# Zodiac

> 2007 film by David Fincher

**Wikidata**: [Q218172](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q218172)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodiac_(film))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/zodiac

## Summary
Zodiac is a 2007 American crime thriller film directed by David Fincher, based on Robert Graysmith's 1986 non-fiction book of the same name. The film dramatizes the hunt for the Zodiac Killer in Northern California during the 1970s, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo. It explores themes of obsession, journalism, and the psychological toll of unsolved crimes.

## Key Facts
- **Release Dates**: March 2, 2007 (limited), May 31, 2007 (wide)  
- **Director**: David Fincher  
- **Based On**: *Zodiac* by Robert Graysmith (1986)  
- **Genres**: Crime film, thriller, drama  
- **Production Company**: Phoenix Pictures  
- **Runtime**: 157 minutes  
- **Budget**: $65 million  
- **Box Office**: $77 million (worldwide)  
- **IMDb Rating**: 7.6/10  
- **Rotten Tomatoes**: 90% (Certified Fresh)  
- **Metacritic**: 79/100 (Generally favorable reviews)  
- **Country**: United States  
- **Language**: English  
- **Cast**: Jake Gyllenhaal (Robert Graysmith), Robert Downey Jr. (Paul Avery), Mark Ruffalo (Dave Toschi)  
- **Music**: David Bowie, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross (score)  
- **Cinematography**: Harris Savides  
- **Awards**: National Board of Review (Best Film of 2007, #5)  
- **Wikipedia Sitelinks**: 50 language editions  
- **IMDb ID**: tt0443706  
- **Freebase ID**: /m/07vn_9  
- **Wolfram Language Entity Type**: Movie  

## FAQs
**Who directed Zodiac and what is its basis?**  
Zodiac was directed by David Fincher, known for *Seven* and *Fight Club*. It is adapted from Robert Graysmith’s 1986 true crime book, which chronicles his investigation into the Zodiac Killer’s identity.  

**How was the film received critically and commercially?**  
The film received widespread critical acclaim for its atmospheric tension, historical detail, and performances. It holds a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 79 Metacritic score. Despite its critical success, it underperformed commercially, grossing $77 million against a $65 million budget.  

**What are the film’s notable themes and style?**  
Zodiac explores obsession, the ethics of journalism, and the psychological impact of unsolved crimes. Fincher’s direction emphasizes meticulous period detail, slow-burn tension, and a focus on procedural accuracy over sensationalism.  

**Who stars in the film?**  
The ensemble cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal as cartoonist-turned-investigator Robert Graysmith, Robert Downey Jr. as journalist Paul Avery, and Mark Ruffalo as Detective Dave Toschi.  

**Is Zodiac part of any notable film lists?**  
While not explicitly listed in the provided data, its critical acclaim and historical significance make it a frequent entry in discussions of 2000s neo-noir thrillers and Fincher’s filmography.  

## Why It Matters
Zodiac is significant as a meticulously crafted thriller that prioritizes procedural realism over Hollywood conventions. It highlights the societal impact of unsolved crimes and the dangers of obsession, offering a critique of true crime culture. Fincher’s direction and the film’s attention to 1970s period detail make it a standout work in the crime genre, influencing later films and TV series like *Zodiac* (the book’s 2007 adaptation) and *Mindhunter*. Its exploration of journalistic integrity and institutional failure remains culturally resonant, particularly in an era of podcast-driven true crime storytelling.

## Notable For
- **David Fincher’s Direction**: Known for its cold, precise aesthetic and historical accuracy.  
- **True Crime Narrative**: A foundational text in the modern true crime genre, predating the podcast boom.  
- **Performances**: Notable turns by Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. in early career-defining roles.  
- **Cultural Impact**: Revived public interest in the Zodiac Killer case, inspiring documentaries and books.  
- **Critical Acclaim**: Ranked among the best films of 2007 by the National Board of Review.  
- **Technical Craftsmanship**: Harris Savides’ cinematography and Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross’ score.  

