No matter how ingenious the director is or how good the script is, the success of the movie primarily lies in the hands of the actors. The audience is always waiting for the sequels to drop so that they can meet with their favorite characters again. But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and the main stars have to be changed to someone completely different.
Here are seven actor replacements that ruined the sequels.
1. Val Kilmer/George Clooney — “Batman and Robin”
Bob Kane, Batman’s creator, called Kilmer the best film incarnation of the hero, and the audience liked him. However, due to personal conflicts and just being a jerk, he was eventually fired and quickly replaced by George Clooney. “Batman and Robin” was such hot garbage that it almost killed Clooney’s entire movie career. Fortunately, the actor didn’t give up, although he learned his lesson: no more superhero flicks!
2. Michelle Pfeiffer/Halle Berry — “Catwoman”
Michelle Pfeiffer did an outstanding job playing Catwoman in Batman Returns. She probably singlehandedly boosted the character’s popularity with all that sexuality and talent. So naturally, the next step is a solo movie. But oopsie, Pfeiffer was not available, so they cast an equally hot and talented Hollywood star — Halle Berry. The movie didn’t stand a chance. Everything from the script to crappy effects was working against it. In the end, “Catwoman” was awarded several Golden Raspberries at once, including one for the worst female role.
3. Jodie Foster/Julianne Moore — “Hannibal”
“Silence of the Lambs” has become an instant classic of 20th-century cinema. Jodie Foster played the young FBI agent Clarice, but due to another movie contract, she could not star in the sequel, so the director decided to replace her with Julianne Moore. Even though Jullian gave her all, she could not recapture Hannibal and Clarice’s magical chemistry.
4. Rachel Weisz/Maria Bello — Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
“The Mummy” was a breakthrough hit in Brendan Fraser’s career and introduced the world to the stunning actress Rachel Weisz. They were back to raiding tombs in “The Mummy Returns,” which was still great, but unfortunately, Weiss was not ready to shoot the third part. She was tired of all the sand and didn’t like the script, so the studio brought in Maria Bello. The fans went furious, the movie bombed, and Fraser’s career slowly fizzled out.
5. Robin Williams/Dan Castellaneta — Genie
One of the most successful Disney cartoons is the 1992’s Aladdin. One of the main reasons why it’s so popular is the phenomenal voice acting of the late comedy genius Robin Williams, who voiced Genie. The first one was fun, but the actor refused to work on the sequel “Return of Jafar” and was replaced by Dan Castellaneta — the voice of Homer Simpson. Alas, Dan could not replicate Williams’ charisma and spontaneity.
6. Linda Hamilton/Lena Headey/Emilia Clarke — Terminator
Even though Linda Hamilton failed to recapture her success after the first two Terminator films, she was still the best Sarah Connor we could ask for. Lena Headey was the first actress to replace Linda in the 2008 series, which got canceled after two seasons. But then, in 2015, Emilia Clarke popped up as the young Sarah Connor in “Terminator Genesis.” If you don’t remember it, count your blessings and watch the originals!
7. Megan Fox/Rosie Huntington-Whiteