News 02/14/08 - Eminem Almost Had Hayden Christensen's Role In 'Jumper'

reeuQ A sI emyaG · 02-14-2008, 07:21 PM

This weekend, millions of moviegoers will pay to see a science-fiction flick about teleportation, destiny and unlimited opportunity. Few, however, will realize how close they came to seeing what could have been a very different film — had Eminem not jumped out of "Jumper."

"We did have a meeting," writer/director Doug Liman confirmed this week, confessing that surly hip-hop superstar Marshall Mathers was once in talks for the starring role. "We did have conversations with Eminem."

It was early 2006, just a few months after "The Bourne Identity" director Liman had been hired to adapt Steven Gould's sci-fi novel of the same name. Despite huge obstacles, Eminem had made a smash debut with 2002's "8 Mile" and was fielding offers to take on his first non-autobiographical role. The "Jumper" script caught his eye, and he and Liman began discussing plans to bring the real Slim Shady back to the big screen.

"The thing is that you're like, 'Oh my God, what would that movie have been like?' " the director said. "But you've got to understand that Nicole Kidman was originally cast as the lead in [the Liman-directed] 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' and Brad Pitt was originally the lead in 'Bourne Identity.' "

In April 2006, Liman cast English actor Tom Sturridge ("Vanity Fair") in the lead role, but was being pressured to replace him with a more bankable star. Suddenly, with the part of teleporting hunk David Rice in the air, he met with up-and-coming "Star Wars" actor Hayden Christensen, as well as the "8 Mile" star.

"[The idea to meet with the rapper] was sort of coming from the producer and [Eminem's] manager," remembered the director, who made his own breakthrough with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau in the 1996 classic "Swingers." For a brief time, after meeting with the chart-topping rapper, Liman considered the notion. "If I've proven anything to myself, it's that I can tailor a role to an actor. ... [I could] develop the role with [someone like Eminem] and make it extremely specific to them," he said of his thoughts at the time. "So as long as the person has acting chops, I'm open to talking to almost anybody for almost any role."

When the director considered Christensen more seriously, however, the Eminem flirtation vanished as quickly as David Rice jumping between Egypt and New York. "At that point, I had already met Hayden and had fallen in love with Hayden," he recalled. "It was one of those things where the studio, with all things being equal, would rather put a bigger name in the movie [and wanted Eminem]. At some point, I just put my foot down and said, 'I love Hayden.' "

So now, six years after Eminem earned an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance, he still hasn't made his follow-up flick. And while Liman hopes to see the hip-hop star in a movie again soon, the director is happy with the way "Jumper" turned out. "I'm always willing to consider other people the studio may want to put in front of me before we commit to the movie," he explained. "But I already had the person I was in love with."

dbone609style · 02-14-2008, 07:33 PM

props on this...that would have been a dumb role for him to play

DiabloStakz · 02-14-2008, 07:43 PM

LOL, what else would u offer that Faggot? Games Role in Street Kings? lol...Keanu Reeves would Knock that Fat idiot out, and the chick in the movie too...

My sister would Kick Eminems ass, he aint shit....

illmaticone · 02-14-2008, 07:46 PM

LOL @ this news...Eminem? u gotta be kidding me lol

Kiddjiss · 02-14-2008, 08:03 PM

omg @ Game lovers... get off his dick

02-14-2008, 07:21 PM	#1
reeuQ A sI emyaG Banned Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MUTHA FUCKA IM AS BIG AS BEING BIG GETS! Posts: 1,376 Repped: 161 Repped 4,114 Times in 495 Posts Neg Reps: 52 Neg Repped at 108 Times in 47 Posts	02/14/08 - Eminem Almost Had Hayden Christensen's Role In 'Jumper' 02/14/08 - Eminem Almost Had Hayden Christensen's Role In 'Jumper' This weekend, millions of moviegoers will pay to see a science-fiction flick about teleportation, destiny and unlimited opportunity. Few, however, will realize how close they came to seeing what could have been a very different film — had Eminem not jumped out of "Jumper." "We did have a meeting," writer/director Doug Liman confirmed this week, confessing that surly hip-hop superstar Marshall Mathers was once in talks for the starring role. "We did have conversations with Eminem." It was early 2006, just a few months after "The Bourne Identity" director Liman had been hired to adapt Steven Gould's sci-fi novel of the same name. Despite huge obstacles, Eminem had made a smash debut with 2002's "8 Mile" and was fielding offers to take on his first non-autobiographical role. The "Jumper" script caught his eye, and he and Liman began discussing plans to bring the real Slim Shady back to the big screen. "The thing is that you're like, 'Oh my God, what would that movie have been like?' " the director said. "But you've got to understand that Nicole Kidman was originally cast as the lead in [the Liman-directed] 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' and Brad Pitt was originally the lead in 'Bourne Identity.' " In April 2006, Liman cast English actor Tom Sturridge ("Vanity Fair") in the lead role, but was being pressured to replace him with a more bankable star. Suddenly, with the part of teleporting hunk David Rice in the air, he met with up-and-coming "Star Wars" actor Hayden Christensen, as well as the "8 Mile" star. "[The idea to meet with the rapper] was sort of coming from the producer and [Eminem's] manager," remembered the director, who made his own breakthrough with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau in the 1996 classic "Swingers." For a brief time, after meeting with the chart-topping rapper, Liman considered the notion. "If I've proven anything to myself, it's that I can tailor a role to an actor. ... [I could] develop the role with [someone like Eminem] and make it extremely specific to them," he said of his thoughts at the time. "So as long as the person has acting chops, I'm open to talking to almost anybody for almost any role." When the director considered Christensen more seriously, however, the Eminem flirtation vanished as quickly as David Rice jumping between Egypt and New York. "At that point, I had already met Hayden and had fallen in love with Hayden," he recalled. "It was one of those things where the studio, with all things being equal, would rather put a bigger name in the movie [and wanted Eminem]. At some point, I just put my foot down and said, 'I love Hayden.' " So now, six years after Eminem earned an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance, he still hasn't made his follow-up flick. And while Liman hopes to see the hip-hop star in a movie again soon, the director is happy with the way "Jumper" turned out. "I'm always willing to consider other people the studio may want to put in front of me before we commit to the movie," he explained. "But I already had the person I was in love with."

02-14-2008, 07:43 PM	#3
DiabloStakz Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: New York Posts: 76 Repped: 0 Repped 2 Times in 2 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	LOL, what else would u offer that Faggot? Games Role in Street Kings? lol...Keanu Reeves would Knock that Fat idiot out, and the chick in the movie too... My sister would Kick Eminems ass, he aint shit.... __________________ kanye: 3002475 50: 2330600 bkj11 = 8228 chat box posts!!!! GO!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

02-14-2008, 07:33 PM	#2
dbone609style EnEff Squad Up Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: ACity/EnEff 609 Posts: 1,383 Repped: 267 Repped 74 Times in 54 Posts Neg Reps: 113 Neg Repped at 29 Times in 24 Posts	props on this...that would have been a dumb role for him to play

02-14-2008, 07:46 PM	#4
illmaticone Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 51 Repped: 6 Repped 0 Times in 0 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	LOL @ this news...Eminem? u gotta be kidding me lol

02-14-2008, 08:03 PM	#5
Kiddjiss Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Q_city Posts: 2,926 Repped: 435 Repped 2,665 Times in 293 Posts Neg Reps: 0 Neg Repped at 0 Times in 0 Posts	omg @ Game lovers... get off his dick