Owing to the current obsession with serial killers and crime shows with the rise of OTT platforms, it seems that David Fincher’s Zodiac would have been a great fit for the current year. However, having been released almost 16 years ago, the 2007 cult classic is still considered one of the greatest films of the 21st century. And hence, it’s imperative to revisit the Clint Eastwood connection to the movie.
Starring renowned Hollywood actors like Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr among others, the movie grossed over $84.7 million worldwide. However, what’s important to note is the personal connection of director David Fincher that inspired him to make the film into what it is today.
Appalled by Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, David Fincher vowed to make things right
Having spent the earlier years of his life in the Bay Area, David Fincher had a personal connection to the Zodiac killer. No, he didn’t encounter him, but the Se7en director recalled being terrified of the notorious criminal during childhood. And it was this connection that drove Fincher to make the film Zodiac.
However, prior to Fincher’s movie, Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry depicted a character based on the real-life Zodiac Killer. But the fact that in the movie, the Zodiac killer was portrayed as a mere foil for Clint Eastwood’s character, Fincher was dissatisfied by the on-screen portrayal of the criminal that scared him as a child.
Expressing his dismay, Fincher stated in a DVD commentary for Zodiac that he was “appalled” when he first saw the movie at the age of 12. And hence, inspired by his desire to create a more historically accurate depiction, Fincher embarked on an extensive research process that manifested into the $84 million cult classic.
David Fincher first refused to direct Zodiac
David Fincher’s success as the director of Se7en made him the hot cake in the true crime drama genre. And hence, there is no surprise that he was the first choice of the makers when they decided to make a movie on the Zodiac Killer.
However, busy working on the adaptation of James Ellroy’s The Black Dahlia, Fincher refused to direct the movie. However, as luck would have it, Fincher’s ambitious plan to offer a fictionalized account of the 1947 Elizabeth Short murder failed to secure funding.
Aiming to collect $80 million to turn the story into a five-episode miniseries, Flincher eventually accepted the offer to direct Zodiac. And with his personal connection to the concept and habit of being a perfectionist, Fincher successfully churned out one of the best crime thrillers in the History of Hollywood. Available on major streaming platforms like Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime, the audience base for the movie keeps growing with time.