Horror History: David Fincher’s PANIC ROOM Is Now 19 Years Old

On this day in horror history, Se7en and Fight Club director David Fincher’s killer thriller Panic Room with Jodie Foster and Jared Leto was unleashed back in 2002.

It follows a woman and her daughter trapped in their New York brownstone during a brutal home invasion by three mysterious intruders. The women seek sancutary in their panic room. A hidden chamber built in the event of a break-in. But what the intruders want is inside the room. Cue a suspense-filled game of cat-and-mouse.

Forest Whitaker, Kristen Stewart and Dwight Yoakam co-star. Nicole Kidman was originally cast as the lead. But she dropped out after aggravating an old injury. Foster stepped in. She then became pregnant, suspending filming until she gave birth.

David Koepp (Jurassic Park) penned the script. Koepp is no stranger to our beloved genre. His credits include I Come in Peace, Death Becomes Her, The Shadow, Stir of Echoes, Secret Window, War of the Worlds, The Mummy, and You Should Have Left.

Rated R for violence and language, the film’s budget was $48 million.

The film grossed $30M opening weekend and a total of $96.4M in the United States and Canada. In other territories, it grossed $100.7Mfor a worldwide total of $197.1M.

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The underrated home invasion thriller sports a 75% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus reads: Elevated by David Fincher’s directorial talent and Jodie Foster’s performance, Panic Room is a well-crafted, above-average thriller.

Koepp also produced along with Ceán Chaffin, Judy Hofflund, and Gavin Polone.

Howard Shore (The Fly) composed the score while Conrad W. Hall and Darius Khondji handled cinematography. James Haygood and Angus Wall edited it all together.

Do you dig Panic Room?

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