Kurt Russell is known for his looks and his acting prowess. To the current generation, he is known for being in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films, but the actor has been starring in a bevy of films belonging to different genres for decades. However, just like any other actor he has left films as well. Sometimes, actors regret leaving films if they become a hit.
That regret often deepens if the movie spawns a franchise. But actors also do get to pat their backs when they get to know that the film they rejected tanked at the box office. Kurt Russell must have been one such star who did the same when he got to know about the box office collections as well as the Rotten Tomatoes score of this one film.
Here’s Why Kurt Russell Rejected The Sequel To A Hit Film With Sharon Stone
Kurt Russell was offered Basic Instinct 2 (2006), which is the sequel to the neo-noir 1992 erotic thriller of the same name. The sequel follows Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell being investigated by Scotland Yard for the crimes she has committed. Opposite her is David Morrissey as Dr. Michael Glass.
He’s a psychiatrist who is trying to unravel Tramell while being the subject of her psychological manipulation. It is this role that was offered to Russell but he turned it down because he was uncomfortable with the nudity and erotic nature of the movie.
Turns out his decision to leave the film was a good idea because it only grossed $38.6 million on a $70 million budget. To make matters worse, the Michael Caton-Jones-directed film just has a 6% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As such, it was a blunder of epic proportions. To make matters worse, the movie is even credited for completely destroying Sharon Stone’s acting career.
However, Kurt Russell wasn’t the only big-name actor who refused the film. Pierce Brosnan rejected it too and even though Robert Downey Jr. was set to star in it as well, he had to drop out because he was allegedly charged with drug possession. However, David Morrissey, who ultimately played the role of Dr. Glass, had nothing but good things to say about the film and co-star Sharon Stone.
Basic Instinct 2 Actor Praises Lead Sharon Stone Even Though The Film Was A Flop
In an interview with Movieweb, David Morrissey praised Sharon Stone and said that he loved working with her. He also revealed that they laughed and joked around a lot. Basically, they hit it off as actors and friends. He said:
“I just loved working with Sharon… She immediately made me feel at home like we knew each other for a long time. They blocked out one hour for me in this room with her and I was there for two hours and we just laughed and joked and talked about life and what it’s like being an actor. We just immediately hit it off and it remained that way through the filming.”
However, the director of Basic Instinct 2, Michael Caton-Jones, didn’t feel the same. He stated that he only took up the directing work for the film because he was broke. Caton-Jones also said that he hated working with Sharon Stone and that the last day of the film was also the last time he spoke to her. But it’s all water under the bridge now since there are no plans to continue the franchise after the second film flopped hard.
Basic Instinct 2 is available on Netflix.
Source: Movieweb
