Re-casting made movies

[bushies.girl.is.best]

Are there movies you wish had been re-cast with other actors? How much of a difference do you believe switching a lead actress or supporting actor etc would make to the quality of a film? 

[bushies.girl.is.best]

For instance, take "Wizard of Oz." MGM badly wanted Shirley Temple, a top ten box office draw for the last six years, to play Dorothy. Fox wouldn't release her, thankfully. Much as I love Shirley and much as I'm willing to come to her defence as a singer (people erroneously claim her voice was the reason she lost the role), she simply didn't have any genuine pathos to her character. Temple was an expert at playing cheeky, optimistic kids and Dorothy needed to be able to convey a desperate sadness at trying to get home, something Garland played, expertly.

[bushies.girl.is.best]

On the more modern front, take the movie, "Pretty Woman." The producers wanted John Travolta and Molly Ringwald, neither was interested. I think the movie could have worked with these two. Ringwald especially was in desperate need of a hit by 1990 and this film could have helped her bridge the gap to adult leading lady status.

Richard Gere, incidentally, built a career of taking roles Travolta had declined: "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "American Gigolo" were written for Travolta and he initially accepted, before bowing out. Gere was also second choice for "Chicago" after Travolta had refused the part.

[bushies.girl.is.best]

Whitney Houston, fresh of "The Bodyguard" had accepted the role of Tina Turner in 1993 before finding out she was pregnant. That Bobby Kristina really ruined Houston's movie career IMO. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, she would have done the movie, probably gotten Oscar nominated as Angela Bassett was, and this would have given her more legitimacy as an actress and another hit only a year after "The Bodyguard". As it was, she wasn't seen on the screen for another three years and only in an ensemble role in "Waiting to Exhale" which was only a mild success. She couldn't sustain the buzz she created as Rachel Marron...

[bushies.girl.is.best]

"Thelma and Louise" originally starred Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep. One of them got pregnant (I think Streep) and so they let it go but came back a year later for "Death Becomes Her" - a much more inferior film.

[bushies.girl.is.best]

The queen of all turn-downs is Michelle Pfeiffer, who was second-choice for "Pretty Woman" but turned it down, along with "Silence of the Lambs", "Basic Instinct", "Thelma and Louise" and "Evita". The latter she actually signed for but when the producers wouldn't agree to film the entire movie in Los Angeles, she broke her contract.

[bushies.girl.is.best]

"Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" was intended for Grace Kelly and James Dean. She married a prince, he bought a Porsche and the rest as they say is history...

[bushies.girl.is.best]

Poor Nicole Kidman has lost a few really good roles. A recurring rib injury from "Moulin Rouge" prevented her from finishing "Panic Room" and she was replaced by Jodie Foster.

Several years later, Kidman had been hired for "The Reader" but found out she was pregnant and didn't want the place she had to go to as an actress with the subject matter, to effect her unborn child. Ironically the year Kate Winslet was nominated for the role, five actresses were on stage to announce the Best Actress winner (usually the Best Actor winner of the previous year did the honours) and one of those actresses was Kidman who actually placed the Oscar in Winslet's hands.

[bushies.girl.is.best]

Bette Midler says the biggest regret of her career is turning down "Sister Act." She was angry at Disney who refused to produce her film, "For the Boys" and she didn't like the idea of being in a nun's habit for two hours. Actually, I think the film could have worked with Midler. Her brash, Jewish persona would have been as big a contrast as Whoopi Goldberg's skin colour. And by 1992, Midler really needed a hit, which she wouldn't get until "First Wives Club" four years later, and then only in an ensemble role *waves to Whitney*!

[k0llectable5]

Thats all very interesting 🙂 The donkey in Shrek was oiginally cast for Chris Farley.  He died half way through the shooting of the film (or sometime early on in the piece) so Eddie Murphy took over the role.  Wonder what Chris Farley was like as Donkey...  He was awesome.