10 Genius Times Studios Beat The Film Director
9. Replacing Philip Kaufman With The Movie's Star, Clint Eastwood - The Outlaw Josey Wales
Here's something you simply couldn't get away with now, and assuredly with good reason.
The hit Clint Eastwood Western The Outlaw Josey Wales was originally directed by the great Philip Kaufman, who also co-wrote the film, but mere weeks into shooting, ongoing disagreements with star Eastwood saw him fired by producer Robert Daley at Eastwood's request.
More to the point, Warner Bros. installed Eastwood as Kaufman's replacement, and even with mounting pressure from the Directors Guild of America to reinstate Kaufman, they retained Eastwood, and even paid a $60,000 fine for firing the original director.
Yet the rest of the shoot apparently went off without a hitch, and The Outlaw Josey Wales went on to become both a box office hit and one of Eastwood's most iconic cinematic roles.
It was certainly a smart way to resolve a tricky conflict by the studio, even if it ultimately led the DGA to create the "Eastwood Rule," which prevented any actor or producer from firing a director and then taking the job themselves.