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VHSGuy123's Replies
Oh Yeah, I think him being a method actor was way overblown. Sure he wants to take it seriously, but he won't held up production. the films Eric did before being cast in Back To The Future were offbeat teen comedies, with the exception of Mask (Which was to get him into the big leagues).
I feel if Eric did something like The Breakfast Club, Amadeus or Ordinary People, Universal more or likely have told Zemeckis to figure it out with Stoltz and not recast him.
I read that they also tried to get C. Thomas Howell and that apparently he rehearsed for 2 weeks before they decided to go with Eric Stoltz.
One thing I wonder is that if MJF was the 1st choice, why didn't they push filming back.
I have questions after reading Pop Cult Master on this subject.
One, Why didn't they film any Melora Hardin scenes as Jennifer. If it's to be correct, based on evidence supported by Testimonies, for the 1985 scenes they filmed.
Detention Scene (Later deleted, supported by Photos)
Family Dinner Scene (Confirmed by Marc McClure in a interview)
1985 Twin Pines Scenes (Confirmed by Photos)
Ending Scene (confirmed by Crispin Glover in a interview)
Also, I had to look up who Courtney Gains was and his role in Back To The Future. That is curious, I thought they didn't film the Prom Scenes.
I just don't understand why it took so long into filming to finally realize that it wasn't working.
I also been ready that even after Stoltz was fired, he was still on the payroll for about 2 weeks.
Do you think they will ever release more footage from the Eric Stoltz version?
Especially with the 40th Anniversary coming up?
The More I read about this, the more I think Eric got a raw deal
Been reading on some articles on this subject
https://popcultmaster.com/2017/11/04/tribunal-stoltz-as-marty-mcfly/
https://wilkowrites.wordpress.com/2021/02/28/shooting-stars-and-stars-shot-down-eric-stoltz-as-marty-mcfly-in-bttf/
1997: Boogie Nights (Role: Jack Horner) (Actor who got it: Burt Reynolds) (Reason: He turned down the role and later felt this was one of few times where he regret not doing the role Quote from Beatty “I felt that I didn’t want to do a movie about porn when I was having these kids, and that’s probably a snobby….by the way, I think it’s a very good movie. And PTA is a very, very good director,”
2001: The Royal Tenenbaums (Role: Royal Tenenbaum) (Actor who got it: Gene Hackman) (Reason: Originally, Gene Hackman turned down the role, and Warren Beatty was the prime contender (or 2nd choice) for the role, however, Hackman later changed his mind and accepted the role)
2003-2004: Kill Bill (Role: Bill) (Actor who got it: David Carradine) (Reason: Quote from Beatty, For “Kill Bill,” Tarantino wanted him for the titular character, but Beatty reveals why he declined. “I believe it was my suggestion that David Carradine would be best for it. I didn’t want to leave my kids…He was shooting the movie in China, and I thought [Quentin was] going to be over there for a long time. And he said, no [it won’t be that long]. In fact, he was over there for exactly the time that I predicted. (laughs) I would love to work with Quentin.”)
2008: Frost/Nixon (Role: Richard Nixon) (Actor who got it: Frank Langella) (Reason: Like Nixon, Beatty turned down the role as he felt that "Nixon was not treated compassionately”)
2024: Megalopolis (Role: Unknown) (Reason: Back in the early 2000s, Coppola was attempting to get Megalopolis and almost succeeded and rumors were circulating that Beatty was up for the role of the Mayor. However, 9/11 put a end to Megalopolis until 2019, when Coppola revived the project, by which point, Beatty is now too old for the role)
I really wish he made The Fountainhead or Man's Fate. The Frank Costello biopic intrigues me, The Yellow Jersey also seemed like a good comeback picture for him if he got it made and his version of Footloose sound of lot better than the final product. Cream Rises also seemed like a interesting project, and if Cimino played his cards right on that one, probably could of been great,
Cream Rises- In the early 2010s, French film producer Vincent Maraval worked on various projects with Cimino, none of which came to fruition. One film, an original screenplay by Cimino himself titled Cream Rises, followed the daily lives of two young female models, (whom Maraval compared to Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie) who are "completely disconnected from reality" and live a hedonistic life in Los Angeles filled with empty sex and boozing. Cimino wanted Taylor Swift to play one of leads, but since she was unknown at the time, Maraval passed on it.
Halfway through the film, the more timid of the two girls is murdered and the other heads to the countryside to find her uncle, "An old cowboy farmer with very Western values", whom Christopher Walken was to embody. "It was something very contemporary," Maraval explained, "About the world of today and its confrontation with the world of yesterday. As if the cinema of Cimino looked at the cinema of today. It was very moving.” The script for Cream Rises was also read by the TV channel Arte, who were apparently "enthusiastic" about possibly investing.
