Nicole Kidman originally played Meg before injury led to Jodie Foster
In the discussion (3)
- Nicole Kidman began filming as Meg but aggravated a knee injury and was replaced by Jodie Foster
- Fincher is said to have reshaped Meg from Kidman’s more glamorous reading toward Foster’s practical, political portrayal
- Foster reportedly became available after Russell Crowe’s injury halted a film she was directing, then her pregnancy complicated this production
Hayden Panettiere and Maynard James Keenan were reportedly earlier choices
In the discussion (3)
- Hayden Panettiere is reported as an earlier choice for Sarah before Kristen Stewart
- Maynard James Keenan is reported as the first offer for Raoul before Dwight Yoakam
- Henry Rollins is proposed as an alternate Raoul
Anthony Hopkins, Michael Douglas, Ted Levine, and several Heat actors are proposed
In the discussion (3)
Production facts cover Stewart’s growth, repeated takes, the set, camera work, cinematography, home-video release, and a Runaways connection
In the discussion (6)
- Kristen Stewart reportedly grew more than three inches during production
- The medical bag floor-slide is jokingly estimated to have required many takes
- The brownstone set is reported to have taken 15 weeks and $6 million to construct
- The film’s camera movement combined previsualization, animation, and shot footage
- Darius Khondji reportedly left as cinematographer and Conrad Hall took over
- A Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Kristen Stewart and Joan Jett casting connection is traced across Foxes, Panic Room, and The Runaways
Missed escapes, the phone plan, recovery, robber attire, and neighbor response are challenged
In the discussion (6)
- Meg is criticized for failing to retrieve and use a phone during several openings
- The 911 hold is questioned, then defended by a producer using a police-officer parent as a source
- Meg’s ability to wire phone lines and recover rapidly after wine and medicine is questioned
- Roe falling down two floors and getting up fresh is questioned
- Burnham wearing his security-company uniform during the break-in is questioned
- Whether a neighbor would recognize and answer a flashlight SOS is debated
Whether Panic Room is Kristen Stewart’s best performance
In the discussion (1)
- The child performance is proposed as Stewart’s best, while Adventureland and several later films are counterexamples
Casting What-Ifs