John Doe eventually chose to surrender; however, he adamantly declared that he would never plead guilty unless the two detectives agreed to his final request.
Facing this difficult situation, the two detectives were helpless and could only comply with his demand, taking him to the desert.
A few minutes later, a van slowly drove up and stopped in front of everyone.
The person inside the car handed Detective Somerset a mysterious box.
"What exactly is in the box?"
The audience was deeply captivated by this sudden turn of events, whispering to each other, their eyes fixed on the box, their curiosity thoroughly piqued.
The moment Detective Somerset slowly opened the box, his expression instantly froze, his eyes filled with horror and shock.
The entire audience gasped, clearly, the box contained something extremely terrifying and horrifying.
Just then, John Doe's lips curled into a sinister smile, and he slowly said, "I have one last step to complete; I will force Detective Mills to become the embodiment of 'Wrath,' the seventh deadly sin."
"Oh my God!"
The audience couldn't help but exclaim, a premonition of disaster rising in their hearts.
Immediately after, the cruel truth struck everyone like a heavy hammer.
John Doe had brutally murdered Mills' pregnant wife! Not only that, he had maniacally put Tracy's head into that terrifying box and sent it to the scene!
"Beast! This is simply the act of a devil!"
The audience instantly erupted, a mixture of anger, shock, and grief intertwining; no one had expected the film's ending to be so tragic and so unexpected!
"What's in the box? Tell me, what is it? William!" Detective Mills looked at the box in front of him, his eyes bloodshot with urgency, roaring hoarsely, the gun in his hand trembling slightly from anger.
"David, calm down, give me the gun first, don't be impulsive."
Seeing this, Detective Somerset hurried forward, trying to stabilize the out-of-control Mills.
At this moment, the cinema was eerily quiet, as if time had frozen.
Everyone could clearly feel Mills' pain and anger, and they all knew that he was very likely to do something irreversible next.
When Mills learned from Somerset that his wife was pregnant, his last shred of hesitation vanished instantly.
His eyes filled with hatred and madness, and he unhesitatingly fired several shots at John Doe.
Gunshots echoed in the silent cinema, John Doe slowly fell amidst the hail of bullets, blood splattering everywhere, eventually shot to death.
And at this moment, the audience finally saw that what was in the box was Tracy's gruesome head... Finally, Detective Somerset watched helplessly as Mills completely succumbed to madness in extreme pain and anger, transforming from a righteous detective into a criminal, his heart filled with helplessness and sorrow... The film's curtain slowly fell, and the entire venue was plunged into a deathly silence.
After several seconds, only sporadic applause could be heard, as if it was painstakingly squeezed out from the depths of people's hearts.
Immediately after, the applause grew louder and more numerous, finally engulfing the entire cinema in a thunderous ovation.
Kazir sat quietly in his seat, watching the enthusiastic scene, a slight smile gracing his lips, revealing a look of contentment.
He knew in his heart that Se7en had succeeded.
As for how popular it would become, that would depend on subsequent promotion and audience word-of-mouth.
"Kazir, did you really write this script?" Reese asked softly, sitting next to him.
"Yes, why?" Kazir turned his head, looked at her, and replied with a smile.
"It's just... I can't quite explain it. Are you... are you alright?"
Reese looked at him, her eyes filled with both shock and deep concern, as if the Kazir in front of her had become somewhat unfamiliar.
Kazir was amused by her adorable reaction and teased, "Maybe I really am a little crazy!"
"I'm not kidding with you! I'm serious!" Reese frowned and said with a serious expression.
"Then do I look like a madman to you?" Kazir asked back with a smile.
"No, you look quite calm... It's just that there's something not quite right in your eyes, as if a lot of untold things are hidden there." Reese carefully scrutinized him and said seriously.
Kazir smiled and said nothing more.
In his opinion, how others perceived him was not important.
At this moment, the actors came onto the stage one after another, bowing to the audience for their curtain call.
