It's Hollywood's latest crisis: top box-office stars stomping their well-paid feet and sinking big-budget blockbusters.

When John Travolta bolted from the Paris set of The Double in May, he said it was because he wanted to be at the side of his four-year-old son, Jett, who had suddenly become ill.

Mandalay Entertainment, producers of the would-be hit film, told a different story. In a lawsuit filed against Travolta after his departure, Mandalay claimed its star erupted over script changes, refused to take orders from director Roman Polanski and left without permission.

In response, Travolta filed his own suit. He contended The Double script that greeted him in Paris was dramatically different from the one he'd read in Hollywood when he agreed to the project, and that he couldn't play the role the way it had been reshaped by Polanski.

Work ground to a halt, and the producers signed Steve Martin as a replacement in an attempt to salvage the project. But that move backfired when Travolta's costar, Isabelle Adjani, quit because she only wanted to work with Travolta.

 

Then, fearing his film was sliding from blockbuster status to Blockbuster shelves, Polanski joined the exodus. Mandalay's big movie was dead in the water.

The Double is not the first film to fall victim to the dreaded walk-off. Indeed, the phenomenon is probably as old as Hollywood itself. But the situation today is worse than ever--and it's rapidly reaching crisis proportions. Especially when you consider the importance today of star power at the box office and the amount of money spent to bring that power to a film.

 

This article made me wonder how many other major films were either not made at all or filmed with different stars because the original stars pulled out.

 

I can think of a few :Batman & Robin,Cut throat Island,Renegades and Speed 2.

 

With J Lo pulling out of the new Dallas film, made me wonder if the reason for pulling out is because they think the movie will be c**p and may damage their career,or is it because they have another lined up.

 

This article made me wonder how many other major films were either not made at all or filmed with different stars because the original stars pulled out.

 

 

loads. sometimes its more fun reading about the production disasters in screen international than the finished film :lol:

 

 

have you seen that Terry Gilliam documentary Lost in La Mancha (2002) about Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. If something could go wrong to the film it would and in the end the production collapsed completely. He's got a new film out called Tideland and was saying in the paper that he might try to get the rights back for his beloved Don Quixote film back from the administrators and have another crack at getting financing for it.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/14/Lost_Gilliam.jpg

 

http://www.axelmusic.com/resources/covers/0/065935149088.jpg

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Tideland_(poster).gif

There was the rather notorious case of Kim Basinger walking off the set of "Boxing Helena" which she had orally agreed to star in after a discussion she had with the director. The film itself was utter and total cack (with Sherilyn Fenn eventually replacing Basinger); but in the resulting court case, Basinger actually lost and was sued by the producers for the film not making any profit (the fact that it was complete sh!t obviously having nothing to do with its failure at the box office whatsoever eh....? :lol: :lol: )

There was the rather notorious case of Kim Basinger walking off the set of "Boxing Helena" which she had orally agreed to star in after a discussion she had with the director. The film itself was utter and total cack (with Sherilyn Fenn eventually replacing Basinger); but in the resulting court case, Basinger actually lost and was sued by the producers for the film not making any profit (the fact that it was complete sh!t obviously having nothing to do with its failure at the box office whatsoever eh....? :lol: :lol: )

 

i'll have to wiki that me thinks? so boxing helena? along the lines of million $ baby? :huh:

i'll have to wiki that me thinks? so boxing helena? along the lines of million $ baby? :huh:

 

Oh, God NO!! "Boxing Helena" was a totally fukked up, utterly stupid film about this deranged bloke who kidnapped this woman and cuts off her arms and legs and, erm, puts her still-living torso in a box.... Believe me, it's nowhere NEAR as interesting as it sounds.....

I reckon J. Lo's up the duff

 

Lindsey Lohan probably couldn't be bothered :rolleyes:

I reckon J. Lo's up the duff

 

yes i've heard the rumors as well thats she's pregnant.

 

however li-lo is probably more likely be on the duff

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Simpsons_the_homer_wo_hoo_duff_beer.png

(note hilary not pictured) :lol:

Oh, God NO!! "Boxing Helena" was a totally fukked up, utterly stupid film about this deranged bloke who kidnapped this woman and cuts off her arms and legs and, erm, puts her still-living torso in a box.... Believe me, it's nowhere NEAR as interesting as it sounds.....

 

well thats amazing thats its not been in the £1.97 sale at music zone. that so totally sounds like a plot from that price area!! :lol: :lol:

well thats amazing thats its not been in the £1.97 sale at music zone. that so totally sounds like a plot from that price area!! :lol: :lol:

 

It was made before the DVD revolution, over a decade ago, and frankly I think everyone concerned would rather forget it ever existed.... :lol: So dont be expecting a DVD release any time soon, or even at all....

 

Might show up on Channel 5 at 2am on a Sunday morning maybe.....

 

i'll have to wiki that me thinks? so boxing helena? along the lines of million $ baby? :huh:

 

We watched Million Dollar Baby in R.E. because of the Euthanasia theme it had.

Might show up on Channel 5 at 2am on a Sunday morning maybe.....

 

if only, might make a change from the 96 quiz phone-ins on freeview at that time :lol: :lol:

We watched Million Dollar Baby in R.E. because of the Euthanasia theme it had.

 

And were you bored as sh!tless by this over-rated rubbish as I was....? -_-

 

And were you bored as sh!tless by this over-rated rubbish as I was....? -_-

 

i liked M $ B. I was surprised by it as i had ignored it thinking it was just another boxing film. however had time to kill and wanted to get two films in like i normally do.