The production changes in the film Panic Room 2002

As an old Greek philosopher once said, ‘the only constant in life is change’, and this old adage is especially true in David Fincher’s 2002 film Panic Room. 

The Panic Room: Film summary

The film tells the story of a mother and daughter, Meg (Jodie Foster) and Sarah Altman (Kristen Stewart), who recently moved into a house with a panic room installed in it. 

Unbeknownst to them, three million’s worth of Bearer bonds was left hidden by the previous owner in a safe located inside the panic room. The previous owner’s grandson – played by Jared Leto – will stop at nothing to retrieve it. 

The changes in the film production of the film panic room 2002

While the broad strokes of the story seem to have remained intact, there were a lot of changes made throughout production. Nicole Kidman was originally cast to play Meg, alongside Hayden Panettiere as her daughter, Sarah.

Unfortunately, Nicole Kidman had already filmed a few scenes before she had to back out due to an aggravation of a knee injury she previously got while making Moulin Rouge. 

Although Kidman was unable to continue on with her role, it turns out she made a cameo in the film, playing the voice of Meg’s ex-husband’s mistress, who answered the phone when Meg was trying to call for help.

“Nicole Kidman makes you make a different movie. It’s like Hitchcock casting Grace Kelly. It’s about glamour and physicality. With Jodie Foster it’s more about what happens in her eyes. It’s more political. Jodie is someone who has spent 35 years making choices that define her as a woman and define women in film. Jodie Foster is nobody’s f***ing pet, nobody’s trophy wife.” – David Fincher in his interview with The Guardian.

Once the leading role was passed onto Jodie Foster, the tone of the story and the characterization of Meg were changed considerably. 

Unlike the original script, Foster’s Meg was rewritten to be more proactive in keeping herself and her daughter safe from the dangerous situation they were in. In addition, the relationship between her and her daughter was altered to make them closer and similar in personality.

If there’s one thing to know about the world of filmmaking, it would be that absolutely everything – from a film’s conception to post-production – is subject to change. And in the end, whether it ends up being for better or worse, it’s always interesting to think about how different the outcome becomes once these changes have occurred.