Why Robin Wright Replaced An Oscar Winner In Unbreakable

Nobody does it quite like M. Night Shyamalan. The man has been making original movies for most of his career, save for the occasional adaptation like "The Last Airbender" (the less said about that one, the better). It's rare, particularly in the modern era, but Shyamalan has built up enough cache with audiences to do that, dating back to his breakout smash hit "The Sixth Sense" in 1999. In the aftermath of that success, Shyamalan pretty much had a blank check to do whatever he wanted. His choice? An unconventional one for the time. He made "Unbreakable," which was a very unique take on the superhero genre. It was also a movie that nearly featured an Oscar-winning actor in one of the leading roles.

For those who may need a brief refresher, "Unbreakable" centers on a man named David Dunn (Bruce Willis), who is the sole survivor of a horrible train wreck. A mysterious stranger named Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) then tracks him down to offer a bizarre explanation as to why David escaped without a single scratch. In short? He's a real-life superhero. Facing this possible reality turns David's life upside down.

In the film, Robin Wright, known then for roles in movies like "Forrest Gump" and "The Princess Bride," plays David's wife, Audrey Dunn, in Shyamalan's sophomore directorial effort. However, it was originally supposed to be Julianne Moore, who was coming off Oscar nominations for her roles in "Boogie Nights" and "The End of the Affair," in that part. Shyamalan, speaking with Variety (via The Guardian) when she first signed on, was very complimentary of Moore's talents:

"Julianne is on a very short list of naturalistic actresses working in the business. She is able to emote and really connect with audiences, and will be a great match with Bruce. Julianne adds a lot of class to the project.”

So, what happened, exactly? It came down to scheduling conflicts and choices made on Moore's part. Ultimately, the actor decided to star in director Ridley Scott's "Hannibal," a sequel to "Silence of the Lambs." As Entertainment Weekly reported in 2000, Wright "was a late replacement for Julianne Moore, who bowed out to make 'Hannibal.'" Moore, understandably, felt pressure in replacing Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling. Be that as it may, on paper, it was a massive opportunity.

Scott, at the time, was coming off of "Gladiator," which was a huge hit that went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. "Silence of the Lambs" was also a massive success that also won Best Picture. Shyamalan was red hot, but had only delivered one big movie, admittedly a really big one, but there was no guarantee there. So, Wright stepped in to take her place. For both of these actors, it's fair to say things worked out rather well.

Though perhaps not as big as their respective predecessors, both "Unbreakable" and "Hannibal" were quite lucrative at the box office. Admittedly, "Unbreakable" was pretty ahead of its time as far as the superhero movie phenomenon goes. Beyond that, both Wright and Moore have gone on to have incredible careers. Wright, for her part, starred in one of Netflix's first big original shows in "House of Cards," for which she won a Golden Globe. Wright has also starred in quite a few big movies, including "Moneyball," "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "Wonder Woman," and "Blade Runner 2049," among others.

Meanwhile, Moore has also had a great run over the last 20 years thanks to her roles in movies like "The Hours," "Children of Men," "Crazy, Stupid, Love," the "Hunger Games" franchise, and "Still Alice," which finally won her a sorely deserved Oscar for Best Actress. Neither "Unbreakable" nor "Hannibal" suffered as a result of Moore dropping out of the former, nor did her or Wright's impressive careers.

"Unbreakable" is streaming now on Hulu, or you can pick up a copy on Blu-ray/DVD via Amazon.