The Running Man with Andrew Davis

Here is Subzero... now, plain zero.

The Running man was originally a novel written by Richard Bachman (a pseudonym for Stephen King) in a single week. Predating reality television, the story takes place in a dystopian society in which contestants can make money on a game show by evading captors. In the book, the lead character Ben Richards is described as "scrawny" and "pre-tubercular." In the movie version, he's played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie began with director Andrew Davis who's best known for directing The Fugitive with Harrison Ford, although my personal favorite film of his is Above the Law with Steven Seagal. Either way, Davis was fired a week into filming due to falling behind in the schedule and was replaced with Paul Michael Glaser. Glaser best well known as TV's David Starsky on the show "Starsky and Hutch," had transitioned in directing. He had directed the underrated film The Band of The Hand. Reportedly, Schwarzenegger felt it was a mistake to replace Davis as he thought Glaser's version was too similar to a TV movie and lost many of the deeper themes.

Above the Law 2 is in pre-production. I hope Kurt Zagon returns. 

The Thing with a whole bunch of people

The Thing (the 1982 version) directed by John Carpenter and adapted by Bill Lancaster, son of Burt Lancaster, from the novella Who Goes There by John W. Campbell Jr seems incredibly relevant at this time. One of the all-time classic horror/science fiction films, unfortunately, it was overshadowed by E.T. when it was released. However, it is a classic. Multiple actors were considered for various parts including the following:

MacReady: Christopher Walken, Jeff Bridges, Nick Nolte, Sam Shepard, Tom Atkins, and Jack Thompson, Brian Dennehy, Kris Kristofferson, John Heard, Ed Harris, Tom Berenger, Scott Glenn, Fred Ward, Peter Coyote, and Tim McIntire. Eventually, the role was played by Kurt Russell who knocks it out of the park.

Childs: Geoffrey Holder, Carl Weathers, Bernie Casey, and Ernie Hudson. They went with Keith David, and it was his first film role. Until then, he'd only ever done theater and needed to adjust his technique for the camera.

Palmer: Jay Leno, Gary Shandling, and Richard Fleisher were considered before they went with David Clennon.

Garry: Powers Boothe, Lee Van Cleef, Jerry Orbach, Richard Mulligan, and Kevin Conway before they went with Donald Moffat.

The Thing works on so many levels and truly belongs in the pantheon of great movies. If you haven't seen it, you should. Although, it might be unsettling to watch. I can't imagine the film being better with a different cast, as each person brought something to the role. However, had Nolte been cast as MacReady, perhaps the producers of another film released in 1982 would have gone with the original casting ideas

.

Candyman and Who Framed Roger Rabbit with Eddie Murphy

Like Pablo Picasso or the band Black Flag, we're switching things up and going in a different direction. Today, we're going to look at two films which would have been different had Eddie Murphy starred in both pictures:

Who Framed Roger Rabbit came out in 1988. A combination of live-action and animation, based partially on the book Who Censored Roger Rabbit, the film was made before digital technology was abundant, so production took a long time. Reportedly, Harrison Ford was the first choice for Eddie Valiant, and others considered for the part were Chevy Chase, Robin Williams, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, Ed Harris, Sylvester Stallone, Wallace Shawn, and Charles Grodin. Eddie Murphy passed, and later reportedly regretted doing so. This would not be the last time people passed on a Robert Zemekis movie. Reportedly both Dave Chappelle and David Alan Grier passed on the role of Bubba in Forrest Gump.  However, with regard to Roger Rabbit, in my opinion, the role of Eddie Valiant needed to be portrayed by someone like Bob Hoskins. Also, Eddie Muphy made Coming to America instead which is also a classic. Candyman, the original film which was made in 1992, was set in London and based on the short story by Clive Barker entitled "The Forbidden." The location was changed to Chicago and Eddie Murphy had been considered for the role of the villainous Candy Man, however, he would have been too expensive. Instead, Tony Todd played the part. I think Todd was better suited for the role since he was more physically suited for the role at 6'5". Not to mention, while Eddie Murphy is certainly very capable of playing dramatic roles, it's unclear whether he could successfully make the transition to horror. However, had he gone the horror route, perhaps he would have found a new genre.

