8 Famous Movies That Started Out In Completely Different Genres
2. The First Version Of Good Will Hunting Was Written As A Fast-Paced Thriller
When you think of Good Will Hunting, you think of Matt Damon writing stuff on a blackboard and pouring his heart out to Robin Williams. You don't think of high-speed chase sequences through the streets of Boston.
Before it became a drama, though, Good Will Hunting wasn't far off being The Bourne Identity. Damon and his writing partner, Ben Affleck, originally had the movie positioned as a kind of thriller movie in which the titular character, a genius, vied for survival in a bad neighbourhood in South Boston before eventually being recruited by the government as a secret agent.
It took none other than Rob Reiner, President of Castle Rock Entertainment (the company bought the script before Miramax bought it from them), to read their screenplay and suggest that it would be better film if it were a straight drama about the main character's relationship with his psychologist.
Damon and Affleck obliged Reiner's wishes, and the thriller elements were deleted. The script eventually fell into the hands of Harvey Weinstein, who loved it and instantly put it into production; the rest is history. Can't imagine Damon and Affleck winning an Oscar for that thriller flick they originally had in mind...