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It has been over two decades since Denzel Washington screamed ‘King Kong ain’t got sh*t on me’ in the legendaryTraining Day. The Antoine Fuqua directorial got Washington his second Oscar after he had previously won forGlory. The film was also a commercial success and the legendary combo was set to reunite for an epic gangster film again.
Alas, the workings of Hollywood do not always make way for dreams and Fuqua had to give up his dream of crafting his incredible gangster film with Washington again. The filmmaker mentioned how heartbroken he was after his version ofAmerican Gangsterwas shelved. The film ended up being made by Ridley Scott with Washington in the lead.
Antoine Fuqua lamented about his shelved version ofAmerican Gangsterwith Denzel Washington
Antoine Fuqua broke into the scene by directing music videos for Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Toni Braxton before he became a feature film director. Fuqua’s debut was the action filmThe Replacement Killers, produced by John Woo and after the box office dudBait, he delivered his breakthrough filmTraining DaywithDenzel Washington.
Even $310 Million “Gladiator 2” Can’t Touch Denzel Washington’s Payout for Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster”
The film was initially reportedly positioned as aLethal Weapon-esque cop film before Fuqua brought the ‘gangster’ into it, according to Denzel Washington (viaIndieWire). Starring Washington inan off-brand antiheroic role, the film reportedly made Fuqua invested in the gangster genre which, if things went according to plan, would culminate inAmerican Gangster.
The filmmaker was reportedly attached to the project so much that it broke his heart when the studio decided to pull the plug on it four weeks before production to save on mounting costs. While Fuqua has since gained perspective on it, he reportedly still regrets not making it. He said toTHR,
It breaks my heart just to say it out loud. I didn’t know enough then. I don’t think I navigated it the way I should have, or had a full perspective and understanding of the business, like the fiscal responsibilities and the pressure that everyone’s under, including the executives. You do have to pause and take in the big picture. That one got away from me, and that will always break my heart.
The film was eventually mounted with Ridley Scott helming the project, with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe starring. The former received a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
Antoine Fuqua leftAmerican Gangsterover creative differences
Ridley Scott’sAmerican Gangsteris a modern-day classic that saw acting powerhouses Denzel Washington and Rusell Crowe unite on screen. Based on the life of gangster Frank Lucas, the film was a success upon release but would have been a whole different film if the original plans had worked out with Antoine Fuqua.
Initially titledTru Bluand then,Gangster,Antoine Fuqua’svision was reportedly deemed too expensive for the studio at the time. Washington was already cast as Frank Lucas and Benicio del Toro was set to play Crowe’s part. However, the budget reportedly went to more than $90 million which led the studio to shelve the project weeks before filming (viaEW).
“I don’t shoot nights”: Denzel Washington Wasn’t the Only One, Another Oscar Winner Passed on Brad Pitt’s ‘Se7en’ for the Most Ridiculous Reason
Universal Pictures at the time cited creative differences as the reason for Fuqua’s departure from the film. A spokesperson said (viaVariety),
Unfortunately on this film, we had creative differences and parted ways. The studio remains committed to the project.
While there were rumors that Fuqua’s uncompromising vision led tocosts surpassing the initial budget, the filmmaker’s camp maintained that they tried to reduce costs as much as possible (via EW).
American Gangsteris streaming on Prime Video.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