Deliverance by Sam Peckinpah starring Gene Hackman, Jack Nicholson, and Charlton Heston

Deliverance was released in 1972. A classic film, adapted from one of the few novels written by poet James Dickey, the film covers a weekend trip of four friends which goes drastically wrong. Originally, director Sam Peckinpah was interested in making the film, but the studio went with John Boorman who had a lot of cache due to the success of the films Point Blank and Hell in the Pacific. Peckinpah would go on to direct Straw Dogs, an equally uncompromising and violent film that dealt with horrific themes. Boorman sought to have Lee Marvin and Marlon Brando in the picture before the suggestion was put forth to use younger actors. Among those considered for various roles included: Donald Sutherland, Henry Fonda, Warren Beatty, George C. Scott, and Robert Redford. It's difficult to imagine the movie with a cast other than the actors who would go on to star in the film. While The French Connection was released the year before, let's say Gene Hackman had gone continued to go a different route with his career. So, perhaps we would have had this version:

Jaws with Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, and Lee Marvin

"Gaming fish, eh? Marlin... stingray... you don't go about telling me my business again."

Jaws revolutionized the film industry and became the first Summer blockbuster. While it's considered a landmark/classic film, it began as anything but. The story of the making of the film is legendary, and the fact that it was made at all is a testament to how sometimes you can catch lightning in a bottle. One year, when I was teaching a senior English high school class, I had the students read the book and watch the film. We compared and contrasted the two, and in one of the few occasions, the film was much better than the book. Either way, originally The role of Brody was offered to Robert Duvall, but he was more interested in portraying Quint. Lee Marvin passed on the role of Quint partially because he was an avid fisherman and didn't want the role to affect his standing within that community. Voight was one of a few actors considered for the role of Hooper along with Jeff Bridges, who apparently was considered for almost every role during this time. All three ended up making different films, and it's difficult to imagine the movie being any better without its original cast. However, had Lee Marvin done Jaws, perhaps he doesn't end his career teaming up with Chuck Norris, and instead, we get 

Animal House with Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and Chevy Chase

Written and produced by The National Lampoon, Animal House became a genre-defining comedy. At the time, the National Lampoon had also hosted a radio hour with an ensemble that featured Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and Harold Ramis, among others. Originally, producer Ivan Reitman wanted Chevy Chase to play Otter, and Bill Murray to play Boon. The part of D-Day was written specifically for Dan Ackroyd and incorporated his affinity for motorcycles. In the end, only Belushi would do the film, shooting in Oregon where filming took place during the week and flying back to New York on weekends to do Saturday Night Live. Chevy Chase would make the film Foul Play instead. Although, later he would portray Ty Webb in Caddyshack; though not officially a National Lampoon film, it featured many of the former staff. Both Ackroyd and Murray would find success on Saturday Night Live. All three have had successful careers. While I could see them doing a great job in Animal House, it's difficult to imagine anyone other than Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, and Bruce McGill playing those roles. I'm not sure there's an alternate 1985 version where the trajectories of anyone's career path is affected too much. Although, things could have gone this way:

The NeverEnding Story with Johnny Depp

Again, we're changing things up a little, but like Aldous Huxley once wrote it's a brave new world. Reviewing The NeverEnding Story had been suggested as a possible topic, and while, during my team's research (translation: when I surfed the web) for this information, I learned there hadn't been an alternative other than Noah Hathaway to play the role of Atreyu, I figured in 1984, the only other person who would have made sense to consider would have been Johnny Depp. Therefore, even though there are no indications this was ever a possibility, I'm going to wast-- spend the requisite time exploring what might have happened should director Wolfgang Peterson go a different route. Even though Johnny Depp had already been in the films A Nightmare on Elm Street and Platoon, it was his role in the television show 21 Jump Street which made him an icon. That show wouldn't air until 1987, so in 1984, he would have still been relatively unknown (with A Nightmare on Elm Street to be released the same year.) According to an earlier post, let's say Wes Craven decided to go with Nicolas Cage instead for the part of Glen. That would have freed Depp up to play Atreyu. Would The NeverEnding Story have been much different? Would Depp's career trajectory have changed? It's impossible to know the answer to these questions, but I'm guessing Atreyu would still get the better of The Gmork. We also might have gotten this instead:

