[SHAFT]

What is the strangest, most inspired or terrible piece of alternative casting in a movie that almost actually happened?

Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones with Danny Devito as Sallah.

Christopher Walken as Han Solo with Sissy Spacek as Princess Leia.

Frank Sinatra was pencilled in to play Harry 'Dirty Harry' Callahan

Lance Henriksen was originally cast as the 'Terminator' - would have been a better movie IMO!

Burt Reynolds was seriously considered for Superman in 1977!

[Rorschach]

Had he not gone and died John Belushi would have been Dr Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters (the part was written for him). It's also said that Eddie Murphy would have been Winston and John Candy would have been Louis Tully. That would have been quite a film.

Brit actor Stuart Townend (of the wonderful Shooting Fish and the not so wonderful...well almost every other film he's ever done ) was originally set to be Aragorn in Lord of the Rings until they decided they wanted an older actor.

Oh and speaking of LoTR, Sean Connery was up for the Gandalf role...but he turned it down because after reading the script he didn't understand it. "You SSSShall not parsh"

[Edmond-Dantès]

Stuart Townsend as High King Elessar Telcontar from The Lord of the Rings, later replaced by Viggo Mortensen.

Russell Crowe was also offered the role, but turned it down.

Nic Cage was also considered by Peter Jackson.

[jrmswfc]

Al Pacino, Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro, amongst others, turned down the part of Rambo.


OJ Simpson was considered to play the Terminator

[Rorschach]

Originally Posted by jrmswfc

OJ Simpson was considered to play the Terminator

Yup, but then they decided the audience wouldn't take him seriously as a killer

[little-monster]

Michelle Pheifer was cast originally as Evita. She even recorded some demos for the soundtrack. I could not imagine her doing it at all. It's a shame Meryl dropped out.

[Lojen]

Eric Stoltz was the original Marty McFly in BTTF but was replaced with Michael J Fox after filming some scenes.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...nal-marty-3012

[SHAFT]

Regarding Reservoir Dogs:

"Quentin Tarantino wanted James Woods to play a role in the film, and made him five different cash offers. Woods' agent refused the offers without ever mentioning it to Woods as the sums offered were well below what Woods would usually receive. When Tarantino and Woods later met for the first time, Woods learned of the offer and was annoyed enough to get a new agent. Tarantino avoided telling Woods which role he was offered "because the actor who played the role was magnificent anyway". It is widely accepted that the role that Tarantino was referring to was Mr. Orange."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105236/trivia

Ouch!

[DirtyBarrySpeed]

Will Smith turned down Neo for the Matrix.

Chow Yun Fat turned down Morpheus.

Jet Li turned down the part of Seraph in Matrix Reloaded.

[nightporter]

Kirsty Alley was offered Demi Moore's role in Striptease.

[Rorschach]

Bruce Willis was offered the lead in Ghost, but didn't want to damage his career by playing a ghost apparently.

Of course he changed his mind years later about that

[Andy Birkenhead]

Jean Claude Van Damme was the original Predator. He was replaced with Kevin Peter Hall

[Margo Channing]

Originally Posted by little-monster

Michelle Pheifer was cast originally as Evita. She even recorded some demos for the soundtrack. I could not imagine her doing it at all. It's a shame Meryl dropped out.

She has a really good voice I could easily see her doing the role.

[TOONARMY12]

Originally Posted by Edmond-Dantès

Stuart Townsend as High King Elessar Telcontar from The Lord of the Rings, later replaced by Viggo Mortensen.

Russell Crowe was also offered the role, but turned it down.

Nic Cage was also considered by Peter Jackson.

If it's the character I am thinking of then I could see him in that role.

[revolver44]

Originally Posted by jrmswfc

OJ Simpson was considered to play the Terminator

Could have had a glove surviving the original film instead of a hand

[SuperAPJ]

Originally Posted by Rorschach

Bruce Willis was offered the lead in Ghost

It was also offered to Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame. I can't imagine that!

