A retrospective on the 1999 Oscar-winning blockbuster Shakespeare in Love revealed that disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein threatened to kill a producer’s family if he didn’t quit.
Edward Zwick, co-producer of the nearly $300 million film, which took home seven Oscars, also revealed that Julia Roberts was originally set to play the role in 1991, for which Gwyneth Paltrow eventually won best actress.
Roberts has previously claimed she walked out of the role after discovering her on-screen counterpart would not be played by Daniel Day-Lewis.
Zwick revealed that “the mere idea of the Pretty Woman wearing a corseted dress” was enough to get Universal Pictures on board.
“Someone, possibly her manager or agent, got wind of the project and suggested to Universal that Julia might be interested in starring in a historical rom-com, possibly this one,” Zwick wrote in the Air Mail on Friday.
A retrospective on the 1999 Oscar-winning blockbuster Shakespeare in Love revealed that disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein threatened to kill a producer’s family if he didn’t quit
He noted that Roberts was going through a torrid personal situation at the time, having “sort of” left fiancée Kiefer Sutherland at the altar and “linking up” with the actor’s boyfriend Jason Patric.
On a flight to London with Zwick, Roberts revealed that she wanted Daniel Day-Lewis to play the role of Shakespeare, which ultimately went to Joseph Fiennes.
“He’s brilliant – he’s handsome and intense. And so funny! Have you seen his performance in A Room With a View?” He also did Shakespeare. Don’t you think he would be perfect?!’ Roberts gushed about her choice to play opposite her.
Zwick had to tell Roberts that while Day-Lewis had agreed, he had already agreed to do In the Name of the Father at the same time.
Undeterred, Roberts sent Day-Lewis two dozen roses and asked the legendary actor to “be my Romeo.”
After failing to convince Day-Lewis, Roberts tested with the likes of Hugh Grant, Rupert Graves, Colin Firth, Sean Bean and Jeremy Northam, but there was something he didn’t like about them.
However, the starlet was eventually forced to leave the film because, despite dialect lessons from coach Joan Washington, she couldn’t find the accent required to play Viola de Lesseps.
‘[O]As she began to say the words, something was wrong. There was no magic. The problem wasn’t the script. Or Paul McGann. It was Julia. From the moment she started speaking, it was clear she hadn’t worked on her accent,” Zwick said.
Edward Zwick, co-producer of the nearly $300 million film, which took home seven Oscars, also revealed that Julia Roberts was originally set to play the 1991 role for which Gwyneth Paltrow won her Best Actress award
Paltrow arrives for the Shakespeare in Love premiere December 3, 1998 at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City
The film, starring Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, won seven Oscars
With Roberts gone and the film in limbo, Zwick was contacted by the now-disgraced Weinstein.
At first he passed, noting that the film had already raked in $6 million before he ever shot a scene with Roberts, but it encouraged Zwick to continue showing the film in Hollywood.
Couples like Kenneth Branagh and Winona Ryder, Stephen Dillane and Emily Watson, Jude Law, Mel Gibson and Johnny Depp were all attached at one point or reading the script.
However, in 1996 Paltrow read a copy of the script while staying with Ryder and was able to convince Weinstein to buy it.
Weinstein, however, wanted Zwick out of the film and was willing to do anything to get it, Zwick claims.
However, in 1996 Paltrow read a copy of the script while staying with Winona Ryder and was able to convince Harvey Weinstein (pictured) to buy it
However, Weinstein wanted Zwick (pictured) out of the film and was willing to do anything to make that happen, Zwick claims
“You think you can sue me, you idiot? You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Weinstein reportedly said. “I’m going to ruin you! I’ll make sure you never work again!’
It quickly escalated: “F**k you. I’m gonna kill your whole family, you little f**k,” Weinstein allegedly told Zwick.
‘Nice talking to you, Harvey. See you in court,” Zwick claims he replied.
After Zwick threatened a lawsuit, “Weinstein promised to include my central role as producer in all press releases and to feature me in every key interview about the making of the film.”
However, Weinstein would not allow Zwick to direct Shakespeare in Love, instead collaborating with British filmmaker John Madden.
The film grossed $289.3 million at the box office and won seven Academy Awards, including Paltrow, Fiennes, writers Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, and Zwick as part of the production team for Best Picture.