Breaking Bad with Matthew Broderick

We're moving from the old formula here in a few ways (going from film to television, and eschewing the categories). Originally, the character of Walter White had been offered to both John Cusack and Matthew Broderick who passed. Vince Gilligan, who had worked with Bryan Cranston on The X-Files, wanted him. Cranston brought a lot to the table and was responsible for helping to develop the character of Walter White. Other aspects that may have been different: At the end of the first season, the idea had been floated to kill off the character of Jesse, but the writer's strike prevented producers from pursuing that idea. Also, SPOILER ALERT originally, Saul Goodman was supposed to help Jesse after Jane's overdose, but Bob Odenkirk had been unable to film, so they created the character of Mike Ehrmantrout, who has since become one of the iconic characters of the last twenty years. Jonathan Banks was considered due to his portrayal of Frank McPike in the television show Wiseguy. It would have been interesting to have Broderick play the role of Walter White, but I'm glad Cranston played the part. I could not see anyone else portraying the character. Would Breaking Bad have done as well? Would Cranston be remembered solely as Hal the father on Malcolm in the Middle, or Tim Watley, the dentist on Seinfeld? Breaking Bad, in my estimation, was one of the greatest shows of all time, and thankfully the greatness has continued with Better Call Saul.

Withnail and I with Daniel Day-Lewis

One of the all-time great comedies, produced by Handmade Films (Which had been created by George Harrison solely to produce Monty Python's The Life of Brian). Originally, a multitude of actors read for the part of Withnail, so we almost had this incarnation:

I don't know what my fri--associate said. 

The Set-Up 
Bruce Robinson had been an actor in Camden Town in the 1960s and wrote what had intended to be a novel about his experiences. Later, he adapted it into a film and every up and coming actor read for it. Along with Daniel Day-Lewis, both Bill Nighy and Kenneth Branagh read for the part before Richard E. Grant was cast. 

The Execution 

The film, about two struggling actors, is a phenomenal film. To quote actor Ralph Brown who plays the character Danny "There isn't a crap bit in it." However, should Robinson have chosen to go in a different direction and cast Daniel Day-Lewis, perhaps he and Grant would have switched career trajectories...

What might have been

Aliens with James Remar

The sequel to Alien was greenlighted almost immediately, and when the producers read the script for The Terminator, they knew they had found the perfect director in James Cameron. Influenced by the book Starship Troopers, Aliens became a hit and is a legitimately great film. Originally, James Remar had been cast as Hicks, but due to creative differences, and battles with addiction, Remar was replaced by Cameron regular Michael Biehn. 

                                          

I don't believe it. I got shot. 

The Set-Up 
Remar who had starred in The Warriors and 48 Hours for Walter Hill was cast as Hicks. Hill was also producing Aliens. However, shooting became problematic, so Remar was replaced by Biehn who delivered another excellent performance as Corporal Hicks. From 1984-1993, he would play memorable roles in The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and Tombstone. 

The Execution 

Aliens became a classic in the genre and might possibly be James Cameron's best film. After the release of Aliens, he had been giving Carte Blanche by studio Carolco. He would go on to make The Abyss, Terminator 2, and True Lies before making Titanic. Carolco filed for bankruptcy, but before that, there had been talks of Cameron adapting Spiderman into a film. Had that happened:

What might have been

Just your friendly neighborhood web crawler. 

