The movie business is as tough as it gets to break into, especially for young performers who haven’t made a name for themselves yet. People make it happen every single year, but this does not change the fact that it can take years before something happens. Sure, Harry Potter helped many young stars get their start, but stars like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez got their start on television.
During the 90s, Scarlett Johansson was a total unknown child actor who had plenty of potential, and at one point, she found herself in contention for a 90s movie that would have changed the game for her at an early age.
Here’s the story behind Scarlett Johansson being up for Jumanji!
She Was Up For Judy In 'Jumanji'
Being a child performer is as tough as it gets in the entertainment industry, as every kid out there is looking to make some headway for themselves in a cutthroat business. During the 90s, Scarlett Johansson was still a child performer looking to find her big break, and at one point, she was in consideration for a lead role in the film Jumanji.
Prior to the 1995 release of Jumanji, Scarlett Johansson had only appeared in one film during her short acting career. That film, which was 1994’s North, briefly featured a young Scarlett Johansson, but at the end of the day, the film was nowhere close to being a success and virtually no one remembers it or Johansson’s appearance.
Despite the fact that she was a total unknown at the time, the producers behind Jumanji were still interested in bringing in the young Johansson for an audition. The audition process is incredibly difficult for adults, so we can only imagine what it’s like for a kid to have to go through something like this. Interestingly, Johansson’s audition tape for the role in Jumanji can be found online. In the clip, she is just a kid and is nowhere near the type of performer that she is now.
Even though she was in consideration for the role, there were a lot of other people up for the job, including some that had a lot more experience than Johansson did up to that point.
Kirsten Dunst Got The Role
Nothing is ever guaranteed in the industry, and while Kirsten Dunst already had a wealth of experience under her belt prior to auditioning for Jumanji, she was still going to have to prove herself to the people making the film.
Dunst had landed her first film role back in 1989 and was also able to secure roles and follow-up projects in movies and on the small screen. A huge career breakthrough for Dunst came in 1994 when she had a major role in the film Interview with the Vampire, alongside A-list talent like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. The film went on to be a massive success at the box office, and it did wonders for the things Kirsten Dunst would go on to do.
Eventually, the young, proven actress was able to secure the lead role in Jumanji. According to The-Numbers, that film would go on to rake in $262 million at the global box office, making it a successful project for all parties involved. It would go on to be considered a classic of the decade and it was instrumental in the modern Jumanji films we see now becoming hugely successful.
As for the young Johansson who didn’t get a chance to star in the hit film, well, let’s just say things were able to work out in the end.
Things Worked Out Fine For Johansson
It would take a number of years from that point, but eventually, Scarlett Johansson would start landing roles that would help her build up some credibility in the movie business. Once the ball was officially rolling in her career, it seemed like the only direction she was going was up, and down the line, Johansson would become a massive star.
She does have some television credits to her name, but primarily her works have been focused on her big screen endeavors. These days, she is easily known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the character Black Widow, who is slated to release a solo film in 2021.
Not only has Johansson been able to thrive as one of the primary characters in the MCU, but she has also been in hit films like Lucy, Sing, The Jungle Book, and Lost in Translation. These are some truly remarkable credits to have, and it shows the type of faith that studios have in her abilities on screen and her ability to draw in a global audience.
Scarlett Johansson may have lost out on the chance to star in Jumanji, but she would go on to do incredible things.