Casting without a completed script

I

IslandFilmmaker

Member
I recently read that a few Hollywood films began casting roles for major motion pictures without them even having completed the script. How is that possible?
 
Well, when you say "major" motion pictures you're talking about a different animal. If a producer can put together a writer, director and several A-list actors, all with track records, that represents money in the bank. The completed script is secondary to that. Figure an accomplished writer (J.J. Abrams for instance) can put together the main elements of a story without having completed the actual script. He knows who the actors are that should/could play the roles and producers and agents put together agreements among the main players. Having those pieces in place is enough to get a green light for a project that's still in the writing stage. The reputations of the primary players help advance the film.

I just read about how the new Liam Neeson film was sold to distributers before filming started. In fact, they're still in pre-production. Go figure. :^)
 
Last edited:
Ha, Ha, Ha... a script?... Most Hollywood product is so formalized I would think that a script is one of the last things required after "Packaging" a cast, a producer and a director. I think about the scene in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" where Johnny Depp goes to see the producer about doing the Christine Jorgensen story and he asks, "...Do you have a script?..." and the producer responded,"...No, but I have a poster!..." I think a lot of Hollywood fare is conceived in much the same way. I also think that this accounts for the quality of a lot of the Hollywood fare.
 
Depends on what you mean by "completed script". Often times they have a character almost completely locked in, and start casting, but other details of the script can still change. Honestly I view a script as a very fluid object. You shouldn't set it in stone so much that you are unable or unwilling to adjust things as they come. For instance, adjusting dialogue or even entire scenes once you get into the rehearsal process.

Also, in Hollywood a lot of times a film has a broad idea, and only after it's cast are the characters tailored to the specific actors.
 
Hollywood filmmaking is very different than independent filmmaking. Casting before the script is even done is pretty much never good for the outcome of the film, but can be quite helpful in getting the financing. The scenario might play out like this: a producer with a relationship with an A-list director, say, Kathryn Bigelow, options the rights to someone's life story. So the producer calls Tom Hanks' agent, says "I'm gonna do a picture, guaranteed Oscar material for the lead, it's about a guy who fights the sex slave trade in northern Africa. Kathryn Bigelow is directing. I'm paying $10 mil. Does Tom want it? If not, I'm going to Leonardo." Agent looks at a cool $1 million commission check, and says "yes, Tom wants it." So the producer then calls the bank and says "I've got Tom Hanks committed on a Kathryn Bigelow picture. We need $100 million." Bank looks at it and says "Yes, we're in." Producer then calls an A-list writer and says "I need a script for such-and-such's life story, you've got six months. Go."

I'm not saying they all play out like that, but -- if you're asking how it's possible that major roles get cast before a script is done, that's one scenario.
 
I'm sure Barry's right on this, while admitting that I'm no expert on the matter. It's an alternative way to secure the massive funding required in advance for the project. On a much smaller scale, this is how our old DVXuser pal Adam Cultraro got "Corrado" (aka "Bad Ass") and "Hangar 14" (aka "Tactical Force") made. As it happens he did have finished scripts in both cases (his own), but those had little to do with the success of the dealmaking as I recall. It was the attached name actor first, sellable genre (action) second, and bank commitment third (which was the triggered by items 1 and 2, as well as a prodco's interest, likewise stimulated by those things, being in place). That recipe opened all necessary doors...

It's almost a trick, it seems...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top