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[entremet]

In an alternate universe version of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Eddie Murphy, not Samuel L. Jackson, might have played Jules, the bible-spouting hit man. His partner-in-crime, Vincent Vega, might have been played by Gary Oldman, not John Travolta. And the role of Mia, played memorably by Uma Thurman in black bangs, could have been played by Debra Winger or perhaps Phoebe Cates.

Documents about the movie recently surfaced on Reddit, offering a fascinating glimpse into the early creative discussions for the hugely influential movie. In Tarantino’s wish list, which you can see above, he states that he wrote the roles of Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, the would-be Bonnie and Clyde of the family dining restaurant circuit, with Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer in mind. They, of course, were ultimately cast but Tarantino was willing to entertain Johnny Depp and Patricia Arquette. One wonders how Depp’s otherworldly weirdness would have translated as a low level street tough. On the other hand, Tarantino’s first choice for Lance, Vincent Vega’s bathrobe-sporting drug dealer, was none other than John Cusack. That would have been amazing.

Many of the studio’s approved casting choices for the movie, seen here in a fax also appearing in the same Reddit post, are much stranger. Eddie Murphy was tapped as a possible Jules. Miramax liked Nicolas Cage or Johnny Depp (really?) for Butch, the samurai-sword wielding boxer. Bruce Willis, who played the role, wasn’t even on the original list. And mob clean-up man The Wolf, played with an off-kilter decorousness by Harvey Keitel, could have gone to Warren Beatty or Danny DeVito. Strangely, the studio didn’t think Johnny Depp would have been right for the role.

http://www.openculture.com/2015/10/...l-wish-list-for-the-cast-of-pulp-fiction.html

Love this insider stuff.

Full list here: http://imgur.com/a/a6KUz

 

[JoeNut]

Thank god it wasn't Depp, that would have been awful

Spoiler

i don't like johnny depp

 

[SpaceHorror]

Ha, Bruce Campbell as Maynard?

 

[andycapps]

Wonder if he also wrote down what was in the briefcase.

 

[entremet]

Thank god it wasn't Depp, that would have been awful

Spoiler

i don't like johnny depp

I think it could've worked. Tim Roth was so good, though.

 

[DOWN]

Sofia Coppola made his list, eh?

 

[80s Bad Guy]

Lance as either John Cusak or Nick Cage is blowing my mind.

 

[Messypandas]

And Daniel Day Lewis petitioned hard to get the part of Vincent Vega but Quentin got his second choice.

 

[Veritigo_X]

I want to see the alternate reality where Tarantino had to fall back to Gary Oldman for every role.

 

[Walpurgis]

Wonder if he also wrote down what was in the briefcase.

This is what I came here for.

 

[Moff]

madsen was the first choice? what happened?

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

Uma Thruman didn't even make the shortlist.

 

[Bronx-Man]

And Daniel Day Lewis petitioned hard to get the part of Vincent Vega but Quentin got his second choice.

I can't even imagine what DDL in a genre flick would be like.

 

[Discotheque]

Thank god it wasn't Depp, that would have been awful

Spoiler

i don't like johnny depp

Depp's amazing

 

[disappeared]

Cool to see that Tarantino had an interest in Keaton from the start.

 

[Flavius]

Cusack's the only alternate that makes me go "hmmm". Everyone else? Can't imagine them doing any better than the final cast.

 

[Son Of D]

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I always heard Kurt Cobain was offered the role for Lance, but after seeing his name not on the list I checked to find that was just some story, likely one fabricated by Courtney Love.

 

[Frodo]

They should have gone with Matthew McConaughey or Christian Bale, My Cocaine, and Anne Hathaway.

 

[entremet]

madsen was the first choice? what happened?

A lot of things.

Maybe he wasn't available.

Maybe he didn't care for the script.

Maybe his agent told him it would be a bad idea.

Maybe the casting director wasn't impressed.

Maybe Travolta's agent was more aggressive in getting him casted. This spearheaded Travolta's first comeback after all.

They should have gone with Matthew McConaughey or Christian Bale, My Cocaine, and Anne Hathaway.

Hathaway was 14 years old back then. Time flies

 

[phaonaut]

Fishburne as first choice for Jules, Eddie murphy in the running also wow.

 

[Anung]

No Micheal Fassbender as Vincent and Idris Elba as Marsellus? For Shame.

 

[Deleted member 57681]

Fishburne as first choice for Jules, Eddie murphy in the running also wow.

Just no rappers.

 

[King Tubby]

No Rappers for Jules? I bet Method Man could have done the role justice.

 

[Ridley327]

A lot of things.

Maybe he wasn't available.

Maybe he didn't care for the script.

Maybe his agent told him it would be a bad idea.