The roughly $25 million project was to have been shot wholly on location in Shanghai in June of the following year and would have benefited from the support of China's government, which said it would provide $2 million worth of local labor costs. The film's producer, Mirko Ikonomoff was in early talks to pre-sell Man's Fate to several European groups, including Italy's RAI and France's TFI, but failed in his attempts. Actors Johnny Depp, Daniel Day Lewis, Uma Thurman, John Malkovich, and Alain Delon were all in negotiations as possible stars for the project. After failing to raise money elsewhere, Cimino took his script to Martha De Laurentis who passed on it. "If you edit it down, it could be a very tight, beautiful, sensational movie," De Laurentiis said, "but violent, and ultimately a subject matter that I don't think America is that interested in."
Cimino however, felt differently, "There was never a better time to try to do Man's Fate," he said, "because Man's Fate is what it's all about right now. It's about the nature of love, of friendship, the nature of honor and dignity. How fragile and important all of those things are in a time of crisis.” In a March 2002 interview for Vanity Fair, Cimino called the screenplay "the best one I've ever done," adding that he had "half the money; [we're] trying to raise the other half.” Up until his death, Cimino tried to get the film off the ground several times, struggling to secure financing. In what would be his last interview in March 2015, Cimino had said he still hoped to make the film someday.
Che Guevara Biopic- After Terrence Malick Exited the Production, Cimino pitched himself to direct it. Eventually, Steven Soderbergh eventually directed the Biopic.
Filming was then pushed back to early 1999, for a planned release in 2000, coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the discovery of brazil. That year, Cimino was in Brazil to choose sets and scout locations, which included Porto Seguro and Portugal. For research, he read the famous epic poem Os Lusiadas, about the discovery of a sea route to India Speaking at a press conference in Lisbon, Cimino said that unlike the films made about Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas, this film would follow a young man as its protagonist, "in a story very similar to that of Lawerence Of Arabia," he said, He also claimed that an exact replica of Cabral's flagship had been constructed for the production. The film was not made due to producers Ilya Salkind and Jane Chaplin's failure to secure a deal with an international investor.
Man’s Fate- In September 2001, it was reported that Cimino would return to the director's chair to make Man's Fate, a 3-hour epic set against the backdrop of the Chinese Revolution. Based on French author Andre Malraux’s 1933 novel, the film, as described by Cimino, was to have depicted "the deep, emotional bonds that develop between several Europeans living in Shanghai during the tragic turmoil that characterized the onset of China's Communist regime."
The Godfather Part III: Michael Cimino was, at one point, considered to helm The Godfather: Part III.
The Dreaming Place- In 1997, Cimino was reported to direct The Dreaming Place forTrimark Pictures. Originally titled Law of the Jungle, Variety reported that the film, which was in the early stages of development, was to be a male vigilante story along the lines of Paramount's Eye for an Eye, Robert Patrick Vaccaro wrote the screenplay under the supervision of Cimino, and Jonathon Komack Martin was to executive produce the film. The planned budget was not revealed, however, it was Trimark's attempt to make a bigger-budgeted film than usual which is ultimately why it was never produced
Brasil 1500- As early as 1997, Cimino was attached as the director of a film called Brasil 1500, planned to debut in the United States under the title Gonçalo, after the main character. Variety magazine incorrectly referred to the film's title as 1500. This Brazilian-American co-production intended to portray the events of what happened in Santa Cruz Cabralia on April 21, 1500 - the official date of the arrival of Pedro Alveres Cabral's flagship.
Written by first-time Brazilian scribe Fábio Fonseca, the film was to have been told through the eyes of a fictional character (similarly to Titanic), named Gonçalo, a Portuguese sailor from Cabral's fleet. Antonio Banderas was eyed as a possible star, with a supporting cast planned to be composed largely of Brazilian natives. Cimino and producer Ilya Salkind were also interested in casting several British actors for the project, chief among them being Paul Scofield. A budget of $35 million was estimated, with principal photography initially set for January and February 1998.
Santa Ana Wind- Less than 3 Weeks after The Michael Collins Biopic was canceled, Cimino started pre-production work on Santa Ana Wind, a contemporary romantic drama set in L.A. offered to him by Barry Spikings. Budgeted at roughly $15 million, the set start date for shooting was early December 1987. The screenplay was written by Floyd Mutrux and the film was to be bankrolled again by Nelson Entertainment.
Cimino's representative added that the film was "about the San Fernando Valley and the friendship between two guys" and "more intimate" than Cimino's previous big-budget work like Heaven's Gate and the then unreleased The Sicilian. However, Nelson Holdings International Ltd. canceled the project after disclosing that its banks, including Security Pacific National Bank had reduced the company's borrowing power after Nelson failed to meet certain financial requirements in its loan agreements. A spokesman for Nelson said the cancellation occurred "in the normal course of business," but declined to elaborate. The film, also intended for distribution by Columbia, did not feature any major stars..
