‘He stays in the box’: Brad Pitt agreed to play in the Seven on one condition

In the 90s, viewers saw Brad Pitt try his hand at different genres and become the star he is today. The actor started the decade with Thelma and Louise Road Trip before making the noir film Interview with the Vampire and halfway through he took a break from the thriller genre to direct the shocker Seven. David Fincher.

As interpreted by David Mills, an idealistic young detective, Brad Pitt He found an opportunity that would change his career. Still, his commitment to the role was not immediate: he agreed to play the character only on one very specific condition, a decision that would determine the film’s success.

seven tells the story of Mills (Brad Pitt) and his partner Somerset (Morgan Freeman), two detectives looking for a serial killer who punishes his victims according to his own moral standards. Throughout the film, we discover that these murders are linked to the seven deadly sins. This story, which captivates the audience from the beginning, comes to a brutal and heartbreaking conclusion that has caused controversy over time: Mills receives a box whose contents are intended to destroy his life and change the course of the story.

Warning, spoilers! This article features the ending of “Seven” (1995). Proceed at your own risk.

If you’ve seen the movie, you know the famous box scene. “What’s in this package? What’s in this package?“or”what’s in the boxFor fans of the original version: this iconic replica continues with us. A package whose contents we will never see: and this is the part of the script on which Brad Pitt Insisted, an inappropriate clause for participation in the project. In a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor explained that he accepted the role only on the condition that the ending stay true to the original script.

“I said with seven: ‘I will do it on one condition: the head remains in the box. Put in a contract to keep yourself in the box. In fact, there was a second condition: “He must shoot the murderer at the end.” He’s not doing what’s ‘right’, he’s doing it out of passion.” Both of these are in the contract.“

He also insisted on having the head of his character’s wife in the box – a head we never saw and which was anyway “done” and then reused in another film. If the contents of the box were changed, he would abandon the project, saying the scene was necessary to introduce Mills to the audience.

However, throughout the production, some crew members thought it might be too shocking for the audience, and so alternate options for closing the story came up. The most talked about option was replacing Mills’ wife’s head with a dog’s head.

“Later, seven are ready and they are tested. They said, “You know, he would have been a lot more heroic if he hadn’t killed John Doe — and it’s so disturbing that his head is in a box. We think if it was a dog’s head in a box…’“

But Brad Pitt Be firm. And the rest is history.

Rediscover the legendary scene in the video below:

An ending that I will always remember

And it was a success. With a budget of 33 million dollars, seven managed to earn over $327 million at the worldwide box office. But the numbers aren’t the only thing that has proven its success, as critics have applauded their work David FincherWhich gives it an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and defines seven as “A brutal, unrelenting horror film with tense performances, brutal effects and a disturbing ending“. In turn, the public rated the film 95%, which is almost a perfect score. With us, the cult film gets an excellent rating of 4.5 out of 5! The screenplay, Fincher’s direction, and the risqué ending contribute to this masterpiece of a film recognized for its quality and narrative courage.

Thanks to the conditions imposed Brad Pitt, seven It remained so in the minds of all its viewers because of its shocking ending. No one could forget the moment when Mills’s character repeats itself.What’s in this package?”, finding out what’s in the box and the debate over whether he made the right decision will be repeated every time someone discovers this cinematic gem.

You can watch Seven over and over again on VOD.