Current Events > Bradley Cooper almost quit The Place Beyond the Pines after rewrite *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

Derek Cianfrance, director and co-writer of The Place Beyond the Pines, told IndieWire at the New Directors/New Films festival that Bradley Cooper almost bowed out of the production after receiving a rewritten script.

Just before principle photography began, Cianfrance brought in screenwriter Darius Marder to rewrite every word of The Place Beyond the Pines. Cooper was not pleased with the changes to his character, a police officer who kills off a compassionate thief (Ryan Gosling) at the films halfway mark.

I had given [Marder] the script and he had a lot of notes for it, and I kind of agreed with a lot of what he was saying. And so we rewrote every word from 10 weeks to six weeks, Cianfrance explained. I remember giving Bradley Cooper the copy of The Place Beyond the Pines, the new script, and getting a voice message from him saying, Bro, I just want to let you know I read the new draft and Im out.

Coopers frustration arose because, according to Cianfrance, this was not the movie that we had signed up to do.

I was moving my family up to Schenectady the next day, and the whole crew was coming up there. I had all the money anyway, Cianfrance added. I was like, Can I come talk to you? So I went up to Montreal, and I had a long conversation with him from midnight to 3:30 in the morning where I got him back on. It was only in the last five minutes [he was convinced]. I think he just got tired. He wanted to go to bed.

Cianfrances other credits include I Know This Much Is True, The Light Between Oceans and Blue Valentine. He is currently producing Exhibiting Forgiveness as part of the New Directors/New Films program.

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/bradley-cooper-nearly-quit-the-place-beyond-the-pines-derek-cianfrance-1235962992/

Ok

thanks for sharing

I havent thought about this movie since I watched it 4 million years ago

just saw the article recommended, and it made me wonder how the original script looked.

so did he not want to learn new lines?

because I feel like a director/writer and screenwriter combo would probably make better writing choices than an actor.

thronedfire2 posted...

so did he not want to learn new lines?

because I feel like a director/writer and screenwriter combo would probably make better writing choices than an actor.

It can be pretty fucking annoying to hand an actor a whole new script, after they already figured out how their character works. Especially if the changes are drastic.

Like "we're rewriting your character from being the hero's wise mentor into a bumbling sidekick"
Maybe Cooper's example wasn't quite so extreme, but still.

Actors also tend to have a pretty big influence on the final product. They ARE the ones on screen after all.

Another good example is TESB "I love you" "I know" exchange, which was originally written as "I love you" "I love you too"

Ford kinda flubbed the line, but it was appropriate for Han's character so they kept it as-is.

HylianFox posted...

Actors also tend to have a pretty big influence on the final product. They ARE the ones on screen after all.

Another good example is TESB "I love you" "I know" exchange, which was originally written as "I love you" "I love you too"

Ford kinda flubbed the line, but it was appropriate for Han's character so they kept it as-is.

that's..50 years ago. It cost more to edit movies back then

most of the actors that actually have influence these days are also EPs, and that's why they have influence.