Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron haven’t had the pleasure of working with each other yet. Although Theron recently joked about having Cruise in the Fast & Furious franchise, there was once a time when the two action legends almost came close to working together.
Back in 2008, the two stars were all set to star in the romantic thriller The Tourist, however, after various tousles and changes, both the stars ended up leaving the movie. And soon enough Angelina Jolie, who had already replaced Cruise in SALT, ended up joining the project along with Johnny Depp.
Action Legends Tom Cruise And Charlize Theron Once Almost Starred Together
The Tourist was a remake of a 2005 French film, Anthony Zimmer. A romantic thriller, its making was reportedly struck by numerous twists and turns. Orignially the movie was said to be directed by Lasse Hallstrom, with Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron in as the lead.
However, as is his usual nature, the actor wasn’t all too happy with the script and requested Christopher McQuarrie be brought to have it re-written. Apparently, the script seemed unreedembale, leading to Cruise’s exit from the project in 2009.
The original movie was deemed as a commercial flop and with the remake having the liked of Cruise and Theron, known action stars of Hollywood, fans and movie watchers had a considerable hope and interest in the film. Furthermore, the movie would have brought the pair together on screen for the first time, which seemed to be enough reason for a lot of people to watch the movie.
However, creative differences and lack of cohesion, ultimately led to both actors leaving the project one after the other, with Theron’s departure in October of 2009. The movie eventually ended up having Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, a new pair as lead.
Angelina Jolie And Johnny Depp Starred Together For The First Time In The Tourist
After the exit of the two formidable action stars of the industry, some other casting and directing changes, the supposed Queen and King of Hollywood aka Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp ended up starring in the 2010’s The Tourist for the first time ever. Their pairing generated a considerable buzz, with media houses showing a sudden interest in a project that many thought was already dead.
While the movie was criticized by film critics for various reasons including lack of suspense, weak storyline, and mediocre characters, it ended up becoming a a commercial hit, grossing about $278 million (via Box Office Mojo) against a budget of about $100 million (via LA Times). Despite the negative reception by critics, it was well liked by the audience and ended up being nominated and winning several awards.
The Tourist can be streamed on Netflix.
Source: Total Film
