Just Jack Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 It could have happened..... 4. Castle Rock Entertainment, the studio that made Shawshank, was co-founded by Rob Reiner—director of another King adaptation, Stand By Me—and is named after the mythical Maine town that provides the setting for many of King’s books. After director Frank Darabont pitched Shawshank to the studio, Reiner originally offered $2.5 million for the script to star Tom Cruise as Andy Dufresne and Harrison Ford as Red. more Shawshank trivia here - http://mentalfloss.com/article/57589/15-things-you-may-not-have-known-about-shawshank-redemption Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark80 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Wow, completely different movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) I worked at a restaurant that was on the ground floor of the same building as Castle Rock. He used to come in for lunch every day with Billy Crystal. What a blowhard Reiner is/was. A true meathead. Edited July 11, 2014 by Chef Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I can see Tom Cruise as Andy. Cruise is a better actor than most people give him credit for. Harrison Ford as Red is a bit of a stretch, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swnybillsfan Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I can see Tom Cruise as Andy. Cruise is a better actor than most people give him credit for. Harrison Ford as Red is a bit of a stretch, though. i am not a big fan of tom cruise, so there is no way i could see him playing that part. but, i am biased and this is one of my all time favorite movies. and i can't picture anyone but tim robbins playing this role. every part in this movie seemed to be casted to perfection. i get sucked into this movie whenever it is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark80 Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) I agree that Tom is a good actor and most people have declared him crazy because of Scientology and some other incidents, but still a good actor. However, he lacks a certain goofyness, nerdiness, awkwardness, perceived intelligence that Robbins was able to nail in the movie. It made the character IMO. And yes, I'm glad we are not debating Harrison as Red, that would have been a terrible idea. I don't find him to be that great of an actor (except in the Fugitive, he was great in that and the Jack Ryan roles). Everything else he's been in I always think to myself "man he looks like he's acting." That's a sure sign that you are not that great of an actor! I vividly remember loving Air Force One when I was younger, then I watched it again in the last year or two, I could hardly get through it he was so bad in it. Edited July 12, 2014 by Mark80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Fischer Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) I imagine Cruise could have pulled it off. He is a pretty decent actor (Born on 4th of July, A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire, Minority Report, Tropic Thunder, Oblivion, etc). A lot of bad ones, too, but few blockbuster stars can avoid the bad roles. He's a nut but . . . I highly recommend Edge of Tomorrow. Go see it. Edited July 12, 2014 by Max Fischer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I can see Tom Cruise as Andy. Cruise is a better actor than most people give him credit for. Harrison Ford as Red is a bit of a stretch, though. Cruise is best known for his clenched jaw/heavy breathing/sprint toward the camera (a la The Firm)....not sure there was a sequence in Shawshank that fits that role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Shawshank is one of my most favorite movies of all time. I am very glad that Tom Cruise had nothing to do with it. It was written and produced well enough that it likely still would have ended up a great film with Cruise in that role; I'm just glad it didn't happen. He is nowhere near my list of favorite actors, or my list of actors I think are great ... but he's not horrible. Tim Robbins was perfect; as was Morgan Freeman and everyone else cast in the movie, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 SR has been playing on IFC (uncle scored but with commercials) over and over the past couple days. Sat down and watched big sections of it several times. I can't envision anyone but Robbins and Freeman playing the parts, but it would be interesting to see how it would have turned out with the other guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I could see that working; I've always thought Cruise was a better actor than Robbins. Ford probably brings a little harder edge to Red than Freeman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 i am not a big fan of tom cruise, so there is no way i could see him playing that part. I was like you, and then I saw "Tropic Thunder." Best Cruise you'll ever see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swnybillsfan Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I was like you, and then I saw "Tropic Thunder." Best Cruise you'll ever see. hands down, the best cruise has ever been, and quite possibly, will ever be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deranged Rhino Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Cruise is best known for his clenched jaw/heavy breathing/sprint toward the camera (a la The Firm)....not sure there was a sequence in Shawshank that fits that role. He has a group of writers that specifically write running scenes into scripts once he signed on because Cruise knows he looks great when he runs. That's not a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 He has a group of writers that specifically write running scenes into scripts once he signed on because Cruise knows he looks great when he runs. That's not a joke. Seriously?? I was just busting chops because my wife and I always say how he always has a sprint scene in every movie...there ya go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deranged Rhino Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 Seriously?? I was just busting chops because my wife and I always say how he always has a sprint scene in every movie...there ya go. 100% true and hilarious when you go back through his movies... most of the running scenes at least feel organic, but others, not so much. Knowing that little nugget completely changes the end of Jerry Maguire for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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