## Body

### History and Production
Zodiac was released in 2007 by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures, produced by Phoenix Pictures. Filming took place in San Francisco and surrounding areas, with a budget of $65 million. The screenplay was written by James Vanderbilt, drawing heavily from Graysmith’s book. Fincher’s perfectionism led to a 157-minute runtime, reflecting his commitment to authenticity over commercial pacing.

### Themes and Reception
The film interrogates the cost of obsession, portraying how the Zodiac Killer’s case consumed investigators, journalists, and amateurs alike. Critics praised its restraint in avoiding gratuitous violence, instead focusing on the bureaucratic and psychological toll of the investigation. While commercially modest, it developed a cult following and is often cited as one of Fincher’s best works.

### Cast and Crew
- **Director**: David Fincher  
- **Screenplay**: James Vanderbilt  
- **Cast**:  
  - Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith  
  - Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery  
  - Mark Ruffalo as Dave Toschi  
  - Anthony Edwards as Inspector Jack Mulanax  
  - Brian Cox as Melvin Belli  
- **Cinematography**: Harris Savides  
- **Score**: David Bowie, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross  

### Related Works and Legacy
Zodiac is part of a broader true crime canon, alongside films like *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo* (also directed by Fincher) and *Prisoners*. It influenced the 2018 film *The Night Stalker* and the TV series *I Am the Night*. The case itself remains unsolved, contributing to the film’s haunting legacy as a meditation on unresolved trauma.

### Technical Specifications
- **Runtime**: 157 minutes (2 hours 37 minutes)  
- **Aspect Ratio**: 2.39:1  
- **Sound Mix**: DTS, Dolby Digital  
- **Color**: Color (with period-specific desaturation)  
- **Film Stock**: Kodak Vision 250D, Kodak Vision 500T  

### Cultural and Academic Significance
Zodiac is studied in film schools for its pacing, cinematography, and historical recreation. It is included in university courses on true crime media and 21st-century cinema. The film’s use of practical effects and location shooting contrasts with modern CGI-driven blockbusters, underscoring its artisanal approach to storytelling.

### Connected Entities
- **Zodiac Killer**: The unidentified serial killer active in Northern California from the late 1960s to the 1970s.  
- **Robert Graysmith**: Author of the source book; portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.  
- **Phoenix Pictures**: Production company behind films like *The Thin Red Line* and *The Polar Express*.  
- **David Fincher**: Director known for *Fight Club*, *Gone Girl*, and *Mank*.  
- **BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century**: A 2016 list featuring Zodiac as a notable entry in contemporary cinema.  

### Box Office and Awards
- **Domestic Gross**: $33.1 million (U.S. and Canada)  
- **International Gross**: $43.9 million  
- **Awards**: National Board of Review (Top 10 Films of 2007), Satellite Award nominations for cinematography and score.  

### Preservation and Legacy
Zodiac is preserved in the Warner Bros. film archive and is frequently screened in retrospectives of Fincher’s work. Its influence extends to true crime podcasts like *Casefile True Crime Podcast*, which revisited the Zodiac case in 2020. The film’s script is archived at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

## References

1. Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze
2. The Movie Database
3. Zodiac. Rotten Tomatoes
4. IMDb
5. Box Office Mojo
6. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/releaseinfo/)
7. [Source](http://www.kinokalender.com/film5854_zodiac-die-spur-des-killers.html)
8. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
9. Zodiac
10. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/parentalguide)
11. [Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0443706/)
12. Kinopoisk
13. [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/parentalguide/#certificates)
14. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/zodiac-1/)
15. [Source](https://www.kijkwijzer.nl/films/zodiac/)
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24. [Source](https://ui.eidr.org/view/content?id=10.5240/1A31-2F24-2F42-6324-97F3-C)
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27. [Zodiac | Unconsenting Media](https://www.unconsentingmedia.org/items/713)
28. TheTVDB
29. Trakt.tv
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