Antoine Fuqua Laments Being Replaced Weeks Before American Gangster Began Filming

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As a film enthusiast with a penchant for the gritty and gripping, I can’t help but feel a pang of empathy for director Antoine Fuqua. His tale of nearly capturing the elusive American Gangster is a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of Hollywood. The film, which would have starred Denzel Washington, was snatched away by financing issues, leaving Fuqua heartbroken after weeks of preparation.

In Hollywood, everyone is forced to get used to missed opportunities, especially when one has been deep in the trenches trying to get a project made. There are many stories of actors and directors who were marginally close to landing a film before something fell apart ahead of production and things unfortunately didn’t work out. Despite an impressive filmography, director Antoine Fuqua says that this very situation happened to him involving a project with Denzel Washington, and it’s still one that gets to the filmmaker 17 years later despite having made five movies with Washington.

During a Directors on Directing panel at SDCC organized by Collider, Antoine Fuqua and Roland Emmerich shared their insights. They were asked if there were any projects they had almost made that didn’t come to fruition. Fuqua revealed that the 2007 movie “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington, was a project he nearly started with Universal Pictures, but financial difficulties caused the studio to choose another path instead.

Fuqua shared that he was nearly ready to start filming when he came up with the title for the movie. He said, “I had already prepared thoroughly for American Gangster. I was merely a fortnight away from shooting American Gangster. In fact, it was me who gave it the name American Gangster. It was initially called something blue, but I brought Denzel [Washington] on board and changed it to American Gangster.” Fuqua also mentioned this as an interesting tidbit.

The reason that film didn’t work out was due to financial issues. At the time, Universal Studios struggled to agree on the budget and casting choices. I had envisioned Benicio del Toro working alongside Denzel Washington in the movie. Unfortunately, Universal had other projects at the time, which ultimately led to the collapse of this project. This setback truly shattered my spirit. To this day, that failed film still hurts me deeply.

Ridley Scott Ultimately Directed American Gangster

Although Fuqua was initially slated to direct Denzel Washington in American Gangster, it was eventually Ridley Scott who took the helm. The role of Richie Roberts, which Fuqua had originally intended for Benicio del Toro, was recast with Russell Crowe when Scott came aboard, possibly because of their successful collaboration on Gladiator. Given that production on the movie started in 2000 and it wasn’t released until 2007, it’s not shocking that creative decisions evolved over time.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I’d like to share my thoughts on “American Gangster,” a captivating tale penned by Steven Zaillian, the brilliant mind behind films like “Schindler’s List” and “Gangs of New York.” This gripping drama is inspired by the life story of Frank Lucas, a notorious gangster from La Grange, North Carolina. Known for his audacious scheme of smuggling heroin into the U.S. using American military planes returning from the Vietnam War, Lucas managed to evade detection until he crossed paths with Richie Roberts, a tenacious detective leading a task force determined to gather sufficient evidence to bring him to justice. Joining Washington and Crowe in this stellar cast are Ted Levine, John Ortiz, Josh Brolin, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruby Dee, Lymari Nadal, and Cuba Gooding Jr., making “American Gangster” an unmissable cinematic experience.

In the case of “American Gangster”, it was well-received both by critics and audiences, managing an impressive 81% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. On a production budget of $100 million, it generated a global box office revenue of $266.5 million. Additionally, the film gained recognition during awards season, with the esteemed Ruby Dee being nominated for an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actress category. She went on to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role before her passing.

American Gangster
can currently be streamed on Max and Hulu.

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2024-08-02 03:35