvement. Spacey, who filmed his scenes in twelve days, received

13542-489: Was created on a budget of less than $ 400,000 (equivalent to $ 3,323,000 in 2023) , became a sleeper hit by earning $ 50 million and garnering attention from younger audiences with its combination of drugs, violence, motorcycles, counter-culture stance, and rock music. It was also one of the successful films during the beginnings of the American New Wave of cinema. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

13664-479: Was described as a "very heavy guy face down in spaghetti". Gene Borkan was cast to play the greed victim because the filmmakers wanted someone who resembled lawyer Robert Shapiro . He did not realize his character would already be dead and refused a request to perform nude. On the set, when he realized what his scene entailed, Borkan renegotiated his salary, receiving "five times [the $ 522 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) day-scale fee]". Michael Reid MacKay's audition for

13786-404: Was forced to eat until his stomach burst, killing him. The detectives find the word " gluttony " written on a wall. Somerset, considering the case too extreme for his last investigation, asks to be reassigned, but his request is denied. The following day, another victim, who had been forced to cut one pound (0.45 kg) of flesh from his body, is found; the crime scene is marked " greed ." Clues at

13908-591: Was important because she provides the film's only tonally positive elements and he thought Paltrow's previous performances demonstrated she could effectively convey this in Tracy's limited screentime. Fincher and Walker wanted Ned Beatty to play John Doe because of his resemblance to the 1969 composite sketch of the Zodiac Killer ; Beatty declined, describing the script as the "most evil thing I've ever read". Michael Stipe , lead vocalist of rock band R.E.M. ,

14030-557: Was important that Mills act out of passion instead of morality. Kopelson supported Fincher after being reassured the severed head would not be shown. Walker said changing the dark tone of the ending would remove the core of the story. Walker further refined the script. His changes included extending a chase sequence depicting Mills cautiously pursuing Doe, aiming to avoid typical cinematic chases in which characters frantically pursue their target, saying that were he in that situation he would be wary to turn any corner. A shooting script

14152-414: Was influenced by the work of painter Edvard Munch , drawing on the green and "claustrophobic" imagery. Rob Bottin led development of practical effects. He researched crime-scene photographs and police evidence files, observed an autopsy, and studied the effects of obesity to realize his designs. For the gluttony victim, Mack spent up to 10 hours a day having makeup and prosthetics applied. Mack said he

14274-408: Was inspired by Cooper's appreciation for the "elegant" way Doe stirs his tea following his surrender. The sequence focuses on Doe writing his journal and crossing out words such as "pregnancy", "marriage", and other elements representing a "perfect life", which he does not believe people deserve. Fincher said: "it was a way of introducing the evil. The idea was that you're watching title sequences from

14396-588: Was on set throughout filming to provide suggestions or on-spec rewrites but did not give Fincher much input, believing he should adapt the script as he wanted. Michael Alan Kahn served as assistant director. Location filming took place entirely in downtown Los Angeles. Fincher wanted to film in Oakland, California , because of its aesthetically pleasing clapboard houses but the schedule would not allow for this. Rain often fell during filming; Fincher decided to film in rain to avoid continuity errors and because Pitt

14518-428: Was only available for fifty-five days before he began filming 12 Monkeys (1995). Fincher also said the rain introduced an inescapable element for the characters because conditions were bad inside and outside, and that the rain made the film's city appear less like Los Angeles, which is associated with sunny weather. Seven ' s aesthetic was influenced by films such as All That Jazz (1979), The Silence of

14640-566: Was reduced, and made more precise and direct. Robin Wright auditioned for the role of Tracy and Christina Applegate rejected it before Paltrow was cast. Pitt had recommended Paltrow after being impressed by her audition for Legends of the Fall . Fincher preferred Paltrow but initial discussions suggested that if approached she would not be interested in a film with a dark tone like Seven . Fincher auditioned about 100 people before Pitt contacted Paltrow to meet with them. Fincher said that Tracy

14762-570: Was released in 1999, to mainstream success. The single debuted on the chart at No. 80 in January 2001, and eventually peaked at number three in April 2001. No Angel entered the Billboard 200 at No. 144, where it eventually reached its peak position of No. 4 on the chart. Maroon 5 's debut studio album, Songs About Jane , was originally released in June 2002 but did not enter the chart until 11 months later in May 2003, where it underperformed on

14884-419: Was unaware he would be surrounded by live insects until reading the daily call sheet and noticing a "cockroach wrangler ". A fiberglass replica of Mack was used for the character's autopsy. Bottin's team spent 11 days experimenting on the aesthetic and prosthetics for the sloth victim. MacKay was 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) tall and weighed 96 to 98 lb (about 44 kg) during filming, offering

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