I was just re-watching TOTAL RECALL and this time I caught the Special Features. One of those flicks that took a while to get made. One of the writers optioned the PKD short story back in the 70's for 1K! Then it went through tons of producers/ studios / directors / actors / writers, and I guess if DiLaurentis hadn't gone bankrupt and had to resell the property, it would have starred Patrick Swayze and been shot in Australia. All in all, it took at least ten years as far as I could tell, not to mention a zillion rewrites because nobody could agree on the third act (DiLaurentis hated the whole alien air part for a long time). And casting Arnold carried a lot of weight eventually, because by then he had become a much bigger star than he was when first approached.
I'm always interested in script to screen stories, especially when they involve major films that nobody wanted to / was able to make for a long time. Not only do I find it fascinating Hollywood trivia, but also strangely encouraging for a writer --some things take time, what might not be right now could be in 10 years, one person's trash is another's treasure, etc. etc.
Anyway, curious to know what are some of your favorite tales in that regard. I actually got a bit weepy watching a documentary on the making of GONE WITH THE WIND, when they pre-premiered it to an unsuspecting audience in the desert on a blistering summer day, went up on stage and told them the advertised double-feature had changed, and that they would be locking the doors so to please go to the bathroom or make a phone call now, if they must... Then when the words "Based on the bestelling novel by Margaret Mitchell" (temp credits) appeared on screen, the crowd just went ballistic, because by then, most of America had followed the drama and been waiting for years for the film to come out.
I'm always interested in script to screen stories, especially when they involve major films that nobody wanted to / was able to make for a long time. Not only do I find it fascinating Hollywood trivia, but also strangely encouraging for a writer --some things take time, what might not be right now could be in 10 years, one person's trash is another's treasure, etc. etc.
Anyway, curious to know what are some of your favorite tales in that regard. I actually got a bit weepy watching a documentary on the making of GONE WITH THE WIND, when they pre-premiered it to an unsuspecting audience in the desert on a blistering summer day, went up on stage and told them the advertised double-feature had changed, and that they would be locking the doors so to please go to the bathroom or make a phone call now, if they must... Then when the words "Based on the bestelling novel by Margaret Mitchell" (temp credits) appeared on screen, the crowd just went ballistic, because by then, most of America had followed the drama and been waiting for years for the film to come out.
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