It takes a community to stay relevant in the public eye for decades and be the superstar they would invest in regardless of anything else. Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt have dominated their respective genres in the West, and both are still in high demand. Every announcement creates a buzz, and when a film is out, fans pack the theatres, resulting in unfathomable box office most of the time. But did you know there was a period when these two could have collaborated on a classic film and even romanced each other?
To quell your curiosity, we'll tell you the title of the film. It's none other than ‘Brokeback Mountain’, one of Hollywood's most legendary films. The film, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger opposite each other, is acclaimed as one of the most sophisticated dramas about two men falling in love with each other. (Also Read: Origin: A Film On The Struggles Of Lower Classes Featuring B.R. Ambedkar Is Getting All Praises In Hollywood! (Details Inside))
But did you know that the director preferred Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in his film? Yes, back in 2018, filmmaker Gus Van Sant stated that he wanted prominent personalities to draw crowds to his film, so he approached the two stars and others. They, however, rejected it.
According to Marca, the director of Brokeback Mountain corroborated this rumour a few years ago, saying he approached Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt before casting Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in the legendary roles.
He said, “Nobody wanted to do it. I was working on it, and I felt we needed a really strong cast, like a famous cast. That wasn’t working. I asked the usual candidates: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ryan Phillippe. They all said no.”
It's unclear whether this is for either of the roles or both coming together to romance each other, but the latter is more likely given Gus' desire for big actors to star in the film. Both performers must be kicking themselves for passing on the film now that it has become a cult classic.