James McAvoy Says Joaquin Phoenix Dropped Out of Split Shortly Before Filming

Despite being one of the most memorable roles of his career, James McAvoywho also starred in productions such as X-Men: First Class (2011) and The Wanted (2008), Fragmented (2016) was almost starred by Joaquin Phoenixwho dropped out of the project about two weeks before filming began, according to McAvoy.

In an interview with the podcast Happy Sad Confusedthe presenter Josh Horowitz remembered when Phoenix was attached to the film, directed by M. Night Shyamalanin the role of Kevina disturbed man suffering from dissociative identity disorder.

“I’m confident enough to think I’ll do better [do que ele]. He’s an incredible actor. I think he would have given a very different performance than I did, but I think he would have given an incredible performance,” said the 45-year-old artist.

Right away, James McAvoy explained how “sometimes arriving at the last minute is the best way.” This rush left the actor in a rush to prepare for the role: “I think he dropped out two weeks before they started shooting. It was really last minute.”

More about Fragmented

Released on March 17, 2017 in Brazilian cinemas, Fragmented grossed $278.4 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of $9 million. The film, a sequel to Closed Body (2000), is part of a trilogy, ending with Glass (2019).

The cast included names such as James McAvoy (Kevin Wendell Crumb, Jade, Dennisetc.), M. Night Shyamalan (Jai), Anya Taylor-Joy (Casey Cooke), Jessica Sula (Marcia), Haley Lu Richardson (Claire Benoit), Betty Buckley (Dr. Karen Fletcher), Bruce Willis (David Dunn), Izzie Coffey (Casey Cooke), among others. Read the synopsis and watch the trailer below:

Kevin has 23 distinct personalities and can chemically switch between them in his body with just the power of thought. One day, he kidnaps three teenage girls he finds in a parking lot. Living in captivity, they get to know the different facets of Kevin and they need to find some way to escape.