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Fast Salt Talks
A few hours ago Michael Fleming's story announced that Angelina Jolie will be taking what was previously thought to be Tom Cruise's role in Columbia's Edwin A. Salt, a high-toned spy thriller that Phillip Noyce will direct. As soon as I saw it on my iPhone, around 4:45 pm today, I e-mailed Noyce to offer congratulations.
It turns out this was Noyce's first notification that the deal between Jolie and Columbia was signed, sealed and delivered. It took three days to work out the particulars, which is quite fast by Hollywood standards. Deals can take months to cobble together, obviously depending on the particulars. The title will now be "something A. Salt" -- the female first name obviously not yet decided. The shoot will hopefully begin in February '09.
Cruise had actually lost interest in the Salt part because he felt it was too close to his Mission Impossible character of Ethan Hunt.
I'm trying to think of other parts written for guys that women wound up playing, and all I can think of is Rosalind Russell playing Hildy Johnson in Howard Hawks' The Front Page.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 11, 2008 at 7:24 PM
comment #1
The Winchester says ...
Ripley in Alien?
Although I heard all the roles were written with asexuality in mind, that's why it's all last names.
I know the reverse happened in The Game, and Penn played the part written for Jodie Foster.
Posted by The Winchester at August 11, 2008 8:07 PM
comment #2
raygo says ...
I thought I read somewhere that Ripley in Alien was written for a man before Sigourney Weaver took the part.
Posted by raygo at August 11, 2008 8:10 PM
comment #3
mutinyco says ...
Actually, I think with The Game it was supposed to be his brother. But then the studio wanted Jodie Foster. But then it wound up being a brother in the end.
Posted by mutinyco at August 11, 2008 8:15 PM
comment #4
dinovelvet says ...
Yeah we get it, Angie. You can do action movies, just like the men can!
Posted by dinovelvet at August 11, 2008 8:17 PM
comment #5
quitstaringatme says ...
Shusset and O'Bannon wrote the original Alien script with a note on the first page saying "two of the characters should be women", or something along those lines. They were a little surprised when Scott used the lead.
Or at least, thats what I remember from the DVD special features.
Posted by quitstaringatme at August 11, 2008 8:20 PM
comment #6
actionman says ...
I love David Fincher's The Game.
Posted by actionman at August 11, 2008 8:23 PM
comment #7
Circumvrent says ...
The part that Nick Frost plays in HOT FUZZ was an amalgamation of what had been a buddy and a (female) love interest in the first draft of the script.
Cherry Jones's cop in SIGNS was written as a man (funnily enough, named Edgar). Ditto Sam Jackson in DIE HARD III.
Man, I love HIS GIRL FRIDAY. Seems like the invention of modern-day sexual tete-a-tete and tension.
Posted by Circumvrent at August 11, 2008 8:25 PM
comment #8
Josh Massey says ...
Edwina?
I heard Shia LaBeouf's part in Transformers was originally written for a guy.
Posted by Josh Massey at August 11, 2008 8:26 PM
comment #9
BurmaShave says ...
Massy FTW
Posted by BurmaShave at August 11, 2008 8:29 PM
comment #10
EDouglas says ...
I'm Not THere? HOw soon they forget...
Posted by EDouglas at August 11, 2008 8:36 PM
comment #11
corey3rd says ...
the early script I read had her as female. There was the scene where her and the other girl compare notes as to which guys in the crew they boffed. Both realized a certain someone wasn't on either list. (Don't want to spoil it).
Best had to be when a role went to Whoopie Goldberg that was a dog in the source book.
Posted by corey3rd at August 11, 2008 8:38 PM
comment #12
D.Z. says ...
Jolie can't sell a film on her own anymore, so I expect another flop like Tomb Raider 2. Anyway,
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3id0839a35f93f478447511344ff3ce14b
.
Posted by D.Z. at August 11, 2008 9:09 PM
comment #13
PerfectTommy says ...
Different situation - but Linda Hunt as Bill in "The Year of Living Dangerously", but the character's gender remained the same.
Posted by PerfectTommy at August 11, 2008 9:15 PM
comment #14
D.Z. says ...
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990423.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
Posted by D.Z. at August 11, 2008 9:34 PM
comment #15
erniesouchak says ...
yeeha -- another angelina jolie movie i don't want to see.
Posted by erniesouchak at August 11, 2008 9:46 PM
comment #16
Nick Rogers says ...
Short for Edwina. Turn to the right! (Get his fangers, Ed.)
Posted by Nick Rogers at August 11, 2008 11:35 PM
comment #17
chappiesan says ...
get pregnant, make shitty movie, get pregnant, make shitty movie, get pregnant, make shitty movie, listen to crackpot father make an ass of himself on tv, get pregnant, make shitty movie, consider eating.
Posted by chappiesan at August 11, 2008 11:41 PM
comment #18
Terry McCarty says ...
DZ wrote:
Jolie can't sell a film on her own anymore, so I expect another flop like Tomb Raider 2.
WANTED counts as a film sold on Angelina's presence even though her role was supporting James McEvoy.
Posted by Terry McCarty at August 11, 2008 11:42 PM
comment #19
ligaya says ...
Boys, boys – you’ve all been asleep (or reading the tabloids). Neither A Mighty Heart nor Clint Eastwood’s Changeling is shit (not talking about box office), in fact there was and is Oscar buzz for both. Three Golden Globes (unprecedented), 2 SAG Awards, 1 Oscar, and Emmy nomination for Wallace, Gia, and Girl, Interrupted. She swept the Oscar, Golden Globes and SAG Award for Girl, Interrupted – unprecedented.
