When Tom Cruise passed on the role of playing a CIA agent fingered for being a Russian sleeper spy because the story echoed too much of his Mission: Impossible franchise, the high-octane action picture nearly fell apart. Salvation for the project came from a casting suggestion made by Sony Pictures chief Amy Pascal which sparked a debate between her, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games); influenced largely by an Oscar-winner’s performance in the cinematic adaptation of a video game, an agreement was reached between them to radically overhaul the traditional genre fare into something that would challenge normal Hollywood conventions. In the new version crafted by original screenwriter Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium), the main character of Edwin Salt switches not his political allegiances but his name and gender.
With the release of Salt, the question will be answered on whether filmgoers are willing to accept a female action star; assigned to the task is actress Angelina Jolie whose portrayal of a professional assassin in Wanted (2008) was pivotal in transforming it into a commercial hit. Jolie has been quick to downplay the gender issue highlighting instead the shift to a darker tone which sees her stripped down to her underwear and being tortured by her North Korean captors in the opening scene. One person Jolie has definitely won over is her director Phillip Noyce who marvels at his star’s fearlessness especially when it came to performing her physical stunts. Film critics have proven to be less easily impressed as the initial movie reviews can be equally divided between being praiseworthy and disdainful. Two weeks into its theatrical run Salt has already matched its $110 million production budget in worldwide box office receipts. The conclusion: Angelina Jolie has once again leapt into the hearts and minds of movie audiences.
Salt trailer:
Salt is currently on release in North America and opens in the UK on August 20th.
Visit the official site here, and you can see how the film was reworked to accomodate the casting change by reading the original and revised screenplays.
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.
Originally published August 6, 2010. Updated April 10, 2018.
