Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 181: Filming Se7en]

Knock, knock, knock!

"Come in!"

In the office, Link set down his pen, rubbing his wrist as he looked at the person standing at the door. It was Sofia Coppola, walking in stylishly in a Chanel dress.

"Sofia, what brings you here?"

"Just came to check on you, workaholic."

Sofia stepped forward and hugged him.

"I'm not a workaholic! I go to bars, hit the golf course, and catch movies when I have the chance. What kind of workaholic lounges around like I do?"

"I'd bet that your bar trips, golf games, and movie nights are all for work," Sofia said with a smile.

"Alright, I admit there's a bit of a work angle. Just hanging out at the bar is pretty boring," he replied.

"See? Whenever I talk to Monica about you, she says you're always working, and sometimes even late at night. You're the most dedicated person I know."

"Yeah, work's been piling up a bit. With the release of Final Destination coming up and filming for Se7en starting soon, there's just a lot to juggle right now."

Link and Sofia sat in the cafe, talking, while the new assistant, Annie, brought over two cups of coffee.

"You're such a strange guy. Someone your age, if they were as successful as you are, they would definitely be eating, drinking and having fun and enjoying life right now," Sofia remarked.

Link chuckled. "I love movies. I'm busy with film-related stuff every day. It's pretty much my version of living it up."

"And what about your rumored girlfriends? You're always so busy; don't you worry they'll find someone else?"

"Are you talking about finding someone else? If that's the case, I'd be pretty disappointed."

"I'm not one of your rumored girlfriends; I'm your good friend, your work partner. I'm different from them, right?" Sofia teased.

"Alright, I get that. They are just as understanding as you; they don't need me around every day, and I don't worry about them jumping ship."

Link shrugged.

His intention in dating was for fun, not to lock himself away and add burdens. If someone wanted to stray, he wouldn't try to stop them. As long as one had money and status, even at an old age, attractive women would always be around.

At his current level of influence, anyone by his side had access to plenty of free resources; leaving him meant losing out. Plus, he was young and handsome, and generous in spirit. It was unlikely anyone would want to walk away.

Link continued discussing the filming plans for Se7en with Sofia. She was still on board as the assistant director. Sometimes when he got too busy, Sofia would take over managing the crew. So before filming started, some logistics needed to be clearly communicated to her.

...

Sofia arrived around ten in the morning, and they were so engrossed in work that they didn't notice it became past five in the afternoon. She complained that he was working too hard and was making her catch his workaholic fever. He offered to take her out for dinner, but Sofia insisted it wasn't enough, dragging him back to her apartment, where Milla Jovovich was also present. They started playing together, which was quite challenging and physically active.

However, after many rounds of back-and-forth, they became quite close. The next day, Link got up as usual for work.

---

By October, the first trailer for Final Destination was released, and Link brought the Se7en crew to New York for shooting. New York, known as the crime capital of the world, concealed its evil and ugliness beneath a glamorous facade. It was a fitting backdrop for a crime movie, especially since New York's damp autumn streets were packed with graffiti and dark corners filled with chaos.

The film revolved around a veteran detective, William Somerset, who had just a week until retirement, and a fresh rookie detective named David Mills. When they first met, a gruesome murder unfolded in a residential area: a 400-pound man was bound up and killed through overeating pasta.

Before they could uncover the truth, another murder occurred involving a wealthy defense attorney, who was killed in a bizarre fashion, with blood spelling out the word "Greed" on the wall. Upon returning to investigate the first victim's home, the detectives discovered the word "Gluttony" hidden behind a refrigerator.

Detective Somerset immediately linked these terms to the seven deadly sins from Christian teachings: Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Pride, Lust, and Envy. He suspected there would be five more murders, each tied to the other sins, but Mills was skeptical.

As their investigation progressed, they spotted signs of disturbance in the attorney's office and found fingerprints forming the word "Help." After comparing prints, they found they belonged to a drug dealer named Victor, who had various criminal offenses and a mental illness that made him a prime suspect.

The police quickly surrounded Victor's apartment. Upon entry, they found a tortured victim on the bed -- it was Victor, who had been held captive and abused for a year.

Written on Victor's apartment wall was the word "Sloth." The detectives began to think William's theory held weight: the murderer was a deranged religious fanatic performing ritualistic killings.

In their research, they pinpointed a journalist named John Doe as their prime suspect, the same man connected to all the murders. An encounter at Doe's apartment led to a violent standoff where Mills was injured, and Doe managed to escape.

Searching further, they discovered a photo of a blonde woman, believing her to be the next target. But by the time they found her, she had been murdered, tied to a chair with a note reading "Lust."

On William's retirement day, the killer called to inform them of another victim. When they arrived, they found a young woman dead in bed, holding a phone and sleep medication, her face disfigured. The wall bore the word "Pride."

Determined to solve the case before retiring, William pressed on. That day, John Doe turned himself in to the police, covered in blood and with his fingerprints removed. Despite the confession, the police faced a dilemma; the absence of fingerprints and Doe's deranged behavior meant he could be released as insane.

Doe presented a condition for his confession -- the detectives had to agree. They followed his instructions to a remote area, where they found a box sent by a courier. Upon opening it, William discovered the severed head of Mills' wife, Tracy. Mills, who had a deep love for her and was expecting a child, was devastated by the revelation.

As William opened the box, Doe revealed his motive to Mills, explaining he killed Tracy out of jealousy for Mills' perfect life. Enraged, Mills shot Doe multiple times, bringing an end to him as a manifestation of the sin Envy. Mills, too, fell for Wrath, and was arrested, destined to live in torment.

Ultimately, the killer, John Doe, completed the cycle of the seven deadly sins through his own demise -- Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy, and Wrath -- transforming these concepts into art.

...

Se7en was directed by Link, with Andrew Kevin Walker co-writing the screenplay. The main cast included Morgan Freeman, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly, and Kevin Spacey, maintaining most of the original actors' lineup.

The choice to cast Ben Affleck as one of the leads was due to his appealing looks and a solid performance in Final Destination, making him a strong addition to the film. He briefly considered Brad Pitt, although Pitt, now represented by CAA, would have been more complicated to work with.

*****

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