Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson first collaborated in the famed Harry Potter franchise, both achieving international stardom and successful careers. After their stint in the fantasy film series, they have experimented and tried other unconventional projects.
Ever since his departure from the Harry Potter world, Radcliffe engaged in a lot of movies that explored his range and proved his versatility. From his bizarre role in Swiss Army Man (2016) to exploring the wilderness of the Amazon in Jungle (2017), he has certainly more to offer.
Daniel Radcliffe Refused To Star In Seth Rogen’s This Is The End
Daniel Radcliffe’s transition from being a child star to a mature actor has also guided him in choosing the projects he wants to engage with. Interestingly, he refused to do one comedy film with co-star Emma Watson because he thought it was not well-written.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, scriptwriter Evan Goldberg lamented how Radcliffe rejected their offer to star in the 2013 film This is the End. He said:
“Two years before we brought it to anybody else, we brought it to Daniel Radcliffe, and he rejected it because it was sh**ty, it wasn’t good enough. We got too excited, we jumped the gun on that. If we waited another year, I bet he would have done it.”
Director Seth Rogen and Goldberg agreed with the actor that the script needed improvement. They made the revisions and presented it to Radcliffe, only to reject it again. Goldberg revealed:
“[Daniel Radcliffe] very respectfully explained that the material was not quite good enough, and he was right. It was a bad early version. He taught us a lesson. We learned something from him that day.”
The cast of This is the End included James Franco, Jonah Hill, Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, and Emma Watson. Goldberg further explained that Radcliffe’s input helped refine the script:
“The initial version was too obvious. Daniel Radcliffe–Harry Potter jokes and James Franco [as a] fashion-snobby materialistic guy. Jonah Hill was being mean to everybody. And so, we changed it all. We made Franco have this endearing love for Seth, and we made Jonah turn into this big softy, and we just mixed things up. We made it a little too obvious at first.”
Still, the Harry Potter alum chose to do another project. He worked on the 2013 mythical black comedy Horns, which did not prove to be successful at the box office. It only earned $3.9 million, while Watson’s This is the End grossed over $126 million.
Emma Watson Thought Seth Rogen’s Film Was Absurd
Even Emma Watson initially thought the script was ridiculous. Of all actresses, the Harry Potter star would definitely be the last person who would appear in a Seth Rogen comedy film.
She admitted having a difficult time getting into the heart of it, even surprised that she was considered for the part, but after deliberate reflection, the actress ultimately agreed on it. She told Flicks and Bits (via Female First):
“I thought it sounded crazy. I remember trying to get my head around it on the phone to my agent who was like, ‘So, it’s Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill and James Franco and Danny McBride and all these other comedians. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are making it, and all the actors are playing themselves, and it’s going to be the end of the world… and they want you in the movie.’”
Indeed, Watson was so confused and she had so many questions about the script and her casting as well. She added:
“I just remember reading it and thinking it’s hilarious, I thought it was the most crazy, absurd premise for a story I’d ever heard. I had to do it.”
She considered joining the project because the two female characters in the film were portrayed as “strong, badass, funny characters,” which was very important for Watson.
