Steven Spielberg is undoubtedly one of the greatest directors of the century, who has given several grand hits including Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and more. He is an immensely talented director who is known for extraordinary vision and expert direction. Among his numerous commercial hits, is the film Catch Me If You Can, which featured Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The film was the 11th highest-grossing film of the year and among the top movies of Steven Spielberg. However, initially, Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski was going to direct the film and Tom Hanks was not in the picture.
Tom Hanks was not the first choice for Catch Me If You Can
One of the biggest entertainers and a classic, Catch Me If You Can is one of the iconic films of Spielberg. The biographical crime comedy-drama and thriller film featured Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in the lead role. The two actors made the film reach the pinnacle of success, with their fabulous acting and excellent on-screen chemistry. It is difficult to imagine any other actor playing their roles.
However, the reality was very different when the film was in the pre-production stage. As per reports, initially, Spielberg was not the director of the film. Pirates of the Caribbean director, Gore Verbinski was chosen for direction, and Tom Hanks’ superhit role of FBI agent Carl Hanratty was supposed to be played by James Gandolfini.
But Gandolfini had to drop out from the film due to a scheduling conflict with his other film The Sopranos. Hence the character was played by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks.
Also read- Steven Spielberg Shot Himself in the Foot, Turned Down $183M Oscar Winning Tom Hanks Classic
About Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a film based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name by Frank Abagnale Jr. He claimed that before his 19th birthday, he successfully performed huge cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a pilot, a doctor, and a parish prosecutor. The film depicts the chase game between Hanratty and Abagnale, who eventually developed a respect for one another. They even became friends by the end.
The film was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, alongside Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in supporting roles.
As per the director, Tom Hanks approached the director to play the role of Carl Hanratty. Speilberg shared in an interview with Roger Ebert that Hanks called him and his co-producer and said,
“Do you think Steven would let me play the FBI agent? I really know who this guy is.”
Hanks had also talked with Leonardo DiCaprio to take his approval to become part of the film.
Christopher Walken and John Williams were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Score at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was a financial success grossing a total of $352.1 million worldwide against a budget of $52 million.
Source- The Digital Fix
