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From Joaquin Phoenix to Winona Ryder: How star dropouts changed Hollywood movies

These projects were set to become blockbusters, but at the last minute, their main stars backed out. The result? Some films failed miserably, others succeeded beyond expectations, and some never even made it to the cinema

Nov 10, 2024 - 05:00CET

Creative differences, clashes with fellow cast members, or disagreements about script changes — there are numerous reasons actors back down from projects. The most recent example is Joaquin Phoenix, who exited Todd Haynes' latest film just five days before shooting was set to start. This case is particularly surprising since Phoenix himself had been a key proponent of the project: a 1930s-set love story between a corrupt police officer and a Native American. Phoenix has remained silent about why he dropped out. Producer Christine Vachon expressed her disappointment: “The most tragic part of this is that Todd Haynes is 62 years old. He’s not old, but there are only so many films he can make in his lifetime,” she said at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Phoenix’s withdrawal led to its cancellation, the disbanding of the crew, and financial losses reportedly in the seven-figure range.Taylor Hill (FilmMagic)

Kim Basinger's decision not to star in 'Boxing Helena,' the directorial debut of Jennifer Lynch, sparked significant attention even before filming began. The film was already a topic of intrigue due to its director — daughter of renowned filmmaker David Lynch — and its disturbing plot about a surgeon who, in an obsessive bid to keep a woman captive, amputates her limbs and confines her in a box. Madonna also pulled out from the project. And after reviewing the final script, Basinger expressed discomfort with its explicit content and exited the project just a month before filming commenced. She feared the film would damage her reputation. Though her agreement was verbal rather than written, the production company sued her, leading to an 18-day trial that concluded with a ruling against Basinger. She was ordered to pay over $9 million in damages, a sum that led her to file for bankruptcy.Ron Galella (Ron Galella Collection via Getty)

The outcome: 'Boxing Helena' was eventually completed with Sherilyn Fenn, known for her role as Audrey in 'Twin Peaks,' stepping in as the lead. Contrary to Basinger’s agent's fears, there were no audiences hurling tomatoes —largely because few bothered to see the film at all. Despite the sensationalism and controversy that surrounded it, the movie faded into obscurity. Its dark, provocative premise failed to attract attention, and its lackluster reception suggested that Alec Baldwin, Basinger's partner at the time, had a point. In his memoirs, Baldwin quipped that Jennifer Lynch had inherited her father’s hair “but none of his talent.”Archive Photos (Getty Images)

Winona Ryder in 'The Godfather Part III': Closing what many consider the greatest film trilogy in history was a high-stakes venture for Francis Ford Coppola, one he took on to resolve his ongoing financial struggles. The film, which went on to achieve box-office success and garner seven Oscar nominations, boasted a star-studded cast, yet suffered from an unexpected setback. The initial plan was to cast Julia Roberts as Mary Corleone, the daughter of Michael Corleone and Kay Adams, but a scheduling conflict forced her to bow out. Madonna was among the other potential choices, and Rebecca Schaeffer, an actress whose tragic murder by a stalker during her audition preparation would later cast a dark shadow over the film's casting process, was also considered. Ultimately, 'Beetlejuice' star Winona Ryder, riding high on her newfound popularity, was selected to take on the pivotal role. Winona Ryder's involvement in 'The Godfather Part III' was short-lived due to poor timing and exhaustion. Although she had signed on to play Mary Corleone, her shooting schedule for 'Sirens' with Cher and Christina Ricci overlapped with the start of 'The Godfather' shoot, leaving her no time for rest or rehearsals. After finishing 'Sirens,' Ryder flew to Rome, accompanied by her then-boyfriend Johnny Depp. However, she never made it to set. According to 'Vanity Fair,' after her first night in Rome, Depp contacted the production team to inform them that Ryder was unable to leave her bed due to extreme exhaustion. After working nonstop on multiple projects, she was too fatigued to continue, and ultimately left the production without filming a single scene. Stephen Rose (Getty Images)

The result? Long before nepo baby were making headlines, Francis Ford Coppola showed the world exactly what the concept meant. After Winona Ryder dropped out, the director looked around and found his daughter Sofia, who happened to be in Italy visiting the set to spend Christmas with her parents. Since Sofia had been the inspiration for the role, Coppola decided she was the perfect fit to play the role. She wasn’t so sure, and the outcome proved disastrous. The role earned Sofia two Razzie nominations for Worst Supporting Actress and Worst Newcomer, and she became the subject of ridicule from critics. Years later, Sofia downplayed the ordeal: “It was embarrassing to be thrown out to the public in that kind of way. But it wasn’t my dream to be an actress, so I wasn’t crushed. I had other interests. It didn’t destroy me,” she told 'The New York Times.' Her father, however, took it harder: “They came after this 18-year-old girl, who had only done it for me […] The daughter took the bullet for Michael Corleone — my daughter took the bullet for me.” After the backlash, Sofia Coppola went on to establish a brilliant career as a director, while Winona Ryder had the opportunity to work with Francis Ford Coppola on Dracula.Sunset Boulevard (Corbis via Getty Images)

