EXCLUSIVE: Speaking to ‘The Independent’, the filmmaker also revealed the hilariously blunt response he received from Gene Hackman after he offered the veteran actor a part in the film
David Fincher has revealed secrets from behind the scenes of his 1995 thriller SE7EN as it’s re-released in an eye-popping new remastered edition.
Speaking to The Independent, the filmmaker discussed some of the actors he initially hoped to cast in the film, poured cold water on a long-standing rumour about its shocking ending, and his memories of how Denzel Washington was initially approached to star in the movie.
Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt ultimately led the film as Detectives Somerset and Mills, who are tasked with investigating a serial killer modelling his crimes after the seven deadly sins. Gwyneth Paltrow was cast as Mills’s doomed wife Tracy, while Kevin Spacey starred as the killer John Doe. All four parties collide in the film’s famed climax, which has birthed a particular urban legend linking SE7EN with Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 pandemic thriller Contagion.
*Spoiler warning* Before you read any further, be aware that this article discusses the final scenes of SE7EN and a specific plot point in Contagion.
David Fincher bristles at being labeled a perfectionist.
He makes an unconvincing case in the shadow of his filmography, which includes “Fight Club,” “Zodiac” and “The Social Network” among several other films marked by a meticulous and unerring technical precision. But Fincher’s objections ring especially hollow when it comes in the midst of an explanation — involving corrections to emulsion caused by the device that perforated the original celluloid — why a new 4K version of “SE7EN” took a year to complete. Yet even if one were inclined to describe his approach merely as a “passionate attention to detail,” that attention has nevertheless resulted in some of the most unforgettable cinematic images of the last 30 years — and now, one of the most beautiful restorations produced in the high-definition era.
Perhaps ironically, “SE7EN,” the film that marked his Hollywood breakthrough, was by his description inspired by “movies with dirt under their fingernails.” Following its premiere at the 2024 TCM Film Festival, the upgraded transfer will be released in theaters (including IMAX) Jan. 3, to be followed on 4K UHD Jan. 7. Fincher recently spoke with Variety about the film, describing his approach to the project after the critical and commercial underperformance of his debut feature, “Alien 3;” revealing details about key casting and creative choices in bringing to life the story of a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins; and reflecting on its legacy as a film that both inspired countless imitators and defined his reputation — be it as a perfectionist or just a filmmaker who learned to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.
David Fincher:
I bristle at that idea of perfectionism because if you look at an image and you can see that there’s something going on on the left side of it, I’ll admit it was a big problem for me when I moved to high definition because now I could finally see all of the background actors looky-looing and counting, and you go, “Wow, what is this behavior that’s in the background?” So the more you see, the more I feel it’s my responsibility to make sure that the only thing that’s documented is the stuff that focuses your attention on what you need to walk away with.
SE7EN turns 30 this year, and to commemorate the anniversary, director David Fincher has overseen the 4K remaster of the seminal crime drama.
The serial killer mystery — which stars Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey — first shook up the crime genre in 1995 with propulsive, precise craft and unprecedentedly nasty crime scenes that have influenced everything from Saw to The Batman. The film now has a higher-resolution look that will debut on IMAX screens on Jan. 3 before releasing on 4K UHD Blu-ray Discs and on digital Jan. 7. Fincher and his team painstakingly recreated the film as it was originally printed in 1995, utilizing some AI tools to enhance the image and fix visual mistakes that weren’t visible in previous scans of the film.
Entertainment Weekly chatted with Fincher to discuss the new version of SE7EN and reflect on his memories of helming his feature directorial breakout 30 years later — including what’s really in the box.
It’s officially 2025, and that makes it the year of SE7EN’s 30th anniversary. Released in theaters on September 22, 1995, David Fincher’s second feature film enjoyed a successful run at the box office, scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing, a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and is still revered as top-tier cinema to this day.
The movie stars Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as detectives. Freeman’s William Somerset is a respected veteran on the verge of retirement, while Pitt’s David Mills is a recently transferred detective with loads of confidence, but lots to learn from Somerset. The pair is assigned to investigate a string of elaborate and ruthless murders, each one connected to one of the seven deadly sins.
In celebration of SE7EN’s release on 4K UHD on January 7, and also its first-ever IMAX release on January 3, I got the opportunity to get a peek behind the curtain of the restoration process courtesy of Fincher himself. He broke down the factors he must consider when choosing which of his films to restore, where he draws the line when making changes to the original film during this restoration process, how he used AI to pull off “the most thrillingly stupid fix in the world,” and loads more. You can read about all of that and his thoughts on his Netflix projects getting physical releases in the interview below.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced the standalone UHD HDR release of The Social Network, featuring the 2021 remaster in 4K supervised by David Fincher, previously only available in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 Limited Edition box set.
