It’s rarely discussed these days, or perhaps remembered, but David Fincher’s “Panic Room” was one of his most fraught productions—to this day it probably goes down as Fincher’s most difficult shoot and probably one he does not remember very fondly.
Many may not remember, but Nicole Kidman was originally cast in the lead role, but she left the project two weeks into filming due to a knee injury. Production had to shut down and a “panicked” studio eventually replaced Kidman with Jodie Foster, who then learned she was pregnant five weeks into filming her scenes and the production had to learn to be extra careful with her and the stunt work required. Not wanting to rush, and given how long Fincher takes to shoot a film, they even changed her wardrobe to disguise any indications of her pregnancy.
Worse, celebrated cinematographer Darius Khondji worked on “Panic Room” for a few weeks and then quit, citing creative differences (Fincher shouldered much of that blame and in a 2002 interview said the DP was “not a light-meter jockey. He wants to be part of the decision-making process. This movie did not allow that, and it was incredibly frustrating for him.” Khondji shot “Seven” before that and hasn’t worked with Fincher since (cinematographer Conrad W. Hall took over).
So, suffice to say, the rigidly storyboarded and shot-listed movie was not easy to make. That said, there were some happier days before the production shot and in the time Nicole Kidman was able to rehearse with Kristen Stewart.
Kidman and Stewart interviewed each other for a recent Variety’s Actors on Actors chat and the “Moulin Rouge” star revealed to the younger actress that Fincher was deeply excited upon discovering her for the role. “I remember David Fincher saying we have discovered the most incredible, incredible actress,” Kidman told Stewart during the conversation.
While maybe they had their timelines wrong, they talk about rehearsing, but not the actual shooting that Variety reported in 2001, they did share strong recollections of working together.
“We spent a couple of weeks rehearsing and like — I know you,” Stewart remembered. “I was a little guy but — it’s an interesting time to meet somebody and have a vivid memory of it because the way that you treat kids, is so telling of you — of anyone. I just felt like I was buds with you and that says so much.”
“You were so nice to me and I had the best time. It was a short period of time but I was always like, oh yeah, she’s one of my friends,” Stewart said, recalling that Kidman gifter her walkie-talkies for Christmas.
While the difficulties of the shoot were not addressed, probably not the right forum, Kidman did have great praise for the film and Foster’s performance. “Jodie came in and was just brilliant,” Kidman said, commenting on the surreality of how their relationship has come full circle. “Isn’t that crazy?” Kidman asked Stewart. “Here we are, decades later, and you’re amazing — Fincher was right, as he always is — and thus we’re sitting here and I get to be your bud.”
Would love to see any footage of Kidman rehearsing with Stewart or even some of the dailies from before she dropped out, but who knows, those could be lost in the faults of time. Interestingly enough, Kidman does appear in “Panic Room” as “Stephen’s Girlfriend on the Phone” in an uncredited role.