She’s the only woman who can open an action movie. According to boxofficemojo, world lifetime grosses are: Wanted - $253,254,921; Mr. & Mrs. Smith - $478,207,520; Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - $274,703,340.
http://email.variety.com/cgi-bin7/DM/y/h8Aj0DgMwf0XIv08gO0Ei : Jolie took a liking to it, prompting the studio's decision to rewrite it. After Universal beefed up Jolie's role in "Wanted" and then marketed the action film squarely on Jolie's shoulders and watched it gross $132 million domestically, Jolie reestablished in the wake of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" that she is the rare female who is viable in an action genre that has been almost the exclusive domain of men.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3id0839a35f93f4784f76d1908f794bbbe: The deal for the switch began to fall into place about two weeks ago, though Columbia topper Amy Pascal has been after Jolie for a project for more than two years.
Posted by ligaya at August 12, 2008 12:25 AM
comment #20
D.Z. says ...
ligaya: Wanted made money, due to its being a PG-13 Matrix wannabe. Plus Morgan Freeman was in it, too; and, as The Bucket List proves, he can still sell tickets. As for the rest, Mr. & Mrs. Smith had Brad Pitt, while Tomb Raider was based on a video game. Oh, and Jolie ranks on the low end of the top-earning actresses to boot. http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/07/diaz-knightly-aniston-biz-media-cx_lr_0811actresses_slide_2.html?partner=omg
Posted by D.Z. at August 12, 2008 1:02 AM
comment #21
The Winchester says ...
DZ, as much as I always try to agree with you, I gotta point out that Wanted was far from PG-13 Matrix. I don't believe I've seen more people shot in the head outside of the Assault on Precinct 13 remake.
That being said, I agree with you completely about too much credit given to Jolie's ability to open movies. Her half-naked animated self wasn't enough to boost Beowulf over the $100 mil threshold.
And all that sweeping awards talk for Girl Interrupted was almost ten years ago. Since then, she's gone on to have more children than Mrs. Wayans and then somehow had the gall to make me feel bad about Darfur.
Time for sleep
Posted by The Winchester at August 12, 2008 1:32 AM
comment #22
thevisceral says ...
Charles Foster Kane was originally Charlotte Foster Kane. Not a lot of people know that.
Posted by thevisceral at August 12, 2008 1:39 AM
comment #23
BurmaShave says ...
If they call this SALT LICK with an appropriate poster featuring Jolie it will make 700 million dollars.
Posted by BurmaShave at August 12, 2008 2:14 AM
comment #24
Herry2008 says ...
Recently, quite a few celebrities and pro athletes were said to appear on the millionaire luxury club "R I C H L O V I N G.C O M" to hook up with hot girls, ladies, models... OMG!!! Are these famous guys fond of internet dating for now?? Maybe they are indeed so rich that they feel boring sometimes to need new things? It was reported on MSN Charlie Sheen has found his girl there last May
Posted by Herry2008 at August 12, 2008 2:15 AM
comment #25
corey3rd says ...
Will Kurt Wimmer be wearing a bikini as he does his rewrite. I can't wait to see "Ultra Violet 2!"
Posted by corey3rd at August 12, 2008 5:45 AM
comment #26
actionman says ...
Wanted was a hard R action flick. It was easily more graphic and violent than The Matrix, which, if it were released today, would probably get a PG-13.
Posted by actionman at August 12, 2008 7:19 AM
comment #27
twilightgal says ...
"Hamlet"? originally "Hamlette". Sort of this situation in reverse.
Posted by twilightgal at August 12, 2008 7:25 AM
comment #28
GLee2112 says ...
of course it'll be renamed VERUCA SALT, right?
Posted by GLee2112 at August 12, 2008 8:16 AM
comment #29
gnosis says ...
It's a little known fact that the original title of WAR AND PEACE was WAR, WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR... it's true, I saw it on TV. Also, Jolie is going to play Prince Andrei in the new film version from McG.
Posted by gnosis at August 12, 2008 9:23 AM
comment #30
T. S. Idiot says ...
One of Lawrence Block's wonderful Bernie Rhodenbarr novels was turned into a turd entitled BURGLAR with W. Goldberg as Bernice Rhodenbarr.
Meanwhile, will DZ and friends please go to http://tinyurl.com? These unnecessarily long URLs are hurting my eyes.
Posted by T. S. Idiot at August 12, 2008 10:14 AM
comment #31
AndrewOwens says ...
I was hoping Noyce would do 28th Amendment with Bale instead...oh well.
Good for Jolie that she can get the studio to do this - I love female action heroes but nine times out of ten the films are awful.
Posted by AndrewOwens at August 12, 2008 10:23 AM
comment #32
D.Z. says ...
Winchester+actionman: Oh, it was R, too? For some reason, the trailer made me think PG-13. And no, not because it wasn't redband.
Posted by D.Z. at August 12, 2008 10:49 AM
comment #33
BurmaShave says ...
TS, some of us have jobs and can't be clicking on tinyurls blindly. This isn't AICN.
Posted by BurmaShave at August 12, 2008 11:38 AM
comment #34
rr3333 says ...
The mother in Hairspray was supposed to be ....
Oh, NEVER MIND!
Posted by rr3333 at August 12, 2008 11:46 AM
comment #35
T. S. Idiot says ...
"TS, some of us have jobs and can't be clicking on tinyurls blindly. This isn't AICN."
Takes but seconds. Don't understand "blindly."
Posted by T. S. Idiot at August 12, 2008 12:37 PM
comment #36
Richardson says ...
"but Linda Hunt as Bill in "The Year of Living Dangerously", "
Reading one of those William Goldman books about Hollywood, she got a role in 'Maverick' which was written for a man. Of course, it got cut out of the movie, but it seems like she's probably got the record that Jolie will sooner or later come gunning for.
Posted by Richardson at August 12, 2008 12:37 PM
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