Both Angelina Jolie and Sandra Bullock have left fans in awe of their characters thanks to their effortless work. Whether it is Angelina Jolie in Maleficent or Sandra Bullock in Bird Box, some performances just end up staying with you for a long, long time. Unfortunately, the two power-packed actresses have never worked together in a film.
However, for what it’s worth, Angelina Jolie was once linked to a role that ended up going to Sandra Bullock instead. And it is not just any other role! Director Alfonso Cuarón initially wanted Angelina Jolie to take over the role of Dr. Ryan Stone. Obviously, the job ended up going to Sandra Bullock and even got the actress the second Oscar nomination of her career. We wonder how things would have played out if Angelina Jolie had decided to go through with it.
Sandra Bullock Almost Lost Gravity to Angelina Jolie
With a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, Gravity is one of the most well-received space films of all time. Not only did it receive immense praise from fans and critics alike, but it also managed to welcome James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino to its fan base. This speaks volumes given the fact that these two are some of the most renowned filmmakers in the industry.
Sandra Bullock’s exceptional performance had fans holding their breath at times as they were so invested in what was going on on the screens. Her performance got her a nomination for an Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards, although she couldn’t bring the trophy home. This was Bullock’s second nomination after bagging an Oscar for The Blind Side (2009). Now imagine if she never played Dr. Ryan Stone.
Gravity’s director, Alfonso Cuarón, talked to The Hollywood Reporter about wanting to get Angelina Jolie for the film. He stated,
“I had conversations with Angelina, but then she went to do one film, and then she was going to direct [Unbroken]. Something happens, you part ways.”
Well, it looks like if it wasn’t for scheduling conflicts, the world would have gotten to see Jolie’s take on the character of Stone. While that might not seem to be a bad thing, we are glad the role ultimately went to Bullock as she was simply fantastic in her work!
Robert Downey Jr. Could’ve Starred Opposite Sandra Bullock
Jolie wasn’t the only one Cuarón had his sight set on. Initially, even the male lead of the film was supposed to be played by another actor instead of George Clooney, and it’s none other than Robert Downey Jr. However, the technology that was being used for Gravity was becoming a challenge for Downey. Cuarón stated,
“It became very clear that, as we started to nail the technology or narrow the technology, that was going to be a big obstacle for his performance. I think Robert is fantastic if you give him the freedom to completely breathe and improvise and change stuff. [But] we tried one of these technologies and it was not compatible. And, after that, we [had a] week that we pretended as if nothing was happening and then we talked and said, ‘This is not going to work. This is tough.’”
Downey is one of the best actors in the entertainment industry today. It would have been interesting to see him in a new element should he have continued with Gravity. Do you think Downey could’ve done a better job than Clooney?
Gravity is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
