best think twice before signing your
name on the dotted line welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top 10 actors who
were legally forced into roles before we
begin we publish new videos every day
so be sure to subscribe for more great
content for this list we’re looking at
cases in which stars were contractually
obligated to act in films regardless of
whether it was before or after they
decided they didn’t want to be involved
with them as well as others who were
forced into a film in order to make up
for a past breach of contract who me
number 10 Jennifer Garner Elektra after
the critical failure that was daredevil
Ben Affleck lucked out no sequel for
Matt Murdock
sadly Jennifer Garner found herself
contractually locked into what was quite
frankly a spin-off movie that nobody
wanted Elektra yeah
I hated that prevent it meant a simple
cameo which never even made it into the
final cut for Garner it was a starring
role in an arguably even worse film than
the one that preceded it the spin-off
earned a paltry fifty six point seven
million dollars at the worldwide box
office and paired with daredevil is
widely thought to have permanently
damaged Garner’s marketability as a star
which at the time had been on the rise
don’t worry that’s not that bad number 9
Edward Norton the Italian Job can’t let
emotion into these things
this undeniably talented actor has
gained somewhat of a reputation for
being difficult to work with as it turns
out that problem extends beyond his
relationship with directors editors and
co-star to studio heads as well like so
many of our entries today it would seem
that a younger Edward Norton signed a
multi picture deal that in hindsight he
wasn’t so keen to honor that wasn’t the
agreement it was a contractual dispute
that lasted a whopping five years and
one which fostered a lot of anger
between the two parties who seemingly
could not agree on a picture in the end
Norton was forced to star in The Italian
Job or go to court this lovely dinner
sparking conversation you still don’t
trust me
number eight Keanu Reeves The Watcher
shall be dead
imagine being told that you were legally
obligated to do a film that as far as
you can remember you never committed to
though there were reports during filming
that Reeves was dissatisfied the whole
story didn’t come out until twelve
months after the film’s release
when Reeves contractually obligated
silence finally came to an end
able to say his piece he claimed that
his signature was forged but that he
couldn’t prove it coming immediately on
the tale of mega hit the matrix you can
understand why being the villain in a
film whose script can who allegedly
didn’t find interesting didn’t work for
the actor however seeking to avoid a
legal battle he reluctantly acquiesced
yin and yang number seven Roy Schneider
Jaws – wait a minute are you people
telling me I don’t know what a shark
looks like after the first flick birthed
the concept of a summer blockbuster
you’d think every cast member who
survived the original jaws would be
desperate to jump back in not star wars
Neider who only returned as penance for
bailing out on another film let’s just
say he made the wrong choice
jaws too was a nightmare from
pre-production through to its completion
with frequent rewrites production delays
and struggles to find a suitable
director who are a sniper was reportedly
very unhappy throughout but it meant his
contract with Universal would be
complete so he stuck it out to the
universal movie he had quit the
critically acclaimed deer hunter and in
the starring role no less one shot one
shot is what it’s all about there has to
be taken with one shot number six
Channing Tatum GI Joe the Rise of Cobra
self-preservation
I’m taking you in Rex for young
up-and-coming stars it can be tempting
to sign multiple picture deals
guaranteed work why not but a few years
down the line you could find yourself
forced to play roles you hate in films
that make you cringe it’s a lesson that
Channing Tatum learned the hard way
after signing a three-film deal with
paramount I’m going to meet you Betty on
the hop a I’m already on honey
GI Joe might have helped increase his
public profile but after the fact he has
been vocal about hating it and very
clear that he only accepted the role of
Duke under fear of legal action driving
Locke you stole a number five Emily
Blunt Gulliver’s Travels when do you
return home Noble and Austen Gulliver
talk about missed opportunities in
hindsight Emily Blunt has claimed that
she’s happy that she didn’t wind up in
the role of natasha romanoff aka
Black Widow given that women in
superhero films tend to take a backseat
to their male leads fair criticism but
to think that Gulliver’s Travels was the
reason she didn’t get the part well
that’s just painful it’s just that I was
talking with the Giant and lost track of
Titus not this beast as Variety reported
in 2009 a contract signed with 20th
Century Fox back when blunt played the
role in The Devil Wears Prada gave them
enough leverage to force her
participation and so Emily Blunt missed
out on the MCU and instead got to play
the pint-sized Princess Mary now you’re
being cruel and frankly melodramatic and
acting like a complete baby number four
Mike Myers The Cat in the Hat monster
for those who grew up loving but can the
Hat and dr. Seuss’s other colorful
stories this movie felt like a slap in
the face and though Mike Myers has made
some rather questionable movie choices
over the years it seems to his
participation in this particular
travesty was not of his own volition
why I’m the Cat in the Hat when a script
bringing his SNL character D etre to
life proved subpar Myers reportedly
backed out of the film and Universal
