As we've seen in the past, even a star-studded cast doesn't always get things done at the box office. That was the case for this 2012 film, 'Killing Them Softly'. The film was a decent one in terms of reviews but at the box office, it was a major failure, bringing in its budget.
We'll take a look at the numbers, along with highlighting some of the issues that took place behind the scenes. As it turns out, James Gandolfini wasn't crazy about working the Harvey Weinstein flick from the start and at the end of it, things would almost end in a battle of fists between the iconic actor and the now-disgraced filmmaker.
As for Brad Pitt, he was urged by a certain love one not to work the film alongside Harvey but ultimately, the script and director swayed him the other way.
The Film Tanked At The Box Office
Judging by the cast, the film should've been a slam dunk back in 2012. The film was directed by Andrew Dominik and it featured the likes of James Gandolfini, Brad Pitt, and Ray Liotta.
At the box office, the film was a major disappointment, bringing in $37 million, which was equivalent to the budget.
Reviews weren't bad but they weren't great either, with several fans making mention that the movie was too heavy on the political side of things.
Turns out, behind the scenes, things weren't so optimistic either. Brad Pitt was told by a certain loved one at the time not to do the movie - though when he read the script, the actor instantly fell in love.
As for James, he had turned the role initially, in order to avoid being typecast in the same role again. However, ultimately, he decided to do the film, and given the way things played out alongside Harvey Weinstein, the late legend might regret his involvement in the film.
Brad Pitt Was Told Not To Do The Film
He took a look at the script and 30 minutes later, Pitt was in. To his credit, he did a great job in the film. As he discussed alongside CNN, the plot was one that intrigued him from the start.
"This is a good friend of mine, the writer and director, Andrew Dominik, he’s from Australia, and his view of America was very interesting to me. His feeling in some way oppressed and that we get caught up in trying to sell the idea that the image is more important than the actual substance."
''This is what he was trying to tell with this story. He finds this book about a crime syndicate, and he makes these comparisons to – not politics, per se, or not just politics, but … the financial crisis itself, and it was a good subject matter."
It wasn't all positive for Brad, as Angelina Jolie recently admitted that she had urged Pitt to avoid the film, given that Weinstein was involved. The actress avoided films with the now-disgraced filmmaker given his behavior.
"I was asked to do 'The Aviator', but I said no because he was involved. I never associated or worked with him again. It was hard for me when Brad did," she said.
Jolie further stated that the two fought about the decision.
It wouldn't be the last time Pitt joined forces with Weinstein. Looking back at the way it all turned out, the A-list actor might have some regrets.
Gandolfini Almost Got Physical With Weinstein
Getting Gandolfini on board for the film was not easy. The iconic actor struggled to make a decision after he read the script.
"I have done it for 10 years," Gandolfini said. "I had no more tricks. I couldn't pull anything out of the hat for this kind of thing."
"He tortured me, tortured me, tortured me," Gandolfini said. "Then I started thinking, 'I've done a bunch of these guys and this is kind of the final nail in the coffin. This is where you are at the end.' So maybe if I played it that way in my mind, this is the last one, then it got interesting."
Although he was locked into the film, things didn't go over so well when it came time to promote the film. James has a rule, he does not like doing interviews and he has kept consistent with this throughout his career. However, in this case, Weinstein tried to force the actor onto David Letterman's late-night talk show. The ordeal almost ended with James getting physical with Weinstein for not understanding that no means no. Behind the scenes, things could've taken a turn for the worst and Harvey persisted.