Brad Pitt's performance in the film was stunning; he completely subverted his previous image, portraying Detective Mills' inner pain, anger, and struggle vividly.
For films of the Se7en genre, success or failure often hangs by a thread.
If this film had flopped, Brad Pitt's previously established screen image might have been greatly affected, and his range of roles would have been somewhat limited.
"Let's go."
After watching the movie, Kazir got up, preparing to leave.
A screenwriter like him naturally didn't have much presence in such a lively setting.
The attention of reporters and the audience was focused on the actors and director; screenwriters have always been the unsung heroes working quietly behind the scenes, their efforts and hard work often overlooked.
Kazir drove Reese back to her apartment.
Along the way, neither of them spoke much, and the atmosphere was somewhat silent.
"Kazir, do you want to come up for a bit? I'll make you a cup of coffee?" At the bottom of the apartment building, Reese broke the silence and softly invited him.
"No, Reese, next time. I'm a bit tired today and want to go back and rest early." Kazir shook his head, politely declining her invitation.
"Then... alright."
A hint of disappointment flashed across Reese's face, she forced a smile, and turned to walk into the apartment.
Kazir watched her receding figure and shook his head... He knew that the final results of the film would not be available until tomorrow, so there was no need to stay up waiting.
However, when he returned home and lay on his bed, closing his eyes, his mind was exceptionally clear, and various thoughts surged like a tide.
"Damn it, I still can't be patient. If I had known I couldn't sleep, I might as well have accepted Reese's invitation, gone to her place for a cup of coffee, and chatted." Kazir secretly grumbled to himself, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
He simply got up, changed his clothes, and drove to New Line Cinema.
Since he couldn't sleep, he might as well go and wait for the results; after all, he kept thinking about it and couldn't sleep peacefully.
When he arrived at New Line Cinema, he found David Fincher, Robert Shaye, Arnold Kopelson, and other management personnel already there.
Everyone sat together, their faces showing a hint of tension and anticipation; clearly, everyone had something on their minds and couldn't relax.
Kazir asked the front desk staff and learned that it was already midnight, and the box office data would be out in a few minutes.
"Kazir."
Seeing him enter, everyone just nodded slightly in greeting.
At this moment, no one was in the mood for pleasantries; everyone was fully focused on waiting for the premiere box office data.
Suddenly, the telephone rang, breaking the silence. Everyone instantly pricked up their ears, nervously staring at the phone.
"Okay, okay, we'll receive it right away."
News came from the other end of the line, and the staff quickly responded.
Immediately after, the fax machine began to "whir," and sheets of documents slowly printed out.
The secretary carefully handed the documents to Robert Shaye.
A few seconds later, Robert Shaye looked at the midnight box office data in his hand, let out a long sigh of relief, and the tension on his face finally eased somewhat.
"It seems we need to step up our promotion. This box office is much better than we expected; clearly, Se7en has great potential and a high chance of becoming a blockbuster."
He stood up, his tone carrying a hint of excitement and anticipation.
"David, congratulations." Robert Shaye turned and shook hands with David Fincher, a smile beaming on his face.
"Thank you, Mr. Shaye!" David Fincher said excitedly.
Finally, David Fincher and Kazir received the specific box office data.
"3 million! 3.6 million dollars in box office!"
David Fincher looked at the data in his hand, his legs went weak with excitement, and he directly sat down on the floor.
He had been under immense pressure during this period, and now, his strained nerves could finally relax a bit.
"Judging by this midnight show data, the box office for the first three days is definitely secure." He said excitedly, as if he had already seen the glorious scene of the film's success. "Kazir, we made it! The success of this film is inseparable from your brilliant script!"
David Fincher stood up and excitedly shook Kazir's hand, his eyes full of gratitude and joy.
"Yes, congratulations, David. This is the result of everyone's joint efforts, and I hope this film achieves even better results." Kazir said with a smile, also filled with a sense of accomplishment.
The success of the film made both of them incredibly happy.
With the midnight box office data as a foundation, the film's opening was considered stable.