Thehorrorfilm genre has remained one of the most beloved genres of film in recent memory. Amid all its gore, trope-heavy characters, and scenes full of suspense, nothing solidifies a horror film as iconic more than the memorable performances of its resilient, resourceful protagonists or sadistic villains.
FromAnthony Perkins’ chilling performanceof Norman Bates inPsychoto Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of the brave Ellen Ripley inAlien, it is hard to imagine these well-regarded performances going to anyone else. However, here are 10 instances where major horror roles were almost given to someone else.
10Will Poulter as Pennywise – IT (2017)
Before Bill Skarsgård landed his breakout role as Pennywise in Andy Muschetti’sITin 2017,Will Poulterwas initially cast as the trans-dimensional shape-shifting dancing clown that terrorizes Derry, Maine every 27 years. Poulter had been known then from his roles inWe’re the MillersandThe Maze Runner,and was tapped as Pennywise by the film’s former director, Cary Fukunaga ofJane Eyrefame. According toVariety, disagreements over the story’s direction led to Fukunga’s departure from the film after three years of development. Poulter was still the top choice under Muschetti’s direction; however, scheduling conflicts led to him departing from the role and Skarsgård taking his place.
While it would have been interesting to see Poulter take on the fear-inducing clown, Skarsgård’s charismatic portrayal of the antagonist remains the highlight of the series. Besides, Poulter has found success outside the horror genre, most recently as Adam Warlock in the profitable MCU filmGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
9Emma Stone as Margot – The Menu (2022)
Emma Stoneis a beloved actress with many accolades to her name, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. While she can typically be seen in numerous comedies, the respected performer was prepared to tap into the realm of comedic horror, again, in Alexander Payne’s directed version ofThe Menu.
Stone had been in a comedic horror series before, playing Wichita inZombielandand its 2019 sequelZombieland: Double Tap. InThe Menu, Stone was initially cast as Margot, a young woman who attends a private dinner on a scheduled island with her partner and witnesses the vicious nature of celebrity chef Julian Slowick. As production of the film stalled, Stone and Payne left the film due to scheduling conflicts. Anya Taylor-Joy was then hired to replace Stone, with Mark Mylod set to direct.
The Menubecame a critical and commercial success and is seen as one of themost mind-boggling movies of 2022. And while it may be hard to picture Margot portrayed by anyone other than Taylor-Joy, who received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, Stone would be sure to deliver the stone-cold nature of the intelligent Margot.
8Elliot Page as Christine – Drag Me to Hell (2009)
In yet another instance of unfortunate scheduling conflicts,JunostarElliot Pagedropped out of Sam Raimi’s 2009 commercial hit,Drag Me to Hell,due to SAG strike-related conflicts. The film centered around Christine Brown, a loan officer desperate to prove herself to her boss by denying an elderly woman an extension on her mortgage. In retaliation, the woman places a curse on Christine, stating that in three days she will be dragged to the depths of hell.
The campy film starsMatchstick Men’sAlison Lohman as its central protagonist, after Page’s departure. While Lohman has been retired from acting since 2016, her captivating performance became her most recognizable and nominated due to her unfortunate ending.
7Leonardo DiCaprio as Patrick Bateman – American Psycho (2000)
The pre-production phase ofAmerican Psycho, an adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ highly regarded satirical novel of the same name, lived up to its frightening name. After Ellis and producer Edward R. Pressman’s search for directors like Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Robert Weiss did not materialize, Mary Harron was approached to direct the film in 1996.
While writing the film with Guinevere Turner, Harron had already pegged Christian Bale as the film’s leading man. However, the film’s production company, Lionsgate, secured a contract with Hollywood’s biggest star at the time,Leonardo DiCaprio, and his interest in the film led to his casting as Patrick Bateman, the dismissal of Harron as director, and the hiring of Oliver Stone to direct instead.
Creative differences over the direction of the script and arumored conversation between DiCaprio and Gloria Steinemcaused DiCaprio and Stone to depart the project. Harron returned to the film as director. Bale was shortly cast thereafter, and it became a career-defining role for him.
6Cary Guffey as Danny Torrance – The Shining (1980)
From the very beginning, Stanley Kubrick had his picks locked for two of the three members of the Torrance family in the 1980 psychological thrillerThe Shining. Jack Nicholson, fresh off his Best Actor Academy Award win, was the top selection for the horrifying Jack Torrance. Shelley Duvall, lauded by critics in another psychological thriller,3 Women, was Kubrick’s early pick for troubled wife, Wendy Torrance.
Close Encounters of the Third KindstarCary Guffeywas the initial choice for the Torrances’ son, Danny Torrance, but his parents found the film to be too gruesome for a child and pulled him from production. Danny Lloyd was chosen to replace Guffey as Danny, becoming one of two roles the star would portray before quietly quitting the world of acting — apart from a minor cameo appearance inDoctor Sleep. Guffey faced a similar path in acting, starring in his last onscreen role as a young Billy Hazard in the 1980s miniseriesNorth and South.
5Michelle Pfeiffer as Clarice Starling – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Jodie Foster’s award-winning portrayal of FBI agent Clarice Starling inThe Silence of the Lambsis often regarded asone of the best heroic and protagonist characters by critics. It can be hard to imagine anyone else outperforming Foster’s stern, cool portrayal of Hannibal Lecter’s interviewer. However, Foster was not director Jonathan Demme’s first choice for the iconic hero.
While Foster expressed continued interest in starring as Starling, Demme was convinced Foster, who had recently snagged an Academy Award win for Best Actress inThe Accused, was not the right fit for the role. Demme’s top choice,Michelle Pfeiffer, stemmed from a then-recent collaboration with Pfeiffer in 1988’sMarried to the Mob. Unfortunately, Pfeiffer declined the role and cited her nervousness toward the film’s troubling subject matter as the cause.
4Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst as Alex Browning and Clear Rivers – Final Destination (2000)
Final Destination, the formerX-Filesepisode turned into a feature-length film, was created by Jeffrey Reddick and directed by James Wong. The film follows Alex Browning (Devon Sawa), a high school student prepared to fly to Paris before a premonition warns him of the plane’s explosion. Startled, a commotion forces Alex, some of his classmates, and his teacher off the plane before it explodes. Death soon comes for the separated flight-goers in retaliation for disrupting its plan, killing them off individually.
In an interview withDen of Geek, Reddick stated he had “a wish list withTobey MaguireandKirsten Dunstas [his] two leads.” However, the film’s production company New Line Cinema opted for a different route and settled on Sawa and Ali Larter as the film’s lead duo.
A slasher horror would have been an exciting onscreen debut for the duo of Maguire and Dunst before starring as Raimi’s Spider-Man and Mary Jane in the 2002 superhero epic. Though with the acclaim and appeal, the trilogy has garnered over the years from fans and critics, it is easy to say that the duo still lucked out in the end.
Related:Final Destination 6: What We Hope to See
3Jesse Plemons as Jupe – Nope (2022)
Jordan Peele’s 2022 spectacle horrorfilmNopecenters on siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Em (Keke Palmer) as they attempt to record evidence of a UFO. The film initially starredFriday Night Light’sJesse Plemons, who had been offered a major role in the thriller by Peele. However, Plemons' commitment to Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon caused an overlap in filming the two films, resulting in Plemons departing fromNope.
It is unsaid what major role Plemons held in Peele’s third film. However, the casting of Steven Yeun as former child actor Jupe a month after news broke of Plemons’ departure led many to speculate that was Plemons’ intended role.
Related:Jordan Peele’s Fourth Film Is Slated for a Christmas 2024 Release
2Kane Hodder as Freddy – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
When one thinks of iconic horror villains, the quippy Freddy Krueger is often at the top of the list. The memorable dream hunter and serial murderer rose in popularity due in part to Robert Englund’s charismatic portrayal of Elm Street’s resident lurker. No one can imagine the role in anyone else’s hand, but before Englund,Kane Hodderwas approached and discussed adorning the role of Freddy Krueger.
Hodder, who was eyed as Krueger due to his physical stature and burn scars, met with Craven and was in contention for the role. Craven, however, went down a different path and ultimately chose Englund to star as Freddy, a role that proved successful for his career. Hodder would then go on to star as Jason Voorhees in four consecutive films in theFriday the 13thfranchise. He even fulfilled the desire to play Freddy, only momentarily, by playing his gloved hand at the end ofJason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.
1Drew Barrymore as Sidney Prescott – Scream (1996)
Drew Barrymore’s role in the Kevin Williamson penned slasherScreamproved to be pivotal in the context of the horror genre. Barrymore was a breakout star after starring inE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,and her interest in the Wes Craven directed film provided it with a big name attached to it.
Due to her large status in Hollywood, Barrymore was initially attached as the leading protagonist, Sidney Prescott. A myriad scheduling conflicts, however, guided Barrymore to take a smaller role in the film, opting for the role of opening kill Casey Becker in an attempt to shock audiences. Neve Campbell, though reluctant to dive into the realm of horror again, signed on as Sidney Prescott in her first leading role.
The casting of Becker proved successful for theprofitable film franchise, as it quickly established the tropes that anyone can die and everyone is a suspect. Whereas Neve Campbell’s portrayal of Woodsboro’s Sidney Prescott cemented herself as a resident scream queen in the horror genre.