It will be available as a limited edition Steelbook on February 18, 2025.
The Social Network, directed by David Fincher, is the stunning tale of a new breed of cultural insurgent: a punk genius who sparked a revolution and changed the face of human interaction for a generation, and perhaps forever. Shot through with emotional brutality and unexpected humor, this superbly crafted film chronicles the formation of Facebook and the battles over ownership that followed upon the website’s unfathomable success. With a complex, incisive screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and a brilliant cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, The Social Network bears witness to the birth of an idea that rewove the fabric of society even as it unraveled the friendship of its creators. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (2010).
Directed by: David Fincher Produced by: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca Written by: Aaron Sorkin, based Upon the Book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich
Basics
Video: 4K UHD (2160p). 2.40:1 (OAR). HEVC/H.265 Codec HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR 10. Audio: Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more Discs: 3-Disc Set
Run Time: 120 minutes Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language, and Unrated
4K ULTRA HD Disc
Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
Unrated Dolby Atmos English audio (with one extra “fuck”)
Unrated 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (with one extra “fuck”)
Theatrical 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Optional English subtitles
Theatrical Trailers
Blu-Ray Disc
Feature presented in HD resolution
Theatrical 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Optional English subtitles for the main feature
Commentary 1 by David Fincher
Commentary 2 by Aaron Sorkin & Cast
Blu-Ray Disc with Special Features
All previously available Special Features produced by David Prior.
How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook?
David Fincher and Jeff Cronenweth on the Visuals
Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, and Ren Klyce on Post
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and David Fincher on the Score
Ruby Skye VIP Room: Multi-Angle Scene Breakdown
In the Hall of the Mountain King: Reznor’s First Draft
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced the long-awaited UHD HDR release of Panic Room, featuring the new remaster in 4K supervised by David Fincher.
It will be available as a limited edition Steelbook on February 18, 2025.
Trapped in their New York brownstone’s panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart), play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders—Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) and Junior (Jared Leto)—during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.
Directed by: David Fincher Produced by: Ceán Chaffin, Gavin Polone, Judy Hofflund, David Koepp Written by: David Koepp
Run Time: 112 minutes Rating: R for violence and language
4K ULTRA HD Disc
Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
English Dolby Atmos + English 5.1
Optional English subtitles
Blu-Ray Disc
Feature presented in HD resolution, sourced from the 4K remaster
English 5.1
Optional English subtitles for the main feature
Commentary 1 by David Fincher
Commentary 2 by Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, and Dwight Yoakam
Commentary 3 by writer David Koepp and special guest
Blu-Ray Disc with Special Features
All previously available Special Features produced by David Prior.
Pre-Production:
– Six featurettes on the prep phase, from pre-visualization through testing. – Interactive previsualization: Compare the pre-visualization, storyboards, dailies and final film in a multi-angle, multi-audio feature with optional commentary.
Production:
– Shooting Panic Room: An hour-long documentary on the principal photography phase. – Makeup effects featurette with Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. – Sequence breakdowns: An interactive look at the creation of four separate scenes in the film
Post-Production:
– 21 documentaries and featurettes on the visual effects. – On Sound Design with Ren Klyce. – Digital Intermediate and other featurettes dealing with the post-production phase. – A multi-angle look at the scoring session conducted by Howard Shore.
This edition will include the fantastic Teaser Trailer narrated by Linda Hunt, edited by Angus Wall, and with Sound Design by Ren Klyce, previously only available in the “SuperBit” Edition and worldwide standard edition DVDs:
FROM ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR DAVID FINCHER,THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR).
AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL AND 4K UHD DISC ON JANUARY 7, 2025.
EXPERIENCE THE FILM IN IMAX® FOR THE FIRST TIME, STARTING JANUARY 3, 2025 FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT.
The film stars Academy Award Winners Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman,and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Burbank, Calif., November 19, 2024 – Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the psychological thriller SE7EN from New Line Cinema and acclaimed director David Fincher, the 1995 film will be available for purchase Digitally in 4K Ultra HD and on 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc on January 7, 2025.
SE7EN will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Fandango at Home and more.
Additionally, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, the newly re-mastered version of SE7EN will be offered theatrically worldwide with exclusive IMAX engagements in the U.S. and Canada beginning on January 3, and international theatrical engagements on select dates. To purchase tickets, or for further information, please visit www.imax.com/seven.
Directed by three-time Academy Award nominee David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, Mank) from a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, the film stars Academy Award winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood), Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love), along with John C. McGinley (Platoon), Golden Globe nominee R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket), and Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, American Beauty) as John Doe. The film is produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phyllis Carlyle.
