6. It Could Have Had A Robert Downey Jr./Angelina Jolie Masthead
Alfonso Cuarón has been away from the directors chair since 2006, making him look like an arthouse James Cameron. Seven years with nary a short normally has you expecting word a directors moved into more philanthropic ventures and while Cuarón did find time to build his production company Esperanto Films, the big reason is that Gravity just took so bloody long to wring through production. Obviously a film so utterly fresh, built around a genius approach to shooting would take a while to make, but much of this time was passed before it was even time to think about getting a cinematographer on board. After sitting with Universal for a few years, the Cuaróns moved the project to Warner Bros., a move that may not have registered highly with audiences (hence why this is a thing you might have missed), but certainly caught the eyes of actors, primary among them Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr. (although Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johanssen were all also in the running). If it hadn't been for the slow production (as well as a budget that didn't really allow for stars who wouldn't negotiate on budget), this could have been a very different film; as cool as he is, Downey Jr. just ain't Clooney.