[bookaddict]

Originally Posted by SHAFT

Frank Sinatra was pencilled in to play Harry 'Dirty Harry' Callahan

True, but prior to that it had actually been written as a vehicle for John Wayne. Wayne didn't like the part, so Warner Bros. (I think) bought it, hoping Sinatra would do it. He liked the part, but found the gun too unwieldy to hold - he had broken his wrist a few years earlier, which weakened it a bit. It was then offered to several others, including Robert Mitchum and Paul Newman. Both turned it down, but Newman suggested Clint Eastwood for the part. Personally, I think Mitchum or Sinatra would have done a great job, but nobody could better Clint!

Originally Posted by jrmswfc

OJ Simpson was considered to play the Terminator

yes, and was apparently rejected because the film-makers didn't think audiences would find him believable as a killer! EDIT: Whoops sorry, didn't realise that Rorsharch had already posted this.

John Travolta was offered American Gigolo, An Officer and A Gentleman, Days of Heaven and Chicago. Richard Gere ended up playing all four of the parts.

Telly Savalas was originally cast as Luke in Cool Hand Luke.

[MissDexter]

Dougray Scott originally cast as Wolverine - how different would that have been.

[sarahj1986]

Kate wins let was cast as Ana in the reader, then dropped out to film revolutionary road. Nicole Kidman was then cast, who dropped out when pregnant. Kate wins let had by then finished revolutionary road and could pick up the role again. It was the role that won her the oscar

[SHAFT]

A few music related ones:

Michael Stipe (of REM fame) was originally offered the role of 'John Doe' in Se7en.

Courtney Love was originally cast as the female lead in Ghosts of Mars.

The first draft of WarGames was written in the late 70's. In the DVD commentary the writers mention that they had written the part of Professor Falken with John Lennon in mind. Had he still been alive when the film went into production, they would have offered him the role!

[Densino]

Hmm ...


Gwyneth Paltrow was almost cast in the first RESIDENT EVIL film instead of Milla Jovovich...

She could've had another billion dollar franchise on her hands

[little-monster]

Madonna was almost cast in Basic Instinct

Madonna was also cast in Music Of The Heart, but had differences with the director so Meryl took the role. Madonna even spent several weeks learning to play the Piano for the role.

Aaliyah was meant to do the dance movie Honey but of course she died. Jessica Alba did it.

Aaliyah was also meant to be in the upcoming film Sparkle. Whitney Houston fought hard to get her on board. The film was shelved after her death but was made last year with Jordin Sparks in the role that Aaliyah would of done.

Sarah Jessica Parker was close to nabbing the role that Andie McDowell plays in Four Weddings and a funeral. Rumour has it that Sarah just wasn't good looking enough for the role.

[revolver44]

Gene Hackman was originally intended for the Hanibal Lecter role in Silence Of The Lambs.

[halloweenbabe]

Rick in Casablanca could have been played by Ronald Reagan

Geneviève Bujold walked off the set of ST Voyager (on the first day I believe) so they recast Cpt Janeway with Kate Mulgrew.

And talking Star Trek... after the pilot for the original series was filmed with Jeffry Hunter in the capitan's role... he was not available for the series which is when they cast the Shat as James T. and filmed a second pilot. In a masterstroke they later used some of the Jeffry Hunter scenes in a different episode of the classic series

Sorry a bit off topic as that was TV ... back to Hollywoodland...

Talking of LOTR didn't they start filming with not-Viggo Mortensen... how different would that have been...

Steve McQueen turned down a part that would have required him to cry on screen and I can't remember whether that was because he didn't WANT to cry or COULDN'T... and I can't remember which role it was either ...

Gone with the Wind... Scarlett could have been played by ANY leading Hollywood actress as they were all screen tested... very strong competition for this sought-after role... a strong contender was Paulette Goddard - remember her. Miss Bette Davis was given Jezebel as a 'consolation prize'... and in fact they started filming GWTW without Scarlett being cast... the burning of Atlanta - achieved by butning old studio back lots - with a stunt guy in the cart...

[Ted Cunterblast]

James Remar was the original Hicks in Aliens...he filmed for a day ot two and apparently fell out with Cameron.

You can now see actual footage of him on set in the recent Alien box set in some deleted scenes.

Harvey Keitel in the Martin Sheen role of Willard in Apocalypse Now. Never even seen a still from that shoot, let alone a possibility of a deleted scene.

After all, it took 25 years for footage of Eric Stoltz to turn up in Back To The Future.