“Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.” – Detective Somerset
There are few scenes more iconic in the world of cinema than the ending of Se7en. Few moments are met with the level of shock that this one creates. Just when it seems like John Doe has finally been caught, that all of this will finally be behind Somerset and Mills, a box appears and changes the landscape of cinema.
The look of pure devastation on Mills’s face as he figures out exactly what’s inside… “What’s in the box?” There’s a reason this is considered one of the greatest endings of all time.
So we’re getting into how this ending was almost changed, the actors originally intended to play the detectives, and a lot more, as we tell you what happened to Se7en.
New York City used to be a very different place than it is today. While Times Square is now a hotspot for New Year’s Eve and advertisements, it was once filled with adult theaters and crime. While working as a sales assistant at Tower Records, Andrew Kevin Walker began writing a spec script inspired by his time in the city. He credits New York’s oppressive atmosphere as the main inspiration for the story, even saying: “If I hadn’t lived there, I probably wouldn’t have written Se7en.”
At the time, studios were chasing high-concept scripts. Walker delivered one: a story about police officers pursuing a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth) to dictate his crimes. He imagined someone who would fixate on everyday sins and punish those committing them. By the time the credits rolled, he wanted audiences to feel shocked and violated.
Walker sold his script to the Italian company Penta Film, which brought in director Jeremiah Chechik (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation). But there was a problem. Penta and Chechik wanted major changes, including removing the bleak ending.
In the rewritten version:
Still not satisfied, the studio demanded 13 rewrites. Fearing replacement, Walker complied. Fortunately for him and for audiences, Penta Film went bankrupt. The rights eventually landed at New Line Cinema, and Chechik exited the project.
At one point, even Guillermo del Toro was considered to direct.
After the troubled production of Alien³, David Fincher had sworn off filmmaking. Then he read Se7en.
He was immediately drawn to the original ending and its exploration of true evil. The studio was horrified to learn he’d read the uncensored version, not the softened rewrite. Fincher didn’t budge.
Brad Pitt signed on as Detective Mills, but only under one condition: Do not change the ending.
He insisted:
This came after his frustration with Legends of the Fall, whose ending had been altered after test screenings.
Fincher initially wasn’t sure Pitt fit the role, especially coming off Interview with the Vampire. But after meeting him, he was convinced. Pitt’s involvement was so crucial that pre-production was cut from 12 weeks to just 5.
For Tracy:
Paltrow initially disliked the script’s tone, but Tracy being the story’s only source of warmth won her over.
Several major actors passed on Detective Somerset:
The role ultimately went to Morgan Freeman, whose calm, introspective performance became one of the film’s defining elements.
Casting John Doe proved even trickier. Considered for the role:
Brad Pitt pushed for Kevin Spacey, and after negotiations, the studio agreed. To preserve the surprise:
Filming began in December 1994. Despite its New York inspiration, most of Se7en was shot in Los Angeles under constant rain, which Fincher embraced as part of the film’s oppressive tone. Cinematographer Darius Khondji crafted a dark, shadow-heavy visual style. The studio hated the early footage, calling it “too dark.”
Fincher refused to compromise. He wanted realism:
Production wasn’t easy:
Special effects legend Rob Bottin (The Thing) created the disturbing crime scenes using real forensic references.
Test audiences didn’t respond well. Many expected a typical thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, not something this bleak.
New Line panicked:
Alternate ideas included:
Fincher and Pitt refused every suggestion.
To prepare the film for screenings, Kyle Cooper created a title sequence from John Doe’s perspective, featuring disturbing glimpses of his notebooks and rituals. The studio loved it so much they demanded it stay.
Fincher resisted until Cooper expanded it into the now-iconic final version in just eight days.
Se7en was released on September 22, 1995.
It became one of the biggest hits of the year. Critics and audiences praised it as:
In the years since, many films have tried to replicate its formula but none have matched its impact. A 4K remaster supervised by Fincher has preserved the film’s original look, avoiding the pitfalls that sometimes come with modern restorations.
New Line once considered a sequel titled Ei8ht. The concept? Somerset develops psychic abilities.
Fincher’s response: He’d rather have cigarettes put out in his eyes.
The sequel was scrapped. The spec script that was going to be turned into the Seven sequel did go into production years later, becoming the 2015 thriller Solace.
The ending of Se7en endures because it refuses comfort. It doesn’t give audiences closure. It forces them to sit with the consequences. John Doe wins not by escaping, but by completing his design. And Mills becomes the final sin.
Thirty years later, the question still hits the same way: What’s in the box?
A couple of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!