What could 11 iconic films look like with original casting?

Filmmaking is a complex business where plans can be thwarted in the blink of an eye. Today we are used to seeing Johnny Depp in the role of Captain Jack Sparrow and could hardly imagine that Hugh Jackman could get this role. However, he was the first screenwriter choice for Pirates of the Caribbean.

We started our own investigation to find out what other famous roles were originally created for different actors or actresses. Here we tried to imagine what our favorite films would look like if the main character was played by another actor or actress. Let's take a look.

11 PHOTOS

1. Emma Watson as Cinderella.

Emma Watson has had quite a few great characters in her career. Cinderella could be part of her portfolio along with Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Hermione Granger from Harry Potter. Although Lily James ultimately landed the role, Watson was among the main candidates but turned down the job because Cinderella "didn't resonate enough with her."

2. Anne Hathaway as Alice in Wonderland.

Although Anne Hathaway actually starred in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland as the White Queen, she did not initially qualify for the role. Ann was offered the opportunity to play Alice herself, but she refused.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio as Max from Hocus Pocus.

In the 90s, DiCaprio was just starting his career. Max's role in the Disney fantasy film Hocus Pocus could have been a big hit for him, but he chose to go for the adapted drama What's Eating Gilbert Grape, despite the much larger financial reward Disney was offering.

4. Hugh Jackman as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Originally written by Stuart Beatty, he admitted that he created the character of Captain Sparrow with Hugh Jackman in mind (hence the JACK in Captain Jack Sparrow). However, in 2003, the X-Men star was not well known for her roles, so the Disney team chose Depp. The choice was successful: thanks to Johnny Depp, the film, which was supposed to be only one film, became a franchise.

5. Ian McKellen as Professor Dumbledore.

Ian McKellen was cast as Professor Dumbledore after Richard Harris, who originally played the headmaster of Hogwarts in the first two films of the Harry Potter franchise, passed away in 2002. However, McKellen turned down the offer, stating that Harris never appreciated him as an actor.

6. John Travolta as Forrest Gump.

The role that made Tom Hanks a major star was originally proposed to John Travolta, who was then at the height of his popularity. Travolta turned down the role, although he did appear in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. It is noteworthy that after this film, Travolta's career began to decline, while Hanks received his second Oscar as best actor for this role.

7. Matt Damon as Avatar.

In a recent interview, Matt Damon surprised his fans with a shocking revelation: Avatar creator James Cameron wanted him to star in his fantastic blockbuster. The director not only offered him the role, but he also offered 10% of the film's profit, which is now estimated at $ 280 million at the box office. In the end, the unknown Sam Worthington got the role, and Damon only regrets that he missed the opportunity to work with James Cameron.

6. John Travolta as Forrest Gump.

Jack Nicholson has played many wonderful characters in his life, and Michael Corleone could be one of them. But it didn't work because of the actor's own superstitions. As he discovered many years later, he gave up the role because at that time he believed that characters of certain nationalities should only be played by actors of that nationality.

9. Will Smith as Neo.

Believe it or not, Will Smith could deflect thousands of bullets and fly over the Matrix. However, he turned down the role to take part in the movie Wild Wild West and later admitted that it was the right decision. Then he could not appreciate the concept of the Matrix and was absolutely sure that he would ruin everything.

10. Mel Gibson as Maximus.

His role as gladiator Russell Crowe Maximus earned him his first (and yet only) Oscar. However, he came close to missing out because the role was originally offered to Mel Gibson. Gibson turned down the offer as he felt he was not at the right age for the role.

11. Al Pacino as Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman.

Before Richard Gere charmed the whole world with Edward Lewis, the role of Al Pacino was considered the main one. The Italian actor read the script and even did the final reading with Julia Roberts, but ultimately refused to participate.