Lord of the Rings with Stuart Townsend

The first live-action adaptation of Lord of The Rings had been pursued by The Beatles, who wanted Stanley Kubrick to helm the film. In 1970, John Boorman tried and used many of his ideas in the film Excalibur. In 1978 Ralph Bashki made an animated version. Finally, in 2001, the first film in the trilogy was released with Peter Jackson at the helm. However, he would replace his original choice for Aragorn before filming started. Had he not though, we may have had this:

                                          

The Set-Up 

Originally, Stuart Townsend had been cast as Aragorn after Russell Crowe, Daniel Day-Lewis, and that's right Nicolas Cage turned it down. We could probably have completely separate posts for all of those. For whatever reasons (some rumors suggest Jackson realized Townsend then 28 was too young for the part. There are other rumors which state he was difficult to work with.) He was replaced by 42-year-old Viggo Mortensen, who read the book on the plane to New Zealand and received a crash course in fencing upon arrival. 

The Execution 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy became an international success culminating in a sweep of the 2003 Oscars for the final film in the trilogy The Return of the King. It also influenced filmmaking techniques for the foreseeable future. 

What might have been

Mortensen, while already a working actor, became well known after Lord of the Rings. However, had Townsend stayed with the film, perhaps we would have had this (that's Thomas Jane)

I don't dance on Sundays. 

The Lovely Bones with Ryan Gosling

These days, Ryan Gosling is an international superstar who has most recently played leads in the films Blade Runner 2046 and La La Land. However, in 2008, while he had put forth an amazing performance in the film Half Nelson, he was still best known for his role in 2004's The Notebook. If things had gone differently in 2008...

                                          Requesting "I Ran" from a serious musician, it's just, it's too far

The Set-Up Peter Jackon had already made the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as King Kong. This was going to be a change of pace. Initially, Gosling had been cast as the father, and he was concerned about his age being a factor since he was in his late 20's. He was going to portray a character with a 14-year-old daughter. Gosling arrived for pre-production having grown and significant weight gain. As a result of this, and probably other reasons, Gosling was replaced by Mark Wahlberg who was in his late 30's. 

The Execution The film underperformed at the box office, but Stanley Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award. Peter Jackson returned to making films based on Tolkien's work. Gosling made the following two films Blue Valentine, and the studio film Crazy, Stupid, Love; which he probably would have made if he had stayed with The Lovely Bones, but we may have also gotten this:

What might have been

I am not the boy next door...

The Breakfast Club with John Cusack

The John Bender role was the most difficult to cast for John Hughes. Initially, the role was to be played by Emilio Estevez, but Hughes was having trouble casting the part of Andrew Clark, the wrestler. So, Estevez agreed to play that part, and it was down to Judd Nelson and John Cusack. Hughes cast Cusack, but replaced him with Nelson, as he didn't think Cusack was threatening enough. However, had things gone differently, we might have had this:

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

The Set-Up The second film John Hughes would both write and direct about navigating teen life. Like his previous effort, Sixteen Candles, this film addresses the high school experience. However, this film would incorporate more serious themes and intersperse comedic with dramatic moments. Taking place in the library during detention on Saturday, the characters represent the different archetypes encountered in high school: "An Athlete," "A Brain," "A Basketcase," "A Criminal," and "A Princess." Rick Moranis was cast as the janitor but he left due to creative differences. However, that's a post for another time. 

The Execution The film helped to further establish John Hughes as both a writer and director and launched the careers of the young cast. The film marked a more realistic and sensitive approach to the angst teenagers experience in high school, as opposed to the approach previously employed by many other filmmakers in the genre. 

What might have been

Cusack decides to continue to take roles which suit the "John Bender," image, and as a result, we get the following debut from Cameron Crowe

"Morning has broken, like the first morning."

                                  

Ferris Bueller's Day Off with Emilio Estevez

John Hughes began his career as a copywriter who submitted regularly to National Lampoon's Magazine. In fact, the film Vacation started as a short story Hughes had written entitled "Vacation '58." Naturally, Hughes segued into writing and directing films. By 1985 he had already written and or directed Mr. Mom, Vacation, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, European Vacation, and Pretty in Pink. Whether the part of Ferris was offered to Anthony Michael Hall, it was ultimately played by Matthew Broderick. Others who were apparently considered included Rob Lowe, John Cusack, Johnny Depp, Michael J. Fox, Tom Cruise, and Robert Downey Jr. The part of Ferris's friend Cameron was offered to Emilio Estevez who turned it down to play the lead in the film Repo Man. However, had he accepted, things would have been very different. 

