Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie has impressed peers and fans from all over the world with her eclectic repertoire of films. Her filmography includes movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, commercial blockbusters like Mr. and Mrs. Smith as well as offbeat gems like Girl, Interrupted for which she won the Oscar. Over the years, the Maleficient star has explored various genres and has been extremely successful in playing a wide variety of roles. A few films though have escaped the talented actor’s grasp.
Angelina Jolie was almost cast in Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity
Before Sandra Bullock and George Clooney were confirmed to play the lead roles in Alfonso Cuaron’s multiple Academy Award-winning film Gravity, it will surprise many to know that Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. were originally shortlisted for the film. While the Iron Man actor was deemed not suitable to play the male lead, sources say that the director was keen on The Eternals star essaying the role of the astronaut, Ryan Stone. So what happened?
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Gravity director states that while Angelina Jolie expressed interest in being part of the film, her contract with another production house at the time was the defining factor in rejecting the role. To quote the filmmaker,
“I had conversations with Angelina, but then she went to do one film, and then she was going to direct [Unbroken]. Something happens, and you part ways.”
It was understood from this comment that Alfonso Cuaron was referring to Maleficient and Angelina Jolie’s directorial Unbroken as the commitments that stood in the way of the Oscar winner accepting Gravity.
What did Angelina Jolie lose by rejecting Gravity?
While Angelina Jolie has always had her plate full with many high-profile projects in the pipeline, her withdrawal from Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity does have repercussions. Apart from earning multiple Oscars including Best Director and Best Cinematography, the film which deals with two astronauts working together to survive a mishap in space, debuted at No 1 in the box office. Ultimately it went on to gross nearly 700 million dollars, making it one of the biggest blockbuster hits.
It earned accolades for its visual effects and many inventive filmmaking techniques that enhanced the drama of the narrative. Gravity also saw Sandra Bullock once again involved in a lucrative deal with Warner Brothers along with her other big commercial successes like Speed and Miss Congeniality. While Angelina Jolie has earned her fair share through many such collaborations with various studios, the fact still remains that she missed out on a big one with Gravity.
Source: The Things