Born On The Fourth Of July- Sometime in the 1980s, Cimino met with Olvier Stone again and he was given the script to Born On The Fourth Of July. Cimino was eager to make the film, going so far as to offer to work for nothing, even attracting Al Pacino for the role of Ron Kovic. However, The Producers declined Cimino to direct the film.
Legs- In the mid 1980s, Cimino attempted to direct a film based on the William Kennedy Novel of the same name. It would of starred Mickey Rourke as the Gangster, Legs Diamond.
Porgy & Bess- One of his goals since arriving in Hollywood was to make a musical. One dream project was a musical inspired by "Porgy and Bess". Not a straight adaptation, it would have been a romance about a black gospel singer and a white Juilliard pianist, as they struggle to mount a production of the opera."
Handcarved Coffins- In 1985-86, Producer Dino De Laurentis offered Cimino the chance to direct the Truman Capote novella, Handcarved Coffins. Cimino turned down the offer.
Michael Collins Biopic- In 1987, ino began work on an epic saga chronicling the life of the Irish patriot Michael Collins, based on a screenplay by Eoghan Harris. After disagreements with Harris over Collins as a character, his draft was heavily rewritten by Cimino with the assistance of Robert Bolt, which the two developed in London. Their script, now titled Blest Souls, was described by the Los Angeles Times as "a love story set against the backdrop of the Irish Rebellion and would have starred Gabriel Bryne in the lead role as Collins. Joann Carelli assisted with casting for the project; finding Sean Bean and Tilda Swinton to co-star.
To inspire the mood of the film, Cimino spent countless hours reading the work of Irish poet W.B Yeats. He also began scouting for locations in Edinburgh, Liverpool, and in Ireland While there, he and his team of production managers sought permission from the Irish Parliamentary Party to use their army for the production, which they got Bono and Bob Geldof were also signed on to compose the music. The film was backed by Nelson Entertainment and would have re-teamed Cimino with his Deer Hunter co-producer Barry Spikings, David Puttnam of Columbia Pictures reportedly gave Cimino the green light to begin shooting, however due to the corporate meddling of Coca-Cola who wanted to go for something decidedly more mainstream, he would be forced to compromise his vision for the film. Instead, Cimino quit.
Over the next decade, the film generated expenses of nearly $2 million, and been in development with four studios and several independent production companies. Then, when Dustin Hoffman indicated an interest in starring in it, Mehlman took it back to Columbia in 1983. With Hoffman coming off the success of Columbia'sTootsie, "the film would have gone [into production] the moment he was ready," said Mehlman. By then, Colin Welland and Carl Foreman were brought aboard as a scriptwriters, as well as Danish filmmaker Jorgen Leth (who had made the 1976 bicycle-racing documentary A Sunday In Hell, as Hoffman's research adviser. Cimino said that production was long controlled by Foreman, who died in June 1984.
The following month, Mehlman, Leth, Cimino, Welland and Hoffman went to France for the Tour, for yet more research. Shooting with the Tour de France was initially scheduled for 1980 and nearly every year since. Welland was still working on the script and hoped to have a draft by October of that year. It has been rumored that Hoffman fired Cimino from the production, although multiple sources claim that the deal simply "fell apart with Cimino". After he exited, none of the replacement directors that Mehlman or the studio suggested were satisfactory to Hoffman, so he too left and the film continued to sink further into development hell.
Atlas Shrugged- In 1985, The Los Angeles Times reported that Michael Cimino was interesting in adapting Atlas Shrugged. Like The Fountainhead, This was one of Cimino’s passion projects.
Purple Lake- Purple Lake the second collaboration Cimino did with Raymon Carver in hopes for it to be made into a film. Purple Lake was a contemporary Western about juvenile delinquents who return to society after serving time in prison. Ultimately, the script wasn’t made into a film.
Working from Dean Pitchford's original script, Cimino was at the helm of the film for several months, making more and more extravagant demands in terms of set construction and overall production. Just when the film was to begin shooting, he asked Melnick to let him rewrite the screenplay for an additional $250,000 and to delay the start date, Melnick fired him, and Hebert Ross was hired. according to Melnick, "It might have been a good film [if Cimino had directed], but it wasn't the film we wanted to make. It wasn't the film we came to the party with.”Craig Zadan, one of the film's producers, also stated, "Cimino wanted to make a darker film. We wanted to make entertainment.”
The Bounty- Michael Cimino was one of many directors considered to direct The Bounty.