SE7EN received an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing (Richard Francis-Bruce) at the 68th Academy Awards. The film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay (Andrew Kevin Walker) at the 49th British Academy Film Awards.
The 4K restoration of Se7en was completed at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) and was sourced from the original camera negative. The restoration was overseen by director David Fincher.
About the Film
Two cops (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) track a brilliant and elusive killer who orchestrates a string of horrific murders, each kill targeting a practitioner of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Gwyneth Paltrow also stars in this acclaimed thriller set in a dour, drizzly city sick with pain and blight. David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) guides the action – physical, mental, and spiritual – with a sure understanding of what terrifies us, right up to a stunning denouement that will rip the scar tissue off the most hardened soul.
SE7EN 4K UHD Blu-ray. DigiPack Case
SE7EN 4K UHD Blu-ray. SteelBook Case (Limited Edition)
Basics
Video: 4K UHD (2160p). 2.39:1 (OAR). HEVC/H.265 Codec. HDR 10. Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) Languages: English, Spanish, Parisian French Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
Run Time: 127 minutes Rating: R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language
Special Features
SE7EN Digital release and Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contain the following previously released special features:
Commentaries:
– The Stars: David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman – The Story: Richard Dyer, Andrew Kevin Walker, Richard Francis-Bruce, Michael De Luca, David Fincher – The Picture: Darius Khondji, Arthur Max, Richard Francis-Bruce, Richard Dyer, David Fincher – The Sound: Ren Klyce, Howard Shore, Richard Dyer, David Fincher
Deleted Scenes:
– Car Ride in from Gluttony – My Future – Raid on Victor’s – Spare Some Change? – Tracy Wakes from Light Sleep – Pride
Alternate endings:
– Animated storyboards of un-shot ending – Original “Test” ending
Still Photographs (featurettes):
– John Doe’s Photographs – Victor’s Decomposition – Police Crime Scene Photographs – Production Photographs – The Notebooks
Production Design (featurette)
Mastering for the Home Theater (featurette)
Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Early Storyboards (featurette)
Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Rough Version (featurette)
Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Final Edit (featurette)
Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary One – The Concept – Designer Kyle Cooper (featurette)
Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary Two – The Sound – Brant Biles & Robert Margouleff (featurette)
Or so says the mysterious account that discreetly appeared on Instagram on October 15, the 25th Anniversary of Fight Club.
Now, New Regency and 20th Century Studios have officially announced that the subversive film, based on Chuck Palahniuk’s satirical novel, has been “meticulously remastered” in 4K under the supervision of David Fincher, “offering audiences the chance to experience the film with sharper detail than ever before.”
We will be able to experience the new remaster in 2025, in a theatrical re-release and 4K UHD HDR Streaming and Blu-ray releases.
Insight Editions, in partnership with New Regency, is releasing a companion art book (announced on THE FINCHER ANALYST last year), “a collector’s piece, that includes new interviews, unearthed visuals, original artwork, and rare behind-the-scenes material, offering fans the deepest look yet into the making of the film and its enduring legacy.”
“Fight Club is an enduring symbol of cinematic innovation, with its exploration of identity, masculinity, and consumerism continuing to resonate with audiences.”
Paramount is releasing the 4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-Ray + Digital Copy of David Fincher‘s Zodiac (2007) on October 29.
Based on the true story of the notorious serial killer and the intense manhunt he inspired, Zodiac is a superbly crafted thriller from the director of Se7en, Fight Club, and The Social Network. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chloë Sevigny, Anthony Edwards, and Brian Cox, Zodiac is a searing and singularly haunting examination of twin obsessions: one man’s desire to kill and another’s quest for the truth.
Paramounthas just made David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) available in 4K Digital on Apple TV, Vudu, Kaleidescape, and more. Given the amount of effort Fincher puts into his remasters, we believe it’s safe to assume that Zodiac will be coming to physical 4K Ultra HD from Paramount sooner than later as well.
Zodiac, it should be remembered, was shot mostly in 10-bit RAW in 1080p HD (4:4:4) using the Thomson Viper FilmStream camera, along with some footage in 35 mm photochemical film (Super 35 format). But anyone who doubts that it could look great upscaled and remastered in 4K would do well to take a look at HBO’s Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season in 4K UHD. The advantages of high data rate and low compression, combined with an HDR grade, really make a difference. Zodiac in particular was very well lit and photographed.
And it looks good! The color grade in particular is excellent. HDR is subtle, but it makes a difference. There’s obviously not as much detail as you’d see in native 4K, but the image is very dimensional. Color is really lovely. Should make a good UHD disc. Definitely an improvement over the Blu-ray. The best this film has ever looked.
The Fincher Analyst 