Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt will forever be compared. Both have enjoyed tremendous careers, taking on different roles. Still to this day, Tom Cruise is at the top of his game coming off Top Gun: Maverick. Brad Pitt is also getting older like a fine wine, once again thriving in Bullet Train.
Despite being masters of their crafts, Cruise and Pitt had a bit of a troublesome relationship during Interview with the Vampire.
We'll look back at that ordeal and how they almost reunited in 2019, actually getting to read lines together for a major film.
Brad Pitt And Tom Cruise Didn't Hit It Off During Interview With The Vampire
Although the 1994 film changed his career, Brad Pitt was not fond of the circumstances during the shoot for Interview with the Vampire. Especially when the shoot moved to London, the actor revealed that things got very depressing off the set.
"London was dark. London was dead of winter. We're shooting in Pinewood (Studios), which is an old institution -- all the James Bond films. There's no windows in there. It hasn't been refabbed in decades. You leave for work in the dark -- you go into this cauldron, this mausoleum -- and then you come out and it's dark," he stated alongside Nola.
It was also said that things were so bad, that Pitt actually contemplated leaving the film altogether, though was told that the studio would file a lawsuit for millions... therefore, he did not make that decision.
Not only was the shoot a struggle but working alongside Tom Cruise was also quite the experience. According to Pitt at the time, it was evident that the two had different styles.
"You gotta understand, Tom and I are... we walk in different directions. He's North Pole. I'm South. He's coming at you with a handshake [Pitt mimicked Cruise's hyper-aggressive hello] where I may bump into you, I may not, you know?"
Pitt would further reveal that there was always an "underlying competition" between the two as well.
Following the film, both stars went in different directions, both enjoying success. However, a few years back, the opportunity did arise for the two to reunite.
Joseph Kosinski Brought Both Tom Cruise And Brad Pitt In For Ford V Ferrari
Ford V Ferrari turned into a good success at the box office. However, the film could have looked drastically different, and that started behind the camera.
At the start, Joseph Kosinski was attached to the project. He had a different vision for the stars of the film, and that involved Brad Pitt and yes, you guessed it, Tom Cruise. Kosinski himself revealed that a table read actually took place with the two potential candidates.
"And that story was one of those great stories of an incredible friendship and an incredible rivalry and an incredibly dangerous race. So we, I wouldn't say we got close to production, but I got to the point where I had Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt at a table reading the script together, which was pretty amazing. But we couldn't get the budget to the number it had to be at."
Given Cruise's prior role in Days Of Thunder, we have no doubt it would have been something to behold. Add Brad Pitt, and we got herself a major film!
Despite the huge potential, plans were nixed due to budget costs. Looks like the trio might've asked for a premium.
Matt Damon And Christian Bale Stepped In Instead
James Mangold ultimately took control of the film behind the camera, and he did quite the job. The film got great reviews, receiving 8 stars on platforms like IMDb, while getting nominated for several Academy Awards.
It was also a success at the box office, bringing in $225 million.
As for the budget, it still seemed very high, at a near $100 million, with Christian Bale and Matt Damon appearing as the stars of the film.
We can only imagine the type of budget the film would have had the initial crew featuring Cruise and Pitt taken over... Though for argument’s sake, maybe the box office numbers might've gone up a couple of notches.