How Angelina Jolie Took Over The Role Written For Tom Cruise (And Nailed It)

It's no surprise that after the initial success of Mission Impossible, starring Tom Cruise as young IMF agent Ethan Hunt, everyone wanted to jump on the spy bandwagon.

This spy fever lasted for years in the industry until it was replaced by superhero action movies.

Audience did not mind, as long as the movies were of the same quality: dynamic, full of perfectly choreographed action scenes, and with a charismatic lead.

However, no one said that the charismatic lead had to be a man.

The 2010 film Salt was supposed to be another blockbuster about a CSI superspy, Edwin A. Salt, who had to protect his wife and children.

The catch was that he was to be played by Tom Cruise himself, the man who has become the face of the genre. When Cruise turned down the role, the entire production was put in jeopardy because of the need to recast.

Relying on Jolie's success and talent wasn't the easiest decision the production team made, but it felt like the right one in the long run.

"With 'Mission [Impossible]' and Bourne and Bond, you're going to be the fourth spy guy. We thought, 'Let's be the first spy girl,'" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura explained the final decision.

The story had to be almost completely rewritten to fit a female character.

Once Edwin was renamed Evelyn, screenwriter Kurt Wimmer freed the agent from her family and children and decided to send her on an adventure to protect her own reputation.

Thus began the story of Salt, a well-respected CIA agent accused of being a Russian sleeper spy.

Ultimately, the film grossed $118.3 million domestically and $175.2 million overseas for an impressive worldwide total of $293.5 million.

It may not be Jolie's best work in terms of money, but it is definitely one with the most satisfying story behind it.

Source: Los Angeles Times