sued it was ultimately settled out of
court and the details are murky but the
consensus is the Cat in the Hat was the
compromise
according to co-star Amy hill Myers
disdain was rather palpable on set
without my hat I’m just your
garden-variety six foot tall talking cat
number three
Geena Davis cutthroat island bad don’t
this action-adventure rom-com is widely
recognized as one of the biggest
box-office flops in cinematic history
and the film that took pirate films off
the map until Disney took on the genre
later cutthroat island would not have
involved Geena Davis if she’d had her
way
when co-star Michael Douglas dropped out
of the film Davis saw the winds changing
and tried to jump ship as well
unfortunately for her unlike Michael
Douglas her participation had already
been made legally bonding in addition to
sinking production company Corral ko
pictures it is also remembered as the
film that irreparably damaged Geena
Davis’s career sweetheart
I promised I’d take care of you number
two Marlon Brando Desiree exactly do you
wish to be unlike so many other films on
our list today this 1954 picture by 20th
Century Fox was reasonably well received
by critics earning two Academy Award
nominations for costume design and art
direction the film is far from a
masterpiece and as far as Brando’s
filmography is concerned is little more
than a forgettable footnote had brando
got in his way though it wouldn’t have
had a place on his resume whatsoever I
must go now say goodbye to my family I’m
leaving for patters in the morning
however after signing on to play the
Egyptian for 20th Century Fox he walked
away due to problems with the script
thoughts suit and Desiro served as the
forgettable compromise between the actor
and the studio French tendons in the
dirt before we unveil our topic here are
a few honorable mentions you can be my
wingman any time
bullshit you can be mine okay you get
the call he’s gonna get you to safety
you know you run you don’t stop you
don’t hide you’re right
you hear what I’m saying number one
Whoopi Goldberg Theodore Rex what are
you doing
kids these days aren’t very familiar
with Whoopi Goldberg but the e got
winner was once a truly marketable star
though she continued to land some solid
roles after this farce of a film it’s
hard not to draw a correlation between
the overall tipping quality roles and
her involvement with one Theodore Rex
get me down now
Goldberg verbally agreed to do the film
in 1992 and then tried to back out only
to be hit with a twenty million dollar
lawsuit in the end
Goldberg begrudgingly played the part
but continues to insist that it’s one of
her biggest regrets after terrible test
screenings the film was sent straight to
video da do you agree with our picks
check out these other great clips from
WatchMojo and subscribe for new videos
every day
name on the dotted line welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top 10 actors who
were legally forced into roles before we
begin we publish new videos every day
so be sure to subscribe for more great
content for this list we’re looking at
cases in which stars were contractually
obligated to act in films regardless of
whether it was before or after they
decided they didn’t want to be involved
with them as well as others who were
forced into a film in order to make up
for a past breach of contract who me
number 10 Jennifer Garner Elektra after
the critical failure that was daredevil
Ben Affleck lucked out no sequel for
Matt Murdock
sadly Jennifer Garner found herself
contractually locked into what was quite
frankly a spin-off movie that nobody
wanted Elektra yeah
I hated that prevent it meant a simple
cameo which never even made it into the
final cut for Garner it was a starring
role in an arguably even worse film than
the one that preceded it the spin-off
earned a paltry fifty six point seven
million dollars at the worldwide box
office and paired with daredevil is
widely thought to have permanently
damaged Garner’s marketability as a star
which at the time had been on the rise
don’t worry that’s not that bad number 9
Edward Norton the Italian Job can’t let
emotion into these things
this undeniably talented actor has
gained somewhat of a reputation for
being difficult to work with as it turns
out that problem extends beyond his
relationship with directors editors and
co-star to studio heads as well like so
many of our entries today it would seem
that a younger Edward Norton signed a
multi picture deal that in hindsight he
wasn’t so keen to honor that wasn’t the
agreement it was a contractual dispute
that lasted a whopping five years and
one which fostered a lot of anger
between the two parties who seemingly
could not agree on a picture in the end
Norton was forced to star in The Italian
Job or go to court this lovely dinner
sparking conversation you still don’t
trust me
number eight Keanu Reeves The Watcher
shall be dead
imagine being told that you were legally
obligated to do a film that as far as
you can remember you never committed to
though there were reports during filming
that Reeves was dissatisfied the whole
story didn’t come out until twelve
months after the film’s release
when Reeves contractually obligated
silence finally came to an end
able to say his piece he claimed that
his signature was forged but that he
couldn’t prove it coming immediately on
the tale of mega hit the matrix you can
understand why being the villain in a
film whose script can who allegedly
didn’t find interesting didn’t work for
the actor however seeking to avoid a
legal battle he reluctantly acquiesced
yin and yang number seven Roy Schneider
Jaws – wait a minute are you people
telling me I don’t know what a shark