Bruce Willis in 'Broadway Brawler' – 'Broadway Brawler' was conceived as the answer to 'Jerry Maguire,' Tom Cruise’s hit film set in the world of American football. Bruce Willis, riding high on the unexpected success of 'Die Hard,' was cast as a former ice hockey player who falls in love with Maura Tierney (Abby Lockhart from 'ER') in a romantic comedy directed by actress and director Lee Grant. The reasons for Willis's departure? After nearly a month of filming, Willis expressed dissatisfaction with the material shot and leveraged his star power to have half the crew fired, including director Lee Grant, the project’s architect. With a new director at the helm, the film was given another chance, but after Disney invested more than $17 million, the studio decided to cancel the project. The result? The film was never made, despite the hefty investment. However, it wasn’t a total loss. Disney released Willis from his contract in exchange for his participation in three of the company’s upcoming projects: 'Armageddon,' 'The Sixth Sense,' and 'The Kid.' Thanks to the success of the first two films, Willis solidified his status as an action megastar and garnered critical acclaim, while Disney more than recouped its investment in the cancelled film. The only casualty of the failure was Grant, who has not returned to direct a feature film since.Bob Riha Jr (Getty Images)

Marlon Brando in 'The Egyptian' – The adaptation of 'The Egyptian,' the historical novel by Finnish writer Mika Waltari, was one of 20th Century Fox’s most ambitious projects of the 1950s. With a cast led by Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, and Victor Mature, the film was expected to be a major success for legendary producer Darryl F. Zanuck. Why did Brando drop out? Brando’s notorious on-set behavior, which would later culminate in the infamous production of 'The Island of Dr. Moreau,' was already becoming a problem in his early career. In 1954, just a week before shooting began, Brando decided to quit, claiming it was impossible for him to play a character who was both heroic and villainous. He refused to consider script changes, citing “mental stress” as the reason for his departure. To back his claim, Brando even secured a note from a psychiatrist who asserted that he was “too sick” to appear in the film, allowing him to unilaterally break his contract.Bettmann (Bettmann Archive)

The result? At the time, studios had complete control over their stars, and Fox was not about to let Brando’s departure slide. Having already made a substantial investment in location filming in Egypt, the studio took legal action, suing Brando for more than $2 million. Through their official spokeswoman, gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, Fox leaked that the real reason for Brando’s exit was his dissatisfaction with the character, not his claimed mental stress. Ultimately, Brando was forced to pay $75,000 to settle the case and agreed to take on the role of Napoleon in Fox's 'Desiree.' As for 'The Egyptian,' the role of the title character was recast with British actor Edmund Purdom, a reliable last-minute replacement known for stepping in when problems arose, earning him the nickname “The Replacement Star.”United Archives (FilmPublicityArchive/United Arch)

Woody Harrelson in 'Benny & Joon': The quirky love story between two eccentric characters, directed by Jeremiah Chechik, became an unexpected hit in the 1990s, with Johnny Depp channeling the spirit of Buster Keaton. Depp, in fact, was the only original cast member who showed up on the first day of shooting. Initially, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had considered Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts for the lead roles, and later even Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon were in the mix. Ultimately, Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern were cast. Why did they back out? The first to exit was Laura Dern. After her Oscar nomination for 'Rambling Rose,' she felt the third billing in the credits wasn't satisfactory and chose to leave the project. Harrelson, at the time still riding the wave of fame from 'Cheers,' decided to continue with the film. However, when he was offered a role in 'Indecent Proposal' with Demi Moore and Robert Redford, he broke his contract to focus on that project. Years later, Harrelson admitted that it was Dern's departure that led to his own exit from 'Benny & Joon,' but the film ultimately moved forward with Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, becoming a beloved cult classic.Aaron Rapoport (Getty Images)

The result? Mary Stuart Masterson and Aidan Quinn eventually replaced Laura Dern and Woody Harrelson. Dern emerged unscathed, having left the production before officially signing the contract. However, MGM took Harrelson to court, suing him for $5 million. Ron Galella (Ron Galella Collection via Getty)

John Travolta in 'The Double' – Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s 'The Double' was set to be a star-studded Hollywood project, featuring a revived John Travolta fresh off 'Pulp Fiction,' alongside Isabelle Adjani, Jean Reno, and John Goodman. Why did he back out? Nine days before filming was scheduled to begin, Travolta abruptly dropped out following a heated disagreement with Polanski, who he accused of altering the script without consulting him. According to E! Online, Travolta was angry about the inclusion of a last-minute nude scene in the revised script. In the book 'Roman Polanski: Interviews,' Polanski suggested that Travolta’s departure might have been a blessing in disguise. “He had every right to do it, on the other hand, it was probably a good thing in the end, because of all the special effects involved—it required a lot of patience, and I don’t think Travolta would have been up to it.” The result? Steve Martin was brought in as a last-minute replacement, but when Adjani refused to continue without Travolta, the entire project was canceled. Polanski later admitted he still hadn’t forgiven Travolta, lamenting the lost effort of so many involved in the project: “So many people had put so much effort into that project.” On top of the disappointment, a lengthy lawsuit followed, eventually settled out of court, with Travolta's participation in Basic as part of the resolution.Sunset Boulevard (Sunset Boulevard)

Jean-Claude Van Damme in 'Predator' – Originally, the Belgian actor was slated to be the predator itself. Why the change? Initially, the baddie was envisioned as a more agile, stealthy creature, which led the filmmakers to consider Van Damme for the role. He eagerly accepted the part and, during his first audition, showcased his athleticism, running and jumping like a dancer in tights, with makeup that made him appear part human, part animal. However, things quickly took a turn. When the next phase of casting arrived, the new design of the Predator was revealed, and it included a tube inserted into Van Damme's mouth and being encased in plaster for over 20 minutes. He recalled feeling like he was "on fire" during the process. Realizing the role was not right for him, he dropped out. Director John McTiernan later admitted the casting decision had been a mistake. “It was a complete screw up with his agent, trying to hustle him into a job and didn't know what the movie was. It's silly. It was really silly,” he said in an interview with CinemaBlend.Patrick AVENTURIER (Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The result? Actor Kevin Peter Hall, standing at nearly 7'4" (2.24 meters), was ultimately the one to don the Predator suit. Van Damme’s decision to drop out was kept under wraps, and by the time the film hit theaters, no one seemed to care. 'Predator' went on to gross over $100 million, launching a franchise that continues to produce movies more than three decades later.Sunset Boulevard (Corbis via Getty Images)

Charlie Hunnam in 'Fifty Shades of Grey' – The adaptation of E.L. James' best-selling novel had one of the most exhaustive casting processes in recent cinema, rivaling those of 'Interview with the Vampire' and the revolving door of James Bond actors. Fans of the trilogy had very clear ideas of who should play the Anastasia Steele and the seductive Christian Grey, with names like Ryan Gosling (who turned the role down) and an up-and-coming Henry Cavill circulating. However, the role of Christian Grey was ultimately given to Charlie Hunnam, best known for his role as Jax Teller on 'Sons of Anarchy.' His decision to drop out from the project surprised many, especially given the potential success of the film. Speculation quickly ran rampant, with many assuming Hunnam had been uncomfortable with the film’s racy content. However, Hunnam had previously starred in the British version of 'Queer as Folk,' a show that had far more explicit content than the Fifty Shades trilogy. The actor himself explained that the real reason for his departure was a scheduling conflict. "I was going to finish 'Sons' at like 11pm Friday night, get on the plane Saturday morning to Vancouver for 'Fifty,' missing the whole first week of rehearsal and start shooting Monday morning,” Hunnam said. “And I was going to shoot that film, wrap that on the Wednesday, and the following Monday I was going to start shooting 'Crimson Peak' in Toronto. I just had like … frankly, something of a nervous breakdown." Beyond the time crunch, the pressure of living up to the massive expectations of millions of fans also weighed heavily on him. "I really didn’t want to fail on such a grand scale and I just couldn’t transition from Jax Teller to Christian Grey in 48 hours."Matt Crossick - PA Images (PA Images via Getty Images)

The result? Hunnam was ultimately replaced by Irish model and actor Jamie Dornan, who passed the fans' test with flying colors and found success at the box office. With a budget of $40 million, the first 'Fifty Shades' film went on to gross over $500 million worldwide.Bertrand Rindoff Petroff (Getty Images)

Armie Hammer in 'Shotgun Wedding' – Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Reynolds were initially set to recreate the magic they had separately achieved in romantic comedies like 'Maid in Manhattan' and 'The Proposal.' However, when Reynolds stepped back from his leading role to focus solely on production, Armie Hammer was brought in. The reasons for the shift? It may be the first — and last — time an actor has walked away from a role after being accused of cannibalism. The leak of some of Hammer's controversial text messages regarding his sexual preferences caused a stir in Hollywood, leading the actor to reconsider his participation in the film. “I’m not responding to these bullshit claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for four months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,” Hammer explained in a statement.Rich Polk (Getty Images for IMDb)

The result? After Hammer’s statement, the producers breathed a sigh of relief and issued their own, saying, “Given the imminent start date of 'Shotgun Wedding,' Armie has requested to step away from the film and we support him in his decision.” Josh Duhamel was then brought in to replace Reynolds. However, the film never even made it to theaters. Instead, it was released directly on Prime Video, where it received the same poor reviews that have plagued many of Lopez’s attempts to revive her romantic comedy career.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin (FilmMagic)