In 2021, celebrated filmmaker Guillermo del Toro unveiled his dark and captivating noir-inspired drama, Nightmare Alley, starring Bradley Cooper in the lead role of Stanton Carlisle. However, the project originally had Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio attached before a scheduling conflict led to Cooper’s involvement.
Guillermo del Toro, known for his unique vision and storytelling, had initially envisioned Leonardo DiCaprio as the perfect fit for the role of Stanton Carlisle. But looks like life had other plans.
Guillermo del Toro opened up about his struggles with casting Leonardo DiCaprio
Their shared interest in the world of carnivals and fascination with the storyline sparked the likeliness of collaboration between Guillermo del Toro and Leonardo DiCaprio. However, the intricate nature of assembling the ensemble cast, including names like Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, and Ron Perlman, required careful coordination of shooting schedules.
In an interview with TheWrap, Del Toro explained that DiCaprio’s commitment to another project created a conflict in dates, leading to the actor’s departure from Nightmare Alley.
“He was interested because we have a common fascination for the carnival, but very quickly within the process, it was evident that there was gonna be a conflict of dates.I needed enough time to put together the cast in the way that I had seen it. We had written the part of Lilith for Cate Blanchett, I had written the part of Clem for Willem Dafoe, I had written Bruno for Ron Perlman, etc. So we couldn’t be hurried into shooting really quick, because we needed to make all these shooting schedules coalesce into the movie.”
Although Del Toro didn’t specify the conflicting project, it is believed to be either Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon or Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, both of which were filmed around the same time as Nightmare Alley. However, many believe that it was Scorsese’s project that pulled DiCaprio away from Del Toro.
Bradley Cooper replaced Leonardo DiCaprio to take the movie to the Oscars
Although Bradley Cooper’s involvement in Nightmare Alley emerged as a result of necessities, there’s no doubt that Del Toro believed in Cooper’s ability to portray the nuanced complexities of Stanton Carlisle. The director was drawn to Cooper’s period-appropriate appearance and his aptitude for delving into the darkness of characters, as seen in films like Limitless and A Star Is Born.
Describing his decision to cast Cooper, Del Toro shared, “He looked like a guy in the thirties or forties. He had that scruffy physicality when he is young Stanton and he could look really polished, almost Gary Cooper-like [as] Stanton in the city.”
And undoubtedly, Del Toro’s vision of Stanton as a magnetic yet enigmatic figure with a touch of madness aligned perfectly with Cooper’s acting prowess. The pairing of Guillermo del Toro and Bradley Cooper resulted in an exceptional portrayal of Stanton Carlisle, a character navigating a world of mentalism and intrigue.
Nightmare Alley garnered positive reviews from critics and received four Oscar nominations at the 94th Academy Awards including the award for Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.
Source: The Wrap
