Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Brad Pitt has never faced rejection or experienced a studio’s wrath after a critical or commercial dud ever since his big debut in Ridley Scott’s 1991 Oscar-winning film,Thelma & Louise. The actor has only ever climbed the ladder of acclaim and success with films that have time and again redefined the box office with their enduring legacy and audience response.
With films likeFight Club,Troy,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,Ocean’strilogy,Mr. and Mrs. Smith,Inglourious Basterds, andOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pitt has made himself a stalwart of the movie industry with a keen eye for projects that are sure to pull crowds into theaters.
However, early on in his career, the Oscar-winning star stumbled upon a great project that will forever make him regret the lost opportunity.
Brad Pitt rejected an iconic Christopher Nolan film
It’s not every day thatChristopher Nolancomes knocking at your door with a movie script tailored to perfection. It is rarer still to have him write a character with a specific actor in mind and offer the part to said actor. Only a handful of Hollywood stars have been fortunate enough to shine as the lead in a Nolan film. However,Brad Pittdropped the ball when the script ofMementocrossed his desk.
At the time, the writer-director was a mere speck in Hollywood’s ever-extending radar in search of fresh and new talents. His career was comprised of a little student film and a couple of indie features that never had the commercial reach of a blockbuster film. It was only understandable that Brad Pitt, a certified A-lister, would think twice before agreeing to star in an obscure director’s arthouse project.
“He’s gonna whip his head…”: Director of Brad Pitt’s Oscar-Nominated Film Left Armie Hammer Terrified to His Core
Speaking about Pitt’s involvement, Nolan recalled during an appearance at the 2014 Slamdance Festival (viaYahoo!):
Truthfully [Brad Pitt] did read the script. I mean that’s where the story comes from, is he read the script and he met with me about it when he didn’t have any reason to know who I was or anything about it. And nothing came of it. [His involvement] just sort of perked up a bit of interest in what was a very obscure project, otherwise. He sort of got the ball rolling.It was a very nice thing that he liked it.
Brad Pitt has never since found the opportunity to work on a Christopher Nolan film, although his career still has the potential of a future collaboration.
Mementoestablished Christopher Nolan in Hollywood
There is always one movie in every actor and director’s career that turns them into a globally renowned celebrity almost overnight. For Brad Pitt, that movie wasThelma & Louise; for Christopher Nolan, it wasMemento. The non-linear film made at the turn of the century was so radically original and unprecedented that it turned Nolan into a hot property in Hollywood instantly.
Starring Guy Pearce in the lead,Mementofollows an amnesiac man out for revenge after a grave tragedy leaves him widowed. Based on the short story,Memento Mori, the film was the product of a collaboration between Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan Nolan who wrote the script and handed it over to his director sibling.
“I still can’t figure out why people hated it”: Margot Robbie Feels Her Biggest Flop With Brad Pitt Doesn’t Deserve the Hate It Got
Today, Nolan is one of the most in-demand and sought-after working directors in Hollywood with an Oscar to his name and billions in box office revenue. His next project is a star-studded adaptation of the Greek epic,The Odyssey.
Mementois currently streaming on Prime Video.
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2407
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
