The theatrical release of Fight Club occurred on the 15th of October 1999 after studio executives delayed it from July 1999. Fox Searchlight Pictures focused marketing efforts on male audiences due to the films violence and crowded summer schedule.
Brad Pitt received seventeen point five million dollars for his role as Tyler Durden while Edward Norton earned two point five million as the unnamed narrator. The production budget escalated from an initial twenty-three million dollars to a final figure between sixty-three and sixty-five million dollars.
Director David Fincher hired cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth to shoot the film using Super 35 format for maximum flexibility. They applied a lurid style where people appeared shiny while scenes without Tyler Durden remained bland and realistic.
The DVD release arrived on the 6th of June 2000 featuring four commentary tracks and became the first DVD edition to feature THX Optimode technology. It sold more than six million copies within ten years before the studio re-released the two-disc version in 2004 due to fan requests.
Several unauthorized fight clubs emerged in the United States following the films theatrical run including groups in Menlo Park and Texas. Teens posted videos of their fights online leading authorities to break up unsanctioned matches at Princeton University and Arlington high schools.