20 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favourite Horror Movies
3. Robert De Niro Almost Played Jack Torrance
Speaking of The Shining, it's not exactly a secret to say that Stephen King wasn't a huge fan of the film. Kubrick’s movie has rightfully been branded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made but as an adaptation of King’s book, it plainly sucks. The two share a few common plot elements, but the style is totally different: Kubrick plays it vague and clinical, whilst King writes with real emotion and detail. Both great, both entirely different.
Aside from plot details, King also famously said that Jack Nicholson was all wrong for the lead role, and felt that they needed more of an everyman. Welp, at one point Kubrick was considering Robert De Niro for the part of the deranged hotel caretaker. The director reportedly changed his mind after seeing him in Taxi Driver and went with his original choice.
Could De Niro have been the everyman that King felt the film needed? Perhaps, but he wouldn’t have been nearly as entertaining as ole Jackie boy. But then again, who would ever want to bet against Bobby De Niro in his prime?