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Now and then rare films often breathe life into the mundane genre of movies and dig out a bold and unexpected direction. Clint Eastwood’sUnforgivenis one such movie that not only broke the Western stereotype but also reinvented the genre. However, surprisingly, Eastwood almost lost his chance to serve up a slice of his reality, toThe Godfatherdirector.
Although Clint Eastwood’s direction and performance enhance the experience of watchingUnforgiven, the director initially lost the script to Francis Ford Coppola. Sold off to theApocalypse Nowdirector, the script later made its way to Eastwood, somewhere in the early eighties. However, the Oscar-winning director waited a decade to dive into the project.
Also read:“His family was more important than his work”: Clint Eastwood Had to Convince Gene Hackman for His Violent $159M Movie That He Turned Down to Make His Daughters Happy
Clint Eastwood Almost LostUnforgivenTo Another Director
Clint Eastwood’sUnforgivenis one of those movies that truly inspires screenwriters and filmmakers around the world. Known for changing the landscape of Western movies, the film is hailed by critics and audiences, through generations. However, universally recognized as a masterpiece, the project almost went out of Eastwood’s hands.
Apparently, the script for Eastwood’sUnforgivenwas written way back in 1976. Later on, it was sold off to directorFrancis Ford CoppolaofThe Godfather. Given his fame and penchant for unique projects, the script was initially went to Coppola. That’s when Clint Eastwood nearly missed out on his opportunity to direct his masterpiece.
However, sometime in the early to mid-1980s, Francis Ford Coppola passed on making the film as he failed to raise the money to develop the movie. That’s when Eastwood purchased the script to turn it into his groundbreaking masterpiece. But despite acquiring the screenplay, Clint Eastwood followed Coppola’s footprints and didn’t immediately turn it into a movie.
Also read:
Clint Eastwood Waited A Decade To MakeUnforgiven
Getting hold of hisUnforgivenscript, Clint Eastwood waited long enough to have a grip on the storyline. Sitting on the project for nearly a decade, Eastwood finally started working, despite being told that the story was complete trash. Well, although Unforgiven is widely regarded as one of the best movies of all time, it was initially predicted to be a flop when Eastwood started working.
“A lot of people said, ‘Hey, you’re supposed to be a cowboy actor.’ But I want to mix it up.”Clint Eastwoodbegan explaining what he went through when he purchased the script. Thus, he decided to wait for a while and let the criticism subside. Thereafter, Eastwood started his journey of directingUnforgivenafter ten years of purchasing the script from Francis Ford Coppola.
“I guess that’s why when I got [the script for] “Unforgiven” in the early ’80s I put it in a drawer for 10 years, I’d done a bunch of Westerns, I thought I should do some other things first. Then 10 years later I picked it up and re-read it and it felt fresh.”
Eventually, Clint Eastwood redefined the Western film by breaking down conventions and influencing a new wave of the genre in the nineties, withUnforgiven. The movie later made its way to the silver screen in 1992 and earned a staggering $159M at the box office. The movie garnered positive reviews and even achieved a 96% RT rating. Not just that, the movie even went to the Oscars and won its way to the top.
WatchUnforgivenon Amazon Video.
Read more:“I think you’re above this”: Unlike Clint Eastwood, Jean-Claude Van Damme Had to Eat Humble Pie for Turning Down Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables
Source:NJ.com
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3218
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
