The Zodiac (2005)

Interesting facts

The Zodiac is a 2005 American crime horror drama film based on the true events associated with the Zodiac: a serial killer who was active in and around Northern California in the 1960s and 1970s. The Zodiac was directed by Alexander Bulkley and co-written with his brother, Kelly Bulkley, and stars Justin Chambers, Robin Tunney, Rory Culkin, Philip Baker Hall, Brad Henke, Marty Lindsey, Rex Linn, and William Mapother.

Production

The Bulkley brothers and producer Corey Campodonico all grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and wanted to use their history and knowledge of the location for their debut film.

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes Alexander Bulkley said:

I lived in the Bay Area where he was somewhat of a local legend. Every town has a 'boogie man' and he was ours. The stories of the murders kept us kids awake at night.

Their main source of information was newspapers and media articles from the time. The decision was made to tell the story of the detective involved with the case and how it affected his family, rather than following the psychological path of the killer. The impact of the killings on the victims' families was avoided, due to the killer's perceived lack of interest in who his victims were.

The filmmakers' main challenge was to maintain the balance between facts and a fictional narrative:

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