Effectively, right here’s the kicker, In keeping with Display Rant, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino swapped roles in a totally completely different gangster flick! Sure, you heard that proper. Simply earlier than The Godfather graced the large display screen, De Niro changed Pacino in one other crime film, discuss an alternate universe the place historical past might’ve gone very in another way.
Image it, a world the place Pacino by no means grew to become Michael Corleone, or the place De Niro’s star had risen somewhat earlier. It’s a weird little twist in cinematic historical past, and it nearly makes you marvel what number of nice movies we’ve missed out on due to one little Hollywood shuffle.
Belief us, if this swap hadn’t occurred, the legacy of those two legendary actors, and The Godfather franchise itself, would look very completely different right this moment.
In Which Film Robert De Niro Changed Al Pacino?
Earlier than they grew to become legends in The Godfather franchise, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro had been truly concerned in a gangster flick known as The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. Now, don’t get too excited, this wasn’t a deep, gritty mafia saga like The Godfather. Nope, this was a lighthearted, nearly comedic crime caper that’s about as removed from Michael Corleone’s world as you may get.
However right here’s the twist, as The Godfather began gearing up, Pacino had already dedicated to play Mario Tarantino on this goofy gangster movie. Then comes Francis Ford Coppola, who had his sights set on Pacino for Michael Corleone, and guess what? He gained.
Pacino, recent off the Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight set, swapped roles with none apart from Robert De Niro, who stepped into Pacino’s sneakers as Mario. Pacino’s transfer turned out to be a stroke of genius, abandoning a forgettable flop for one of many biggest movies in cinematic historical past.
In the meantime, De Niro’s flip as Mario, although overshadowed by his future godfather position, confirmed glimpses of the star he was about to change into. Humorous how one little swap set each actors on their iconic paths!
Robert De Niro Turned Down The Godfather For Crime Film
In a twist that sounds prefer it got here straight out of a mafia script, Robert De Niro turned down a component in The Godfather, for The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. Yeah, you learn that proper. Whereas Al Pacino was busy swapping a comedy gangster flick for one in all cinema’s most iconic roles, De Niro was making his personal gangland resolution.
Again within the early ’70s, De Niro was circling The Godfather and initially auditioned for Sonny, however the position in the end went to James Caan. Undeterred, Coppola provided De Niro the smaller, however nonetheless essential, a part of Paulie, the Corleone household’s unfortunate turncoat.
However De Niro, being the long run star everyone knows and love, opted for The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight as a substitute. It was a bet, and one that might’ve left him kicking himself, particularly contemplating that The Godfather grew to become a worldwide sensation. However hindsight is at all times 20/20, and let’s be sincere, James Caan was good as Sonny. And De Niro? Effectively, he went on to play larger components, and The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight was hardly a career-defining gem.
The actual reward for De Niro’s resolution didn’t come from a unusual gangster comedy, although. No, it got here two years later when Coppola known as him up for The Godfather Half II. Seems, turning down Paulie was just the start of De Niro’s legendary journey within the Corleone saga.
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