8 Famous Movies That Started Out In Completely Different Genres
3. Con Air Was A Low-Key Thriller Before It Was A Huge Action Blockbuster
Con Air is one of the most bombastically entertaining and overtly ridiculous films to come out of the '90s. At a time when excessively explosive blockbusters were reaching a cinematic apex, Con Air was king. It knows it's absurd, of course, which is what makes the film so fun to watch (also: Nicholas Cage, so, you know).
As such, it doesn't seem feasible that - at any stage - Con Air could have been anything other than a gargantuan blockbuster; the plot centres around an airplane that transports the world's most dangerous prisoners being hi-jacked - how could such a premise have ever been tied to anything other than a Simon West film?
Shocking as it might be, though, Con Air wasn't always an over-the-top rollercoaster ride. In its early development stages, the film was pitched as a low-key thriller with indie vibes - one that was more focused on character than explosions.
Think about that: Con Air as a "low-key" thriller with a psychological edge and an emphasis on the prisoners just, like, talking. It wasn't until Jerry Bruckheimer got wind of the project that it was reimagined it as an action blockbuster, complete with endless explosions, FBI agents in pursuit, and a more jovial tone.