Sandra Bullock and Invoice Pullman made film magic with Whereas You Have been Sleeping — however the iconic rom-com virtually fell aside utterly.
Through the Wednesday, February 15, episode of the “Hollywood Gold” podcast, one of many movie’s producers, Jonathan Glickman, revealed that Pullman, 70, initially wished to give up the 1995 movie after the primary read-through was a complete bust.
Glickman known as the desk learn, which happened in Chicago simply weeks earlier than manufacturing started, one of many “worst” of “all time,” noting that the script “tanked” when the actors learn it aloud within the room.
“Nothing bought fun, The vitality was useless,” he mentioned. “We had these unbelievable skilled actors there, actual professionals — it was painful. And we knew it didn’t work.”
On the time, the script had gone by way of a number of revisions, however nonetheless wasn’t “working,” Glickman claimed. “The script was sort of a cut-and-paste of the stuff that the unique guys had written and the brand new individual had written,” he defined. “After which [the director] Jon [Turteltaub], I believe, did form of a polish to make it make sense.”
Whereas You Have been Sleeping follows lonely transit employee Lucy (Bullock) after she saves her longtime crush, Peter (Peter Gallagher), from the trail of an oncoming prepare. When he falls right into a coma, and Lucy lets his household imagine she’s his fiancée, issues start to get difficult as she falls for his brother, Jack (Pullman).
In accordance with Glickman, Pullman and Gallagher, 68, approached him with the concept of switching roles as a possible approach to repair the film. Glickman mentioned Pullman even informed him he wished to give up the movie completely – however his workforce wouldn’t let him.
“Invoice Pullman mentioned — he had simply give up a film that he was making earlier than — mentioned his agent mentioned he wasn’t allowed to give up one other film,” he mentioned, “in any other case he would give up this film.”
Fortunately, unique writers Daniel G Sullivan and Fredric Lebow hopped again on board to punch the script up for its theatrical launch, crafting the memorable story followers nonetheless love right now. The movie went on to make $182 million on the international field workplace towards an estimated $17m finances and earned Bullock a Golden Globe nomination for Finest Actress – Movement Image Comedy or Musical.
Pullman’s doubts, nevertheless, weren’t the primary casting points the film confronted. After Disney’s Hollywood Photos acquired the script in 1994, it struggled to search out actors. Meg Ryan was one of many first to show down the position, as Lucy was initially meant to be the one who falls right into a coma.