looks like after the first flick birthed
the concept of a summer blockbuster
you’d think every cast member who
survived the original jaws would be
desperate to jump back in not star wars
Neider who only returned as penance for
bailing out on another film let’s just
say he made the wrong choice
jaws too was a nightmare from
pre-production through to its completion
with frequent rewrites production delays
and struggles to find a suitable
director who are a sniper was reportedly
very unhappy throughout but it meant his
contract with Universal would be
complete so he stuck it out to the
universal movie he had quit the
critically acclaimed deer hunter and in
the starring role no less one shot one
shot is what it’s all about there has to
be taken with one shot number six
Channing Tatum GI Joe the Rise of Cobra
self-preservation
I’m taking you in Rex for young
up-and-coming stars it can be tempting
to sign multiple picture deals
guaranteed work why not but a few years
down the line you could find yourself
forced to play roles you hate in films
that make you cringe it’s a lesson that
Channing Tatum learned the hard way
after signing a three-film deal with
paramount I’m going to meet you Betty on
the hop a I’m already on honey
GI Joe might have helped increase his
public profile but after the fact he has
been vocal about hating it and very
clear that he only accepted the role of
Duke under fear of legal action driving
Locke you stole a number five Emily
Blunt Gulliver’s Travels when do you
return home Noble and Austen Gulliver
talk about missed opportunities in
hindsight Emily Blunt has claimed that
she’s happy that she didn’t wind up in
the role of natasha romanoff aka
Black Widow given that women in
superhero films tend to take a backseat
to their male leads fair criticism but
to think that Gulliver’s Travels was the
reason she didn’t get the part well
that’s just painful it’s just that I was
talking with the Giant and lost track of
Titus not this beast as Variety reported
in 2009 a contract signed with 20th
Century Fox back when blunt played the
role in The Devil Wears Prada gave them
enough leverage to force her
participation and so Emily Blunt missed
out on the MCU and instead got to play
the pint-sized Princess Mary now you’re
being cruel and frankly melodramatic and
acting like a complete baby number four
Mike Myers The Cat in the Hat monster
for those who grew up loving but can the
Hat and dr. Seuss’s other colorful
stories this movie felt like a slap in
the face and though Mike Myers has made
some rather questionable movie choices
over the years it seems to his
participation in this particular
travesty was not of his own volition
why I’m the Cat in the Hat when a script
bringing his SNL character D etre to
life proved subpar Myers reportedly
backed out of the film and Universal
sued it was ultimately settled out of
court and the details are murky but the
consensus is the Cat in the Hat was the
compromise
according to co-star Amy hill Myers
disdain was rather palpable on set
without my hat I’m just your
garden-variety six foot tall talking cat
number three
Geena Davis cutthroat island bad don’t
this action-adventure rom-com is widely
recognized as one of the biggest
box-office flops in cinematic history
and the film that took pirate films off
the map until Disney took on the genre
later cutthroat island would not have
involved Geena Davis if she’d had her
way
when co-star Michael Douglas dropped out
of the film Davis saw the winds changing
and tried to jump ship as well
unfortunately for her unlike Michael
Douglas her participation had already
been made legally bonding in addition to
sinking production company Corral ko
pictures it is also remembered as the
film that irreparably damaged Geena
Davis’s career sweetheart
I promised I’d take care of you number
two Marlon Brando Desiree exactly do you
wish to be unlike so many other films on
our list today this 1954 picture by 20th
Century Fox was reasonably well received
by critics earning two Academy Award
nominations for costume design and art
direction the film is far from a
masterpiece and as far as Brando’s
filmography is concerned is little more
than a forgettable footnote had brando
got in his way though it wouldn’t have
had a place on his resume whatsoever I
must go now say goodbye to my family I’m
leaving for patters in the morning
however after signing on to play the
Egyptian for 20th Century Fox he walked
away due to problems with the script
thoughts suit and Desiro served as the
forgettable compromise between the actor
and the studio French tendons in the
dirt before we unveil our topic here are
a few honorable mentions you can be my
wingman any time
bullshit you can be mine okay you get
the call he’s gonna get you to safety
you know you run you don’t stop you
don’t hide you’re right
you hear what I’m saying number one
Whoopi Goldberg Theodore Rex what are
you doing
kids these days aren’t very familiar
with Whoopi Goldberg but the e got
winner was once a truly marketable star
though she continued to land some solid
roles after this farce of a film it’s
hard not to draw a correlation between
the overall tipping quality roles and
her involvement with one Theodore Rex
get me down now
Goldberg verbally agreed to do the film
in 1992 and then tried to back out only
to be hit with a twenty million dollar
lawsuit in the end
Goldberg begrudgingly played the part
but continues to insist that it’s one of
her biggest regrets after terrible test
screenings the film was sent straight to
video da do you agree with our picks
check out these other great clips from
WatchMojo and subscribe for new videos
every day
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