Britney Spears Almost Became One of the Biggest Stars in Hollywood By Playing the Romantic Partner of Tom Cruise in $115.6 Million Movie
The movie The Notebook is one of the popular romantic dramas that came out in 2004. Even though it is loved and appreciated by people, it debut in theatres with a dud. The director settled on Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as leads, many Hollywood celebrities were previously offered the movie.
Many celebrities have previously declined movies like Sandra Bullock declining The Matrix, Eddie Murphy almost taking the lead in The Grinch, and Amanda Seyfried declining the MCU.
The Notebook came out with Gosling and McAdams as the film’s love interests two major celebrities almost cashed in for the role. Since the director of the movie changed, the cast also went through a change.
Tom Cruise and Britney Spears were cast in The Notebook as leads
The Notebook by author Nicholas Sparks debuted on bookstore shelves in October 1996. It not only topped The New York Times Best Seller list during its debut week, but it also continued to be a bestseller over the next year. New Line Cinema bought up the film rights to the novel within the same year. Many directors were considered for making the film, and which script was written, revised, and then rewritten. Some big names like Jim Sheridan, Martin Campbell, and Steven Spielberg were poised to direct. Although, they turned down the offer due to their commitments to other projects.
It was Spielberg who picked Tom Cruise as the lead. It’s crazy to imagine the now 60-year-old star as Noah. Although a Cruise from the 1980s would have been more fitting, he was young enough in the 1990s to have pulled this off because he was a lot younger guy in 1996.
When Nick Cassavetes took the mantle as director, he had his choices in front of the camera, and he went with Ryan Gosling. On the other hand, the role of Allie was almost given to Britney Spears. The singer was one of the leading candidates before Rachel McAdams landed the role. Despite the singer’s limited expertise on the big screen, the film could have benefited greatly from her name alone. Unfortunately, it was not to be, and McAdams was soon found.
The Notebook received a fair deal at the box office
Adapted from the novel written by Nicholas Sparks, the movie directed by Nick Cassavetes starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as the film’s main love interests. The film didn’t make the candidate list of awards. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics have only given the movie a 53% approval rating. Audiences, who adored what the film did with the source material, gave it an 85% rating.
While it was not appreciated by the critics, the movie managed to earn more than $100 million at global box offices. It was profitable for the studio given its modest budget, and it continues to this day to leave a lasting impression. It was a success due to its years of work by getting the right cast and placing all the elements in order.
The Notebook is available to stream on Netflix.
