Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler may feature in polar opposite types of movies, but they have one thing in common – their commercial success. Irrespective of the critical reactions, both actors have found a formula that works for them, taking minimal risks to ensure success. As a result, fans will be surprised to learn the duo almost featured together in a movie.
Filmmaker Michael Mann once envisioned his 2004 neo-noir action-thriller Collateral with Sandler in mind for the role of the cab driver. However, Mann himself admitted that having Sandler in the role would have limited the film’s potential and might not have aged well. Here is what Mann revealed about initial plans for Collateral, which would have featured Sandler and Cruise.
Tom Cruise’s Collateral Almost Starred Adam Sandler as the Cab Driver
Directed by Michael Mann, Collateral stars Tom Cruise in one of his most unique roles as hitman Vincent, a character that marks the rare occasion the superstar has come close to playing a villain. In the movie, cab driver Max Durocher, played by Jamie Foxx finds himself dragged into Vincent’s killing spree.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mann confirmed that neither Cruise nor Foxx was the original choice for their respective roles. Instead, Academy Award-winner Russell Crowe was the first choice for Vincent while Adam Sandler was in talks to play the cab driver.
The Jamie Foxx character was a badly-written Jewish cab driver, with the kind of stereotypes that can only come from someone writing that kind of a character who’s foreign, who’s not American, that doesn’t live in New York.
Mann made the above statement regarding the original version of the script that was presented to him when he first came on board as a director. He explained the need to change the script, making it less comedic and adding neo-noir elements.
Mann then approached Cruise for the role of Vincent and Sandler was still supposed to play the cab driver. While Mann did not reveal the reason Sandler dropped out, his comments hinted that the script had simply changed too much and he no longer envisioned Sandler in the role, instead casting Foxx.
Adam Sandler and Tom Cruise-led Version of Collateral Might Not Have Aged Well
Cruise and Foxx’s chemistry is undeniably one of the key selling points of Collateral. The movie does not follow the conventions of a typical star-led action blockbuster. As a result, it isn’t hard to imagine how Sandler might have fit into the dynamic, especially with Cruise.
From Mann’s words, it is evident that the Sandler-Cruise version of the movie, if made with the original script, would not have aged well. The director confirmed that the writing of the cab driver character played into the Jewish stereotypes, making it easy to see why the movie might not have worked well.
With the changes Mann made to the script the comedic elements were played down and the humor became more subtle. As a result, Sandler’s outspoken style of comedy might not have worked well either. Ultimately, Cruise delivered one of his best performances in Collateral, which was a commercial success, but it still would’ve been interesting to see him share the screen with Sandler.
Collateral is streaming on Netflix and Paramount+.
