9 Novelties in Movies We Didn’t Find Out Until Today

In cinema, the best story is not always the one that is already written. Sometimes the vision of the actors can be utterly different from that of the director. And when this happens, there can only be 2 options: the film becomes a complete success or a total failure. These films ended up taking a very different course than initially intended for their actors, but this shows us that anything is possible in Hollywood.

1. Rocky — Sylvester Stallone

Most of us remember Sylvester Stallone as the lead role in the iconic Rocky movie. And even though he wrote the story, it’s hard to imagine that he came close to not being a part of it just because the director had a different vision. Stallone wrote the script for the movie in 3 days and showed it to the producers.

The producers loved the story but didn’t want him to play the main character, as he was an unknown actor at the time. He was offered $360,000 for the script on the condition that he would not play Rocky. But, even though he was barely making ends meet with almost zero money, he rejected the offer. Eventually, the producers agreed with Stallone, and his bold decision earned the film Oscar nominations.

2. Good Will Hunting — Matt Damon and Ben Affleck

When Matt Damon and Ben Affleck began writing Good Will Hunting, they never expected it to be as successful as it was. Their first vision was to make an acting reel to showcase their skills and show it to casting directors. So they started writing a fantastic monologue-style movie that would be easy to produce.

Little did they know, the legendary Robin Williams would join the cast and completely turn the tide of this project into a memorable film.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean — Johnny Depp

Jack Sparrow is one of the most memorable characters Johnny Depp has played. And for all of us who love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, we can’t imagine the character being played any other way, as his personality is iconic. But during filming, Depp was on the verge of getting fired because his vision of the character didn’t match that of the director. Fortunately, he kept the character as it was and turned the movie into a masterpiece.

4. Harry Potter — Jason Isaacs

Jason Isaacs knew from the get-go that his character had to move away from Muggle standards. That’s why he refused to dress Lucius Malfoy like that when he was given a striped suit and a short black and white wig. As Isaacs said, “There was no way he would cut his hair like a Muggle or dress like a Muggle.”

Issacs suggested wearing a long white wig and a respectable wizard outfit to bring his vision of the character to life. And there’s no other way Potterheads could imagine Lucius Malfoy looking.

5. The Godfather — Al Pacino

Al Pacino made history with his portrayal of Michael Corleone’s character in The Godfather. But during filming, he was on the verge of being fired 3 times due to his clashing opinions with the studio. They wanted a Michael Corleone, who was a rigid cliché type of gangster. But Pacino’s vision was more of a quiet, discreet man.

Pacino stood by his decision, and the studio realized they could have a more humanized character in the film.

6. Stranger Things — Dacre Montgomery

It’s the characters that we hate at the beginning and end up loving at the end that live forever in our hearts. And in the case of Dacre Montgomery, who played Billy in Stranger Things, his insistence on humanizing the character completely changed the villain’s perspective.

He worked with producers to flesh out the original character, which included more scenes with his parents that the audience could relate to. “The main element was Billy’s biological mother. That was something I was insistent on having included to add to his backstory and to see the pain his mother caused him by leaving,” explained Montgomery.

7. Iron Man 3 — Robert Downey Jr.

One of the most memorable characters in the Marvel Universe is undoubtedly Iron Man. And Robert Downey Jr.’s work on the character is one of the most impeccable jobs ever done. During the filming of Iron Man 3, Downey Jr. was fully in character. He would often stop filming between scenes to go back to the trailer and write new lines for the movie.

8. The Departed — Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson’s character wasn’t even in Martin Scorsese’s movie plans, at least not as a main character. At the start of filming, Nicholson turned down the offer because the character didn’t actually exist. But as he felt the film was more of a collaborative effort, he was free to build the character, layer by layer, and give it the importance it deserved.

9. Apocalypse Now — Marlon Brando

This film, directed by director Francis Ford Coppola, had a couple of improvisations. When Marlon Brando appeared on set, he was overweight, forcing Coppola to edit his initial plan and make some changes. The studio dressed him in black to minimize his weight so that the main focus would be on his face, and it created more shadows to add an element of mystery to the character.

If you were an actor, which movie would you like to make some changes to as the main character, and what would you suggest? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.