What do you mean sushi and crimes?

The Set-Up

The first cut of the film was substantially longer than the final version. In the original script, Ferris had two younger siblings who were removed entirely. Also cut substantially was Charlie Sheen's character. In the finished version, now a cameo, his character "Garth Volbeck" had been a close friend of Ferris who developed a drug problem and got into trouble, which is why Ferris is so bent on showing Cameron a good time. This adds a layer of depth to the story, which when excised makes the film more about Ferris satisfying his ego than being altruistic. Alan Ruck had auditioned for the role of Bender in The Breakfast Club, and he and Broderick had been in the play Biloxi Blues together, so they already had chemistry. Though Ruck was 29, he still looked like a teenager. 

The Execution

The film cemented John Hughes's legacy as an accomplished writer/director. Though he is lauded primarily for teen films, his range includes more than one genre. When I was teaching, I would often recite Ben Stein's Hawley-Smoot Tariff act speech, which raised or lowered, raised taxes in an effort to alleviate the effects of The Great Depression.  

Something D-O-O Economics.

What might have been

Who knows what might have happened if Estevez had taken the role of Cameron. I have difficulty picturing anyone except Alan Ruck portraying Cameron. Also interesting is contemplating the theory that Ferris is simply a figment of Cameron's imagination. Also, we probably would have gotten this: 

                                    How's that for a plate-o-shrimp moment?

Star Wars with Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell began his career as a child actor. In 1963, in one of his first roles, he kicked Elvis Presley's character in the shin in the film "It Happened at the World's Fair." Later, Russell would be one of a few who successfully made the transition from being a child actor to an adult actor. Now a leading man and bankable star, what if George Lucas had gone a different way during casting in 1976. We might have gotten this:

"Who's scruffy looking?"

The Set-Up

During the same casting session which saw Carrie Fisher read for both Princess Leia and Carrie the film of the same name; Kurt Russell read for the part of Han Solo. Had he been cast as the loveable rogue, things would have been quite different. 

The Execution

Harrison Ford did an excellent job as Han Solo. He made the character three dimensional and added depth which Kurt Russell may not have been able to bring to the role at that age. While he managed to imbue a similar vibe to Jack Burton, he was also 36 at the time, as opposed to 25 when he auditioned for Star Wars. Regardless, it's difficult to picture anyone else except Harrison Ford playing Han Solo.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”

What might have been

However, if Russell is cast, then Star Wars probably launches him to stardom and he does not act in any of the John Carpenter films which would cement his legacy later. Instead, we have:

"You are the Duke; A Number 1"

hold the fort and keep the home fires burning. And if we’re not back by dawn… call the president.

Predator with Jean-Claude Van Damme

"You're an asset; an expendable asset."

Initially entitled "Hunter," Predator began after being influenced by a joke circulating through Hollywood, that after Rocky 4 was released, the only opponent left for Rocky to fight would be an alien.

The Set-Up

Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the predator; the thought being the producers could capitalize on his martial arts ability. However, due to a myriad of reasons, Van Damme was replaced with Kevin Peter Hall, and the look of the Predator was retooled. They added mandibles after director James Cameron suggested to special effects artist Stan Winston that he'd never seen a creature with mandibles. 

                

Van Damme as The Hunter

The Execution

Over the years, Predator has been a defining genre film. It's also started a franchise of its own and been part of a crossover series. Considered one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best films, and the film which established director John McTiernan, who would release Die Hard the following year. 

What might have been

Van Damme stays with the predator and as a result, does not become a bona fide action star. Instead of beginning his career with the holy triumvirate of Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Cyborg...

Soapbox opportunity

Van Damme or Seagal?

