SE7EN Director David Fincher Has Finally Revealed What Was In The Box: "It's Entirely Ridiculous..."

SE7EN Director David Fincher Has Finally Revealed What Was In The Box: "It's Entirely Ridiculous..."

Fans have long theorised about what was really in Se7en's box - beyond the obvious - and David Fincher has now set the record straight, debunking theories that it was a replica of Gwyneth Paltrow's head.

By JoshWilding - Jan 03, 2025 11:01 AM EST
Filed Under: Action
Source: ActioNewz.com

Se7en is once again playing in theaters - this time with a new 4K remaster - and that means we'll soon be forced to relive those traumatising cries of "What's in the box?" 

As we're sure you're aware by now - the movie was released in 1995, after all - the serial killer drama ended with Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) and Detective Lieutenant William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) being led to a remote location by the evil John Doe (Kevin Spacey). 

To complete his twisted plan, Doe is revealed to have murdered and beheaded Mills' pregnant wife, placing her head inside the aforementioned box. With that, the grief-stricken cop guns the killer - "envy" - down, becoming "wrath" in the process. 

Talking to Entertainment Weekly (via ActioNewz.com), Se7en director David Fincher revealed what was really in the box by debunking the long-held belief that it was a prosthetic replica of Gwyneth Paltrow's head. 

"It's entirely ridiculous," he told the site. "I think we had a seven- or eight-pound shot bag. We had done the research to figure out, if Gwyneth Paltrow's body mass index was X, what portion of that would be attributable to her head. And so we had an idea of what that would weigh, and I think there was a weight in it."

The filmmaker continued, "And we did put a wig in there, so that when Morgan rips the box open if there were some of this tape that was used to seal the box - I think it was a shot bag and a wig, and I think the wig had a little bit of blood in it, so some of the hair would stick together."

"Remember, I think Morgan opened 16 or 17 of those things.  But as I always say, you don't need to see what's in the box if you have Morgan Freeman," Fincher concluded. 

Pitt has previously said that he pushed for both that scene, and the death of Doe at Mills' hand, to remain in the film whatever happened (given how dark the ending is, studio executives did indeed attempt to step in and give Se7en a "happy" ending). 

"I got in my contract when I did Seven, having had a bad experience on a movie before where they edited out scenes I thought were vital," he recalled. "In Seven I put it in my contract: 'The wife's head stays in the box. And the character kills John Doe.' I got both in my contract."

"So sure enough, when it comes time, they come and they go, 'You know, he'd be much more heroic if he didn't.' And you go, 'Yeah, he would. But he's not.' And then: 'It's too much with the wife. What if we put the dogs' heads in? It should be the dogs' heads.' Nope," Pitt added. 

Se7en is now playing in theaters. You can watch the special 30th anniversary trailer below. 

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BrainySleep
BrainySleep - 1/3/2025, 11:38 AM
It was Elvis.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 1/3/2025, 11:41 AM
Such a great detective, mystery, thriller movie. This film definitely gave influences to the Batman which I liked for more detective style film rather than just mindless action.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/3/2025, 5:53 PM
@slickrickdesigns - the Batman was so desperately trying to imitate Se7en and failed on pretty much every level. The Batman feels amatuerish in comparison.
Floke
Floke - 1/3/2025, 11:52 AM
-The wife's head stays in the box, or it gets the hose again!

Nomis929
Nomis929 - 1/3/2025, 11:52 AM
User Comment Image
TheBlueMorpho
TheBlueMorpho - 1/3/2025, 12:21 PM
@Nomis929 -

User Comment Image
RolandD
RolandD - 1/3/2025, 1:58 PM
@Nomis929 - 😂🤣Classic!
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 1/3/2025, 11:52 AM
I was a kid when this came out, definitely need go check it out in theaters while I can.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 1/3/2025, 11:52 AM
The ending the execs wanted was for Somerset to shoot Doe with the line "I'm retiring."

Didn't make it past storyboards.
Thank God.
SpaceAgent
SpaceAgent - 1/3/2025, 12:04 PM
Marsellus Wallace's soul I'm pretty sure
dandare
dandare - 1/3/2025, 12:08 PM
What does this have to do with Comic Books? I thought this site was for comic book movies. I guess its just general film news now?
EskimoJ
EskimoJ - 1/3/2025, 12:35 PM
@dandare - You thought wrong.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 1/3/2025, 1:27 PM
@dandare - maybe Fincher is doing Brave and the Bold instead of Muschietti?
RolandD
RolandD - 1/3/2025, 1:59 PM
@dandare - The site announced year’s ago that it would be about more than CBMs although I don’t recall what the parameters are.
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 1/3/2025, 2:38 PM
@RolandD - From the sites about page:

"In 2008, CBM expanded its coverage to include all Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror related properties, but retains it's main focus upon comic book movies."
RolandD
RolandD - 1/3/2025, 3:28 PM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - Thanks. I did not realize that they had made that announcement before I even started coming to the site regularly
ItsNotForMeWahh
ItsNotForMeWahh - 1/3/2025, 3:32 PM
@RolandD - Yeah a LONG time ago.

I don't expect users to read the About section, but it is annoying when you see regular commenters acting like it's some new thing
RolandD
RolandD - 1/3/2025, 3:36 PM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - Right?
RolandD
RolandD - 1/3/2025, 3:37 PM
@ItsNotForMeWahh - It’s almost up there with “nobody asked for this.”
bobevanz
bobevanz - 1/3/2025, 12:11 PM
My 4k steelbook just showed up, I've seen some complaints about the 5.1 mix not being as immersive as the dvd mix. I kind of hate it when they don't use the rear speakers and overhead speakers, luckily there are movies like Ready Player One, Top Gun Maverick and Godzilla Minus One. Those are perfect Atmos reference disc's if you have the setup.
thedrudo
thedrudo - 1/3/2025, 1:20 PM
@bobevanz - I ended up ordering the digipak and I'm hoping I don't regret it.

Just want it to get here safe and the discs to arrive fine!
TheMarxican
TheMarxican - 1/3/2025, 1:38 PM
Se7en - anyone else read this as SeSevenEn?
asherman93
asherman93 - 1/3/2025, 2:28 PM
"...What if we put the dogs' heads in? It should be the dogs' heads.' Nope,"
Yeah, save that for Keanu Reeves in seventeen years.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 1/3/2025, 3:06 PM
He's absolutely right there doesn't need to be much in the box with Freeman there. But depite being a prop in there, props to Pitt for sticking with the original ending.
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 1/3/2025, 3:06 PM
I would have put something funny in there to mess with Morgan Freeman for a blooper reel. 🤣
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 1/3/2025, 7:39 PM
User Comment Image
Astroman
Astroman - 1/4/2025, 9:59 AM
Man, no one would remember this movie, nor would it have been so good if those dumb execs had their way. Well done Mr. Pitt.
marvel72
marvel72 - 1/4/2025, 10:39 AM
One of the best movies ever made, it's what imagine Gotham to be like before Batman.

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