Maybe the casting director wasn't impressed.

Maybe Travolta's agent was more aggressive in getting him casted. This spearheaded Travolta's first comeback after all.



Hathaway was 14 years old back then. Time flies

He had a really aggressive '93 and '94 in terms of quantity of roles, so I imagine it's that more than anything else. I can't imagine Madsen turning it down with how close he and Tarantino have been.

 

[Herbs]

Fishburne as first choice for Jules, Eddie murphy in the running also wow.

i'd love to see fishburne. damn

 

[Tenebrous]

Uma Thruman didn't even make the shortlist.

Pretty amazing how things have turned out since then for the pair of them.

Sam Jackson was of course awesome in the film, but I'd love to see how Laurence Fishburne, QT's preference, would've done in the role.

i'd love to see fishburne. damn

High five.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

They should have gone with Matthew McConaughey or Christian Bale, My Cocaine, and Anne Hathaway.

No Micheal Fassbender as Vincent and Idris Elba as Marsellus? For Shame.

Top GAF casting chaps.

 

[Nappuccino]

A lot of things.

Maybe he wasn't available.

Maybe he didn't care for the script.

Maybe his agent told him it would be a bad idea.

Maybe the casting director wasn't impressed.

Maybe Travolta's agent was more aggressive in getting him casted. This spearheaded Travolta's first comeback after all.


Hathaway was 14 years old back then. Time flies

We'd just have a Leon the Professional situation. It's cool

 

[Herbs]

and hot damn at DeVito as the Wolf.

 

[Twilight Gap]

No Micheal Fassbender as Vincent and Idris Elba as Marsellus? For Shame.

lol

 

[Cagey]

So Tarantino wanted Sam Jackson to play Marcellus Wallace slightly more than wanting him to play Jules. (3 stars versus 2). Glad it worked out how it did: Jackson didn't have the physical presence for that role.

 

[spindashing]

and hot damn at DeVito as the Wolf.

That stood out to me as well.

It could have worked.

 

[Herbs]

Here's a thought. Tarantino should remake Pulp Fiction as his last film and recast using the exact same script and shots. DO IT!!!!!!! It'd fit perfectly into the realm of uneccessary Hollywood remakes.

That stood out to me as well.

It could have worked.

indeed

 

[Jawmuncher]

I want to see Nicolas Cage and Quentin Tarantino work together again. In a full feature film not a small gag like we got.

 

[SpaceHorror]

And Daniel Day Lewis petitioned hard to get the part of Vincent Vega but Quentin got his second choice.

I wonder why they have never worked together. I mean, I guess QT has never really had a part he'd like to cast him in, but I'd like to see it.

 

[entremet]

So Tarantino wanted Sam Jackson to play Marcellus Wallace slightly more than wanting him to play Jules. (3 stars versus 2). Glad it worked out how it did: Jackson didn't have the physical presence for that role.

It's interesting how actors bring a role to life.

If this was alternate universe where Sam played Marcellus, I'd wonder what the opposite reaction would be.

Ving Rhames played that role to perfection, though.

 

[ucdawg12]

madsen was the first choice? what happened?

according to tarantino, who spoke about this at a crew reunion hosted by the oscars, madsen had just signed onto another project right as tarantino finished the script and so he was no longer available.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Wonder if he also wrote down what was in the briefcase.

Nothing ***
Shiny Nothing **
A dickbutt drawing *

 

[NervousXtian]

Madsen would have been a better Vincent.

John Cusack would have been a great Lance as well.. and Stolz then move over to Pumpkin.

Redo the damn movie.

 

[dsp]

For some reason I had it in my head that he originally wanted Mickey Rourke as Butch.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

madsen was the first choice? what happened?

He did Wyatt Earp instead. A decision he immensely regretted.

Sean Penn should have been Zed. The piece of shit role he was born to play.

 

[hwalker84]

I'd watch the alternate universe Pulp Fiction in a heartbeat.

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

Depp would have actually work extremely well in that role, seeing how he's done in Black Mass. Went into that blind, didn't even know it was him.

 

[SeroTyler]

All of the second choices basically became True Romance.

 

[styl3s]

Lance as either John Cusak or Nick Cage is blowing my mind.

People can doo doo on Cusak all they want but early 90s Cusak would of fucking nailed that role.

 

[Pinko Marx]

Idris Elba for Vincent in the remake amirite GAF

 

[Browny]

Nick Cage should have played every part, and it would have been glorious.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Keaton instead of Travolta would have been a huge upgrade imo.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Idris Elba for Vincent in the remake amirite GAF

Fassbender for Jules.

Keaton instead of Travolta would have been a huge upgrade imo.

That would have been great.