Roland Emmerich's "Stargate"—also known as "The Stargate" in another translation.
In the original timeline, "Stargate" premiered in 1994 and not only achieved considerable box office success but also inspired a long-running sci-fi franchise, similar to Paramount's "Star Trek." The concept of the 'Stargate' led to over a decade of related TV series and numerous sequel movies.
Simon had watched the original "Stargate" and some of the "Stargate" series. By his standards, the plot of "Stargate" wasn't particularly outstanding. Its key innovation was applying the concept of a wormhole in a cinematic setting, which was quite novel at the time.
As a sci-fi action film, the original "Stargate" had rather rudimentary action scenes, especially when compared to the later, more refined Hollywood blockbusters.
Simon chose Michael Bay to direct the remake to address these shortcomings.
Bay's signature style—characterized by explosive and visually spectacular action scenes—although often criticized, was undeniably captivating in popcorn films. The downfall of the later "Transformers" series was mainly due to weak plots and Bay's apparent fatigue with directing the same series repeatedly. Paramount's reluctance to change directors also contributed.
"In terms of character development, Colonel O'Neil should be a decisive and resolute military man, no doubt. But the portrayal of Dr. Jackson is rather vague," Simon noted, recalling James Spader's lackluster performance and the script's thin characterization of Dr. Jackson. "As the male lead, even more significant than O'Neil, I want his character to be more distinct. You could look at the portrayals of Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum in 'Jurassic Park' for inspiration."
"Jurassic Park," though a typical commercial film, successfully depicted two entirely different scholarly personalities in Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum's characters—one calm and methodical, the other witty and irreverent.
In comparison, James Spader's Dr. Jackson in "Stargate" came across more like a disheveled high school teacher rather than a distinguished archaeologist and linguist, reminiscent of his role in "Sex, Lies, and Videotape."
Ultimately, Spader was better suited for arthouse films.
Roland Emmerich, who had clearly given this some thought, suggested, "Simon, what if Jeff played Dr. Jackson?"
Simon immediately understood Emmerich's implication, his expression turning curious. "Are you planning to replicate Dr. Malcolm?"
Emmerich nodded but then shook his head. "There would, of course, be some changes."
However, casting Jeff Goldblum in "Stargate" would pose challenges for "Independence Day."
In "Independence Day," Goldblum's character Levinson heavily mirrored his "Jurassic Park" character Malcolm—similarly quirky and talented, possibly even similarly down-and-out.
Shaking his head, Simon dismissed Emmerich's idea. "If we go with Jeff, the romantic subplot will need significant adjustments, as he's older. Also, replicating 'Dr. Malcolm' feels too convenient. 'Jurassic Park' is still in theaters, and even by next year, audiences will likely notice. I believe Dr. Jackson, being a young prodigy, should embody a scholarly, somewhat naive demeanor, with a focus on his academic pursuits."
Michael Bay, usually the diligent listener, chimed in, "Simon, with two leads—one stern and the other dull—the film might come off as too serious. In traditional buddy movies, the main characters should have a stark contrast in personalities."
Simon nodded at Bay's observation. "That is a valid point. Let's adjust Colonel O'Neil's character to be more humorous."
Seeing both men deep in thought, Simon glanced at the time and said, "Let's leave it at that for now. You two can discuss further and come up with some revisions. We'll meet again to review them."
After agreeing on this, the three discussed more details about the film before Emmerich and Bay departed.
With the meeting concluded, Simon headed to another conference room in the office building.
A group of people awaited him there, including Robert Rehme, the current president of Paramount Pictures, among others involved in the "Mission: Impossible" series.
Apart from the already confirmed lead actor, Nicolas Cage, the project had been casting since the latter half of last year.
In the original "Mission: Impossible" films, at least the initial installments were Tom Cruise-centric. While the film started with the semblance of a team, Cruise's dominant personality and concerns about salary and screen time prevented any co-star from sharing the spotlight. It wasn't until later, when Cruise's draw waned, that the series began to emphasize other team members, introducing stars like Jeremy Renner and Henry Cavill to boost box office appeal.
This time, Simon aimed to establish a balanced team approach from the outset, recognizing that Nicolas Cage, compared to Tom Hanks, lacked significant box office draw.
However, team members wouldn't be fixed to avoid issues with sequel salaries. Still, certain roles like Luther, the computer whiz played by Ving Rhames, and a comic relief character akin to Simon Pegg's Benji, would be permanent from the start.
The female lead would change for freshness, providing flexibility for the project.
