
But they could have been millions of dollars richer.
It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix, and Ian McKellen is an ideal Gandalf, and Anthony Hopkins is a terrifyingly attractive Hannibal. However, the creators of these legendary films considered completely different actors for the main roles.
Dr. Lecter was able to pull off a British accent and the charm of Jeremy Irons – he was seen as a prime candidate for The Silence of the Lambs. However, the Englishman did not approve of the overly cruel plot and refused to try out the role of a sadist. But with minimal budgets, three films starring Hopkins scored more than $800 million at the box office.
A similar situation occurred with Sean Connery, who did not want to play Gandalf – well, the artist did not like Tolkien’s work and he did not understand the script. The “misunderstanding” cost him $10 million in royalties.





In turn, Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, refused to become Dumbledore after the death of Richard Harris. The deceased, as it turned out, considered his colleague a terrible actor, and therefore Ian, out of respect for Richard’s opinion, chose “The Lord of the Rings” and did not regret it.
Unlike Will Smith, who once chose “Wild Wild West” instead of “The Matrix”, where he was offered the role of Neo, the script seemed too incomprehensible.
The same disaster befell Tim Roth, who turned down the role of Severus Snape in Harry Potter for Planet of the Apes. But the Boy Who Lived franchise grossed $9 billion at the box office, making Alan Rickman a global celebrity.
James Cameron wanted a similar fate for Gwyneth Paltrow and invited her to play the role of Rose in Titanic, but the future Marvel star considered the script an Indian drama, which she bitterly regretted in the future. Like Daryl Hannah, who didn’t want to play the spicy lead role in ‘Pretty Woman’ because of moral principles.
But Paltrow lucked out a little later when she ended up in “Shakespeare in Love,” only because Julia Roberts refused to film.
Finally, due to a “setup” of her agent, Angelina Jolie could not star in “Gravity” – this role went to Sandra Bullock. But Jolie refused the sequel ‘Wanted’ because of the space thriller, which was ultimately never released.
Photo source: Stills from the films “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, “Silence of the Lambs”, “The Matrix”
Author: Alexey Pletkin
Source: Popcorn News

Kenneth Weaver is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He focuses on writing about celebrity-related news, keeping his readers up to date with the latest happenings in the entertainment industry. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for writing, Kenneth brings his unique perspective to every article he writes, making him a trusted source for all things celebrity.