10 Movies That Were Only Made With VERY WEIRDLY SPECIFIC Conditions
3. It Had To Be Set In Alaska (Rather Than Canada) - The Grey
Joe Carnahan's 2011 survival thriller The Grey is far more than just another Liam Neeson action flick - it's a surprisingly philosophical look at mortality and man vs. nature.
Carnahan originally wrote the chilly thriller to take place in The Yukon Territory, the least populated region of Canada, but this was promptly shut down by Carnahan's fellow producers, who demanded that the script be rewritten to change the setting.
The feeling was that Alaska would be a more "relatable" locale for American audiences and in turn heighten the film's commercial prospects, while the Canuck tundra was apparently too alienating for your average American to connect with.
Carnahan fought to keep the original Yukon setting but he was clearly outnumbered here. Ridley Scott was among the film's producers, though it's never been clarified whether he made the "suggestion" to Carnahan or not.
The spine story would've fundamentally been the same regardless of where it was set, but this proves just how cynically risk-averse your average Hollywood producer really is. Anything the audience might view as alien or "other" is a big no-no.