The key difference between the two has to do with whether the model of the hero’s journey model resonates with you. Examples of films that follow the hero’s journey: the Star Wars trilogy, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Matrix, and any Disney movie during Jeffrey Katzenberg’s tenure as the CEO. In almost all of his films, Van Damme, who follows The Hero's Journey model begins as a novice who trains with a seasoned veteran to become more efficient and accomplish his goals. In all of his movies, Seagal starts out as an already unstoppable bone-breaking machine. In Seagal’s movies, it’s the spectacle and exhibition which are enthralling; with Van Damme, it’s the catharsis and empathetic response. I will forever be a Van Damme guy, but this is not to say if any of Seagal’s films from ’88–’97 are on TV, I won’t watch from beginning to end, quoting gems like “Lady cops need boyfriends, too,” “Hey yo, F--k Nuts,” or “Now you only got half a mind.” (The last quotation is spoken by a punk after he shot a store owner. The store owner was about to fight the punk, and began his tirade by saying, “I’ve got half a mind to come out there—” (He’s subsequently cut off by a shotgun blast to his chest.) And, of course, when I was teaching, I taught one of my classes the philosophical tenet: “Chance favors the prepared mind.” This is from The Seagal film Under Siege 2. 

Carrie with Carrie Fisher

What started out as The Adventures of Luke Starkiller as taken from the Journal of the Whills, Saga I: The Star Wars, and eventually became Star Wars revolutionized the science fiction genres and launched the cast into stardom. However,  had George Lucas gone in a different direction with the casting of Princess Leia, what might have happened?

The Set-Up

Brian De Palma and George Lucas set up a joint casting session for both Carrie and Star Wars. In fact, William Katt who would play Tommy Ross in the film Carrie had been considered for the role of Luke Skywalker. Interestingly, Robert Englund, who would portray Freddy Krueger, auditioned for Star Wars and suggested his friend Mark Hamill be considered. 

The Execution

Carrie did extremely well both critically and commercially and is regarded as one of the great all-time horror movies. It was also the first adaptation of a Stephen King story and would help to establish his legacy as well. Piper Laurie, who played Carrie's mother, thought the film was a black comedy since she felt her performance was too over-the-top. She had to be told otherwise.

"A skeleton walks into a bar and says 'give me a beer and a mop.'

What might have been

So, hypothetically, Carrie Fisher plays Carrie in the film Carrie, and aside from being extremely meta, allows for Jodie Foster to portray Princess Leia. 

I just wish I could switch places with her for one day

This, of course, changes her career trajectory, which means a different actress plays Clarice Starling in the film adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs. 

I always tell the truth. Even when I lie...

Beverly Hills Cop with Sylvester Stallone

Originally developed to be an action film about a cop in a fish out of water scenario, the script went through multiple changes, casting revisions, genre changes, and ultimately became a classic film that helped launch Eddie Murphy to superstardom. However, in an alternate timeline, we have this:

                                       Like a Rhinestone Cowboy

The Set-Up

Pitched as an action film titled Beverly Drive, the lead character was named Axel Elly, and would initially be played by Mickey Rourke who subsequently left the project and was replaced by Sylvester Stallone. He rewrote the script, renaming Axel Foley, Axel Cobretti. I discuss this and other aspects in the following short story: http://five2onemagazine.com/the-dialectics-of-val-kilmers-elbow-by-andrew-davie/

The Execution

Stallone quits the film, takes his ideas with him, and makes Cobra. Beverly Hills Cop catches lightning in a bottle and becomes a touchstone in the genre. Although, the fact it managed to stay coherent is a miracle (In one scene, an actor can be glimpsed holding the script, since there were so many changes.) Not to mention, we are treated to Brian Thompson's portrayal of The Night Slasher in Cobra. 

The Pythagorean theorem is  h² = 1² + 1² = 2, Pig!

What might have been

Stallone stays with Beverly Hills Cop which becomes a standard action film. His career trajectory is unaffected, although we miss out on the various Rambo sequels. Similarly, Eddie Murphy is available to do the following film:

"When you're walking down the street, and you see a little ghost..."