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David Fincher’s Se7en, if seen from a modern lens, stands not only as a defining work in the director’s career but as one of the most enduring American thrillers ever made. While Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and even Kevin Spacey tend to steal most of the spotlight in public memory, the film owes its entire existence to the quiet brilliance of Andrew Kevin Walker. His name may not echo as loudly as the stars, but without him, none of it would’ve existed.
Andrew Kevin Walker: A Career Hinged On One Script
Walker had no significant credits to his name back in the early ’90s. Se7en was his big leap, a script written out of frustration during his time in New York and crafted with a raw edge that sliced through the typical Hollywood formula.
It wasn’t long after that he ended up penning Sleepy Hollow for Tim Burton and fine-tuning the likes of The Game and Fight Club behind the scenes. Years later, he’d even return to work with Fincher on The Killer, adapted from a French graphic novel, with a release set for late 2023.
But none of those later successes would’ve mattered if Se7en didn’t make the impact it did. Had that film stumbled, there’s a good chance Fincher wouldn’t have revisited Walker’s scripts, and the chain reaction of career-defining films might’ve ended right there. Instead, the movie detonated across pop culture, dragging noir back into the mainstream with blood-stained gloves.
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The Dark Premise Of Se7en
Se7en’s premise was sharp and merciless. A methodical serial killer, John Doe, crafts each murder around one of the Seven Deadly Sins, leaving behind grotesque tableaus and cryptic messages in blood. Detectives Mills and Somerset navigate this grim puzzle, coupling Pitt’s impulsive energy clashing with Freeman’s calm. Kevin Spacey, appearing deep into the film, delivered a performance that still echoes through crime cinema. One body after another, the pattern tightens until a finale that’s now legendary.
However, that ending almost didn’t happen.
New Line’s Cold Feet
According to Movieweb, New Line Cinema saw it differently. They believed the original final act was too much and too grim for a mainstream release. Subsequently, heads rolled behind the scenes, trying to soften the blow. A series of rewrites followed, removing the infamous box scene and reshaping the ending entirely. The plan was to send a cleaned-up version to Fincher. But in a fortunate twist of fate, the original draft found its way to him instead.
Fincher read it and decided it was the only version worth filming. The infamous plot twist, the one involving Mills’s wife and a cardboard box, was the climax that gave the film its teeth. It was the moment that elevated Se7en from a smart thriller to something unforgettable.
Pitt, being the smart, intelligent actor that he is, agreed, and he only signed on with the condition that the original ending stayed, including Mills’s final, irreversible decision to kill Doe. The studio tried to push back, but Fincher and Pitt refused to bend.
The Versions That Never Happened
Alternate versions floated around during development. One idea swapped out the head for a hostage scenario, with Somerset and Mills racing to rescue Tracy. Another had Somerset pulling the trigger instead, denying Doe the twisted satisfaction of finishing his plan. Even a version where Mills finds his dog’s head instead of his wife’s was considered. But none of them held the same brutal clarity, and truth be told, none matched the weight of the original conclusion.
If Fincher hadn’t gotten that wrong script by accident, if Pitt hadn’t backed it up, the film would’ve been neutered. It might still be talked about, but not celebrated, and honestly, Se7en needed that ending to become what it did.
In the end, the studio backed down. The film hit theaters with its razor-sharp teeth intact. Fast-forward to almost three decades since its release, Se7en hasn’t dulled as it is still held up as a pillar of the thriller genre.
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