Bradley Cooper came close to walking away from his role in “The Place Beyond the Pines” due to a significant screenplay overhaul. Director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance revealed at the New Directors/New Films festival that the 49-year-old actor nearly dropped out of the project upon receiving a completely rewritten script.
Before the start of principal photography, Cianfrance brought in screenwriter Darius Marder to rework “every word” of the 2012 thriller. Bradley, cast as the police officer Avery Cross, expressed dissatisfaction with the alterations.
“I had given Marder the script, and he had extensive notes,” Derek recounted. “We agreed on many points, leading us to rewrite every word in a condensed timeframe from 10 weeks to six.”
Recalling the pivotal moment, Derek shared, “I remember handing Bradley Cooper the revised script of ‘The Place Beyond the Pines,’ and receiving a voicemail from him expressing, ‘Bro, I just read the new draft, and I’m out.'”
According to Derek, Bradley felt that the revised version deviated significantly from what he had initially signed up for. “So I traveled to Montreal, engaging in a lengthy conversation with him from midnight until 3:30 in the morning to persuade him to stay onboard. It was only in the final five minutes that he was convinced. I think he was just exhausted and eager to retire for the night,” the 50-year-old filmmaker added.