The Pope Of Greenwich Village- After Ronald F. Maxwell was dismissed as director, Michael Cimino was brought up as a possible replacement. Cimino wanted to finesse its screenplay with some rewriting and restructuring, which would have taken beyond the mandated start date for shooting. Instead, as a favor to the producers who were on a deadline, Cimino generously went over his extraordinarily copious notes written on the script with the new director they hired, Stuart Rosenberg. According to MGM president Freddie Fields, Cimino's contributions to the film were invaluable; "He's been a terrific consultant."
The Yellow Jersey- In 1984, One Of Many Cimino’s Longtime projects that he tried to make was going into production, The film was The Yellow Jersey, based upon a novel by Ralph Hurne about an aging, woman-chasing professional cyclist who nearly wins the Tour de France. The rights had been optioned back in 1973 by film producer Gary Mehlman, who then made a development deal with Columbia Pictures. In 1975, Cimino had been brought on board to direct the film and visited the Tour for the first time, for research.
The King Of Comedy- Cimino had been attached as the director of The King Of Comedy, which he withdrew from when Heaven's Gate was green lit, but vowed to return to once production ended. The film was first reported in 1979 as a Joann Carelli production, with Buck Henry making revisions to the script. However, by 1981, Martin Scorsese had already entered negotiations to direct According to Cimino, in his version he would have cast Andy Kaufman in the lead role as Rupert Pupkin. "I shot videotape of Andy for weeks," he said His version was to have also starred Meryl Streep and Orson Welles
Fyodor Dostoevsky Biopic- In early September 1982, Cimino approached short story writer Raymond Carver and his wife Tess Gallagher (both fans of Heaven's Gate) to rework a screenplay based on the life of Fyodor Dostevsky, in hopes that he would direct it According to Carver, Cimino presented him an existing screenplay commissioned by the veteran Italian film producer Carlo Ponti. The first draft had been written by Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and then translated to English by two Italian writers. Heavily researched, and taking Dostoevsky's near-execution as the film's focal point, Carver and Gallagher opted to rewrite the entire script, delivering a 220-page draft to Cimino in November. Cimino was impressed with the results, but Ponti returned to Europe shortly thereafter, halting further development.
Footloose- After being unable to finalize a deal with Herbert Ross. Paramount offered the picture to Cimino, which he accepted. Producer Daniel Melnick warned him that if the film went over its budget of $7.5 million, Cimino would have to cover the expenses himself and he agreed. Cimino's proposed reimagination of the film, "a John Steinbeck inspired musical-comedy", set during the Great Depression, was to have followed a rich girl from Houston who falls in love with a dancer from a shanty town.
Perfect Strangers- In 1977, Cimino tried to make Perfect Strangers with Paramount Pictures. Cimino described the film as a political love story that bore "some resemblance to Casablanca, involving the romantic relationship between Three People.” The film was sold to the studio as "a romantic Z" and was to star Roy Scheider, Romy Schneider, and Oskar Werner in the lead roles. Cimino stated, "We'd already shot two weeks of pre-production stuff, but because of various political machinations at the studio, the project fell through. This was just before David Picker left. He was the producer. There were internal difficulties, that's all. Nevertheless, I'd spent a year and a half of my life on something. It had been a difficult time. My father passed away while I was writing the screenplay. I kept working..."
Midnight Express- In the late 1970s, Cimino passed up an offer to direct Midnight Express
Live On Tape/Nitty Gritty- Following Heaven's Gate, Joann Carelli quickly landed him a picture deal at CBS Theatrical Films to direct Nitty Gritty, described by The New York Times as "a black comedy about news reporting". The film was scheduled to be released in 1982, alongside a slate of films which including Table for Five, however, Cimino's never went into production, just as with several of the other reported projects. It was later listed as a lost project of Cimino's by the Los Angeles Times, who reported that it had been retitled Live on Tape prior to being dropped by CBS.
Reel to Reel- In 1983, Cimino was to direct this unmade film with the help of Steven Spielberg and Gary David Goldberg.
Yor probably wouldn't like Sergio's other choices for the role
Originally, Sergio wanted John Belushi for the role of Max and when he died, he hoped to get Gerard Depardieu for the role, but settled on James Woods.
2001: Scary Movie II (Role: Father McFreely) (Actor Who Got It: James Woods) (Reason: Brando had to withdraw when he was hospitalized with pneumonia in April 2001.)
2004: Man Of Fire (Role: Paul Rayburn) (Actor Who Got It: Christopher Walken) (Reason: Brando was the original choice to play Rayburn, less than a year before he died.)
2006: Big Bug Man (Role: Mrs. Sour) INCOMPLETE (Reason: Brando recorded for the voice of Mrs. Sour a month before his death on July 1, 2004. He thought it would be fun to voice a girl for this project. Since Brando's death, there has been no update on the film's progress).