Movies That Could Have Been

I have always been a fan of trivia. Especially when that trivia relates to entertainment. So, here are few tidbits about some very famous movie roles that were intended for another actor and may not have become what we know and love today.

Everybody easily identifies the movie First Blood (the first Rambo movie) as a Sylvester Stallone vehicle. However, Stallone was one of the last in a long line of actors to pass on the role. The likes of Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Newman all turned down the role and Al Pacino finally took an interest in the role. Pacino asked to have the script rewritten to make Rambo more of a crazy guy and then passed after it he thought the new script was too dark. The role was then passed on by John Travolta, Michael Douglas, and Nick Nolte. Finally the role was offered to Stallone who rewrote the script to make Rambo more sympathetic and the movie what we know today.

After the book The Silence of the Lambs was released Gene Hackman took great interest in adapting the movie. He planned to direct the movie, write the screenplay, and take on the role of Hannibal Lecter and had Meg Ryan in the role of Clarice Starling. With such great interest in the film Orion Pictures bought the movie rights. Hackman then dropped out and Orion hired Jonathan Demme to direct. He immediately hired Sir Anthony Hopkins for the role without telling anybody which made the studio considerable angry. As a compromise the studio agreed to the change if Meg Ryan was replaced by Jodie Foster. Demme agreed and Foster won an Academy Award.

These are just a couple of great films that could have been completely different. Feel free to share any others you might know.

Credit: All-Purpose Extra Strength Bathroom Reader by BRI

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