Brad Pitt’s Career Took a Major Hit after Rejecting Matt Damon Movie That Spawned $1.6B Franchise for a Spy Movie With Captain America Star
Brad Pitt has given many hits in his decades-long career as an actor. From Seven to 12 Years a Slave and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he has won millions of hearts and several accolades with his performances.
In a career as long as Pitt’s there are bound to be some hits and misses. Pitt lost perhaps the greatest opportunity of his career when he denied the blockbuster that was The Bourne Identity. The project eventually went to Matt Damon. And Pitt lost what could have been a career-defining role for him.
Why did Brad Pitt Reject The Bourne Identity?
A-listers are probably the people with the busiest schedules on the planet. From shooting multiple projects, and maintaining flawless appearances to brand deals and business ventures, there’s a lot to do when one is a well-desirable celebrity.
But as they say, you can’t have it all. Doing one particular thing often causes the stars to miss out on certain things. That’s what happened when Brad Pitt was offered The Bourne Identity.
The Academy Award winner denied the now beloved role of Jason Browne, which went to Matt Damon. This was a losing choice on Pitt’s Part. The Bourne Identity was a raging success and became a full-blown franchise over the years, garnering $1.6 Billion.
Now, the obvious question: What caused Pitt to miss out on this opportunity? The answer to that is as simple as prior commitments. The Fight Club actor had already promised his
invaluable time to a film called Spy Game. A clash in the schedule left Pitt with a choice. And as it turns out, he probably could have made a better choice.
Brad Pitt Wanted to Play Jason Bourne
In the early 2000s, the Jason Bourne movie was a highly anticipated one and did exceptionally well on the silver screen. As reports from back then suggest, Pitt received the offer to play the iconic character and was more than willing to take it. But he couldn’t due to schedule conflicts. Pitt was set to shoot Tony Scott’s action-thriller Spy Game around the same time.
Spy Game, where Pitt played the role of a CIA agent performed well as well. Pitt starred alongside Robert Redford, who is known for his role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Spy Game earned $62 million in the United States and secured $143 million at the global box office.
The Bourne Identity clearly had a more lasting impact than Spy Game. But as they say, everyone has their own journey. Pitt did became the biggest star in the business eventually. And Damon proved his talent to be unparalleled with time as well.
Source: The Things
