Gus Van Sant’s Will Hunting was one of the most defining films of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s respective careers, thanks in part to an Oscar-winning performance by the late Robin Williams. But it wasn’t an easy journey…
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Friends for several decades, the duo also have a prolific artistic partnership. If over the years they come together for different projects, their biggest triumph remains high recognition Will Hunting (1997), for which they co-wrote the screenplay that won them a Golden Statue.
this scenario Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote it mainly with the idea of playing lead roles to advance their careers. However, they knew that their names would not be enough to convince the studios. For his important role as a therapist, Dr. Sean Maguire, who tries to give Will Hunting a better life (Matt Damon), a very talented young 20-year-old from an unstable background who repeatedly runs afoul of the law, it was necessary to find an actor famous enough to act as an argument…
Like Tarantino
To convince the studios, the two friends come up with an idea directly inspired by Quentin Tarantino. Matt Damon During an interview with GQ last year.
“Ben and I wrote because we wanted to act in it. At the time there was a very popular movie that we all loved, Reservoir Dogs. The story we heard was that because Harvey Keitel had signed on to the film, Quentin got half a million dollars. It was his budget and he could make the film. So we wrote this role that Robin ended up playing, but we called it “Harvey Keitel’s role.”“
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Thus, the two young actor-writers imitated Tarantino and originally wrote the role for Harvey Keitel. “So we wrote this part that ended up being played by Robin – we called it the Harvey Keitel part – we were looking for an actor that we could make money with because Ben and I wanted to be in a movie and we knew we were worthless. So we had to find someone.“
Even if they had Harvey Keitel Keeping in mind, the duo was ready to rewrite the role if necessary in case of hiring another star.
“We wrote it really openly. But we also knew we could adapt it if Morgan Freeman or someone like Denzel Washington wanted to play it. We could create this character from Roxbury and explore historical racial tensions in Boston.“
And if Meryl Streep was interested, they had an idea! “If Meryl Streep played the role, instead of a father-son relationship, it would be a mother-daughter relationship. We really left the door open because we wanted to cover as many options as possible because we were trying to make a movie.“
Robin Williams? Thank you Francis Ford Coppola
But how Robin Williams Is it finally up and running? A turning point in the casting of Dr. Sean Maguire came when Francis Ford Coppola, who created The Idealist. Matt Damonoffered a role Robin Williams, with whom they recently filmed the comedy Jack. “When he read the script and loved it, the only question he asked Coppola was: Who are these guys?“
Thus, the star of Jumanji and Dead Poets Circle made sure of the quality of the script and the rest is history. Will Hunting Not only was it critically acclaimed, but it was also a public success, grossing over $225 million at the box office against a $10 million budget. and since then Matt Damon and Ben Affleck They are also worth millions.
Will Hunting can be rediscovered streaming on Netflix and Paramount+.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
