» News
Denzel Washington Departs “Unstoppable”
This November production was to begin on the new Denzel Washington film “Unstoppable” which was to be directed by Tony Scott (the two have collaborated many times before on projects like Crimson Tide, Deja Vu, Man on Fire and most recently on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3). The film was also set to co-star Chris Pine (the new Captain James T. Kirk).
However, a few weeks ago production was stopped just before it started due to budget concerns. The studio wanted to rework the budget to get it considerably smaller (can’t blame them considering the economics of our times and the fact that Scott and Washington just basically bombed with “The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3″.
Well, word has now come out that Denzel Washington has walked off the project all together. There are reports that Fox asked Washington to take a pay cut for the movie… his answer was clearly not positive.
So where does this leave the project? My money says it ain’t gonna happen at all.
“Unstoppable” was to revolve around a high speed runaway train filled with toxic chemicals speeding out of control and an engineer who is trying to stop it before disaster strikes.
Depending on schedules plus salaries, Chris Pine could easily co-star with Chris Noth; they are both good in the play FARRAGUT NORTH currently at Geffen Playhouse in L.A.
Washington shouldn’t need to take a paycut. He’s a proven star that can carry an audience.
But is he a box office draw? Is he worth the money? People didn’t turn out to see his last couple of movies… so is he worth it?
Many actors, “proven stars” have taken paycuts for films in recent years for a number of reasons.
I have to agree with John here. Washingston is a star but not a superstar. He’ll give your film some credibility but that guarantee that it’ll make over $100 million during the summer? Nope.
I don’t understand these celebrities. “Hey, would you take 15 million dollars instead of 20 million this time around?”
“What?! Fuck that! I quit!”
That’s kind of a shitty thing to do. I’m surprised at Denzel.
Just cause their a good actor does not mean their a good person and the premise of the movie sounds really lame. Sounds like a Steven Sagal Movie Under Siege 2 except were replacing Segal for Washington.
Before we start taking sides, it would be nice to know the whole story. His walking out may have been just as much about Fox cutting the production budget as it was about his paycheck. It could be that he felt the movie couldn’t be made properly with the reduced budget the studio proposed.
very dissapointing to hear. i am a huge Tony Scott fan and find him and Denzel to be a good team. hope it still gets made.
I’m glad he walked away b/c the movie, as described, doesn’t sound too appealing to me. Doesn’t Denzel have a movie out RIGHT NOW about a train? He should diversify; go make a movie about a Segway or something really sexy, like a PowerWheel.
Good. That synopsis sounds tired. I feel like I’ve already seen the movie on TNT.
I wouldn’t consider Taking of Pelham 123 a bomb. It has made $61M so far and cost $100. It will go on to make a few more Mil. plus whatever it makes overseas. Then the DVD will come out in a few months and it will make another $10M at least. Don’t get me wrong its definitely not a hit but certainly not a bomb either.
By the description of Unstoppable it is a good thing if that movie doesn’t get made or it is a good thing that Denzel is not in it. Another train movie is definitely something he should avoid.
Hey Sahil,
Oh it’s a bomb. Don’t forget, of that $100+ million, that doesn’t count how much it cost them for marketing (probably another 30-50 million, plus of that $61 million it made at the box office, probably about $25 million of it stays with the theaters.
Basically speaking, it needs to make around $175 million to break even… and it’s not going to do that.
@ John-
Everybody has a film in their portfolio that they wish did better monetarily. Denzel is a proven star who has been carrying audiences through film for decades. If at times his movies dont make back their production budget through their theatrical run (which they usually do) they may when the film hits the home market and people who held off from the theater pick up the DVD or BluRay.
My point being is that Denzel should not be singled out. I honestly didnt see the film because of John Travolta. I expected him to portray the same bad guy he’s been portraying since Face/Off and didnt want to see him interacting with Denzel in this particular storyline.
And Denzel is resiliant for making a blockbuster film with a smaller budget. How much money did American Gangster make worldwide?
I never knew what the plot was until now (that you explain it) It sounds close enough to Taking of Pelham 123 to me!… He should of stayed away from the start
Kind of sounds like “Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 2: The Soich For Mooooore Trains”
But the movie is called Unstoppable en still Washington stop making a movie that cant be stopped, that doesnt make any sense.