More than three decades after its release, Pretty Woman still holds a major place in pop culture, but the movie almost looked very different before it became the glossy romance audiences know today. According to the report, the 1990 film was made for $17 million under director Garry Marshall and went on to earn more than $460 million worldwide, along with four Golden Globe nominations and an Oscar nod. It also helped turn Julia Roberts into a household name and remains one of the era’s biggest and most enduring love stories.
The project began as a far rougher story. The original script, written by J.F. Lawton, was titled $3,000, a nod to the amount Edward pays Vivian for the week. In that version, the story was much less romantic, and Vivian and Edward did not end up together. The report says the original ending was far bleaker, with Vivian and Kit heading to Disneyland on a bus after Vivian’s time with Edward, while Vivian looked ahead blankly. That darker tone was one reason some actors and actresses hesitated to take part.
The roles that almost were
Several stars were reportedly considered for Edward before Richard Gere signed on, including John Travolta, Christopher Reeve, Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington and Sylvester Stallone. On the other side of the casting process, Diane Lane said many actresses wanted to play Vivian, though she passed because of scheduling conflicts. The report also names Daryl Hannah, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Steenburgen and Meg Ryan as actresses who read for the part, with Ryan an early favorite for the studio and Marshall. Roberts herself had to audition twice, first landing the role when the project was still called $3,000 and then reading again after Disney took over.
Marshall originally imagined Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in the leads, and Pacino did read opposite Roberts before declining. But once Gere and Roberts were cast, Marshall said the chemistry changed the film’s direction entirely. Roberts also helped bring Gere back around after he initially turned the role down several times. The report says she flew to New York to persuade him, wrote “Please say yes” on a Post-it note while Marshall was on the phone with Gere, and soon after Gere told Marshall he had agreed. Other details from the film’s legacy include the fact that the famous poster used Shelley Michelle’s body with Roberts’ head superimposed, and that the opera scene features La Traviata, a fitting choice for a story about a man falling for a prostitute.
Source: eonline.com