In the original series, Tom Cruise's requirements kept female leads from overshadowing him, both in stature and prominence. Nicolas Cage had no such restrictions.
Thus, unlike the relatively unknown Emmanuelle Béart in the original first installment, Daenerys Entertainment planned to cast a leading actress.
Besides Nicolas Cage, the director was also confirmed. Since Brian De Palma was set to direct "Carlito's Way," and Simon doubted his suitability, they had selected Phillip Noyce, the Australian director who recently helmed "The Ring." Noyce's experience with blockbuster hits like "Patriot Games," "Clear and Present Danger," and "Salt" with Angelina Jolie in the original timeline demonstrated his capability.
Ving Rhames would reprise his role as Luther, a decision Simon endorsed after their collaboration in "Pulp Fiction."
Since Simon Pegg was still an unknown, the role of Benji would go to Dana Carvey, known for his comedic talents alongside Mike Myers in "Wayne's World." Carvey's comic skills, though not as strong as Myers, fit well within the scope of a big-budget film like "Mission: Impossible."
The role played by Jean Reno, Franz, would largely be cut this time.
Jean Reno, a prominent European actor, wouldn't want to remain a supporting role in a Hollywood film indefinitely. The original film's use of Reno and Béart likely aimed to appeal to the European market while keeping costs low.
Simon wasn't worried about this.
Hollywood films already had a strong international appeal and didn't need to cast local actors solely to gain market favor. Sometimes, forcing this could make a film seem disjointed.
The female lead was still under discussion.
Paramount and the creative team leaned towards Famke Janssen, who had left a strong impression with her performance in "Wonder Woman" last summer, establishing herself as a leading actress and action star.
However, Simon was hesitant.
In the original timeline, stars like Jeremy Renner and Henry Cavill joined "Mission: Impossible" because Renner wasn't central in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Warner couldn't limit Cavill's choices due to DC's struggles.
The DC Universe was different now.
For Daenerys Entertainment, the DC Universe took priority. Simon would not allow DC actors to take on similar roles in other films, potentially diluting the DC brand's impact.
In recent years, DC's actresses, like Valeria Golino's "Catwoman," had thrived outside superhero films with distinctly different roles, such as her sweet and demure character in last year's "Indecent Proposal," which starkly contrasted with her sultry Catwoman persona.
Simon wanted the "Mission: Impossible" female lead to have a strong personality, not just serve as eye candy. He wasn't worried about overshadowing Nicolas Cage; on the contrary, dynamic interactions between the leads would likely excite audiences more.
If Famke Janssen, recently acclaimed for "Wonder Woman," played another action heroine, her portrayal might unintentionally align too closely with Diana Prince, which Simon wanted to avoid.
In the meeting, they discussed "Mission: Impossible" for over half an hour, inevitably touching on the female lead.
Simon decided to be direct to avoid prolonged uncertainty. "Famke is out. Discuss other options. And definitely not Valeria; I don't want another Catwoman in the movie. Besides those, you can approach any top-tier actress. But remember, you have one month."
"Mission: Impossible" was scheduled to start filming in late February, with an estimated six to seven months for shooting and post-production. The release was slated for year-end.
If they couldn't cast the female lead by the start of filming, they'd have to cast as they went, a common practice in Hollywood. The female lead's role wasn't overly extensive in the first film anyway.
While action films typically favored actresses experienced in the genre, ensuring familiarity with both the physical demands and filming intricacies, Simon vetoed the most likely choices, leaving the team momentarily stumped.
Sidestepping this topic, they moved on to other discussions.
Busy until noon, they continued over a working lunch, with Simon accompanied by his assistant, Amy Pascal, and New World Pictures' head, Danny Morris.
In the dining room, after a brief discussion with Amy about Daenerys Entertainment's 1992 financial audit, Simon turned to Danny Morris, inquiring about the New World Pictures projects he was currently interested in.
Three scripts stood out.
One was a lowbrow comedy called "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective."
In the original timeline, "Ace Ventura
" preceded "Dumb and Dumber" and became Jim Carrey's breakout role.
The other two scripts were horror films: "The Haunting in Connecticut" and "The Conjuring."
As their titles suggest, these were horror movies.
In the original timeline, "The Haunting in Connecticut" and "The Conjuring" were not produced until the new millennium. Both stories were based on real events in the U.S., like "The Conjuring," which had been in development for 20 years before its 2013 release. "The Haunting in Connecticut" similarly drew from a real incident that had appeared in American newspapers over a decade earlier.
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