Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is an infamously bleak anti-war film, but its infamous ending would have been sanitized if it weren't for Kirk Douglas.
The commercial success and critical acclaim for Little Miss Sunshine have ensured its place in the indie movie pantheon, but it almost got stuck in development.
Stanley Kubrick took a real creative risk when he changed Dr. Strangelove from a straight drama into a satiric comedy, almost losing the studio's approval.