Brad Pitt has never faced rejection or experienced a studio’s wrath after a critical or commercial dud ever since his big debut in Ridley Scott’s 1991 Oscar-winning film, Thelma & Louise. The actor has only ever climbed the ladder of acclaim and success with films that have time and again redefined the box office with their enduring legacy and audience response.
Brad Pitt in Mr. and Mrs. Smith [Credit: Warner Bros.]
With films like Fight Club, Troy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ocean’s trilogy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pitt has made himself a stalwart of the movie industry with a keen eye for projects that are sure to pull crowds into theaters.
However, early on in his career, the Oscar-winning star stumbled upon a great project that will forever make him regret the lost opportunity.
Brad Pitt rejected an iconic Christopher Nolan film
Memento [Credit: Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment]
It’s not every day that Christopher Nolan comes knocking at your door with a movie script tailored to perfection. It is rarer still to have him write a character with a specific actor in mind and offer the part to said actor. Only a handful of Hollywood stars have been fortunate enough to shine as the lead in a Nolan film. However, Brad Pitt dropped the ball when the script of Memento crossed his desk.
At the time, the writer-director was a mere speck in Hollywood’s ever-extending radar in search of fresh and new talents. His career was comprised of a little student film and a couple of indie features that never had the commercial reach of a blockbuster film. It was only understandable that Brad Pitt, a certified A-lister, would think twice before agreeing to star in an obscure director’s arthouse project.
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Speaking about Pitt’s involvement, Nolan recalled during an appearance at the 2014 Slamdance Festival (via Yahoo!):
Truthfully [Brad Pitt] did read the script. I mean that’s where the story comes from, is he read the script and he met with me about it when he didn’t have any reason to know who I was or anything about it. And nothing came of it. [His involvement] just sort of perked up a bit of interest in what was a very obscure project, otherwise. He sort of got the ball rolling.It was a very nice thing that he liked it.
Brad Pitt has never since found the opportunity to work on a Christopher Nolan film, although his career still has the potential of a future collaboration.
Memento established Christopher Nolan in Hollywood
Memento [Credit: Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment]
There is always one movie in every actor and director’s career that turns them into a globally renowned celebrity almost overnight. For Brad Pitt, that movie was Thelma & Louise; for Christopher Nolan, it was Memento. The non-linear film made at the turn of the century was so radically original and unprecedented that it turned Nolan into a hot property in Hollywood instantly.
Starring Guy Pearce in the lead, Memento follows an amnesiac man out for revenge after a grave tragedy leaves him widowed. Based on the short story, Memento Mori, the film was the product of a collaboration between Christopher Nolan and his brother, Jonathan Nolan who wrote the script and handed it over to his director sibling.
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Today, Nolan is one of the most in-demand and sought-after working directors in Hollywood with an Oscar to his name and billions in box office revenue. His next project is a star-studded adaptation of the Greek epic, The Odyssey.
Memento is currently streaming on Prime Video.
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