Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Inglorious Basterds became one of the most popular films of 2009. The film which used the holocaust as its backdrop, followed the fictional story of a group of Jewish soldiers who go on an undercover mission to bring down the Nazi government and put an end to the war. The narrative which had all the trademarks of Tarantino’s style and action, had big names like Christophe Waltz, Brad Pitt, and Michael Fassbender in prominent roles.
One of the small but significant characters who formed an important cog in the Jewish contingent was Sergeant Donny Donowitz also known as the Bear Jew played by Eli Roth. The character had a unique way of finishing off his victims with a baseball bat. Interestingly, this role was originally written for one of Hollywood’s popular comedians, Adam Sandler. The star though, missed out on the part owing to his commitment to another film that bombed at the box office.
Adam Sandler Lost Out On Inglorious Basterds Role
Hollywood star Adam Sandler is known for many comedic blockbusters that have cemented his place as one of Hollywood’s leading funnymen. The star has also proved that he has a flair for dramatic roles in films like The Longest Yard and Uncut Gems. The Big Daddy star though, missed out on the golden opportunity to play a really different character in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. Tarantino had originally written the role of the baseball bat-wielding Donny Donowitz aka the Bear Jew with Sandler in mind.
The director though, felt that the Murder Mystery star was better suited to be in Judd Apatow’s comedy Funny People which had fallen into his lap at the same time. In a discussion between the two directors, Tarantino told Apatow that while Sandler was right to accept his film, the comedian rued the fact that he missed out on playing an iconic character in Inglorious Basterds.
“I wrote the Bear Jew for Adam Sandler. When I was doing Little Nicky, he’s telling me like, ‘Oh man, I get to f***ing beat up Nazis with a bat? F***ing script! F***ing awesome! I can’t f***ing wait!”
The Kill Bill director also stated that the 50 First Dates star was doubly keen to be part of his film as he was from a Jewish background and the script resonated with his sensibilities completely. Unfortunately, it was not to be. As luck would have it, Funny People did not cause much of a stir while Inglorious Basterds set the box office on fire.
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It’s A Family Affair For Adam Sandler In His Next Film
Hollywood star Adam Sandler will be seen with his real-life family on screen for the first time in You’re so not invited to my Bat Mitzvah which is an adaptation of Fiona Rosenbloom’s coming-of-age novel. Sandler’s teenage daughters Sunny and Sadie and his wife Jackie Titone will co-star in the movie while Idina Menzel who played Sandler’s spouse in Uncut Gems, has also been roped in. The story follows comedic events leading up to a girl’s bat mitzvah and the chaos that threatens to ruin her special day.
Apart from the project being close to home, Sandler is also producing the film which will release on Netflix sometime in August 2023. This is also the latest project in the celebrity’s ongoing association with the streaming platform after his recently released Murder Mystery 2.
Also Read: Adam Sandler Net Worth – How Much Money Has Hollywood Critics’ Worst Enemy Made from His Movies?
Source: Collider
