When Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise dropped out of the title role in an action thriller originally called “Edwin A. Salt”, a sweat broke out on the forehead of director Phillip Noyce. Who could he effectively replace Cruise with, that would insure that the project would become a blockbuster smash, or at least prevent the movie’s producers (Lorenzo di Bonaventura) and other backers from going bankrupt? – now a days the going budget on a big-time Hollywood action movie is about $200,000,000.
Perhaps not the logical filler, but a provocative idea, at least, he chose Angelina Jolie. In an art form in which William Shakespeare of old is like Bill Gates and Moses all rolled up into one, the choice shows that in terms of the gender clause, times have very much changed. The script was rewritten — including changing the character’s name to “Evelyn” and the title of the film to “Salt”.
Jolie’s track record proves that despite the fact that she is not Tom Cruise, nor a man, she can draw mega audiences to the box office. She won an Oscar in 2001′s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”, which grossed over $130 million. In 2005 “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” became the most successful film for both her and hubby Brad Pitt’s careers. And in last year’s “Wanted” she sealed her mega-star notoriety. That film earned $134 million domestically, plus $207 million in foreign markets.
In “Salt,” Angelina plays a CIA operative who is accused of being a Russian agent, who is plotting to assassinate the President.
Cruise dropped out of the role because he felt that the serious backdrop was too similar to his “Mission Impossible” flicks. He is doing a comedic action caper with Cameron Diaz instead, entitled, “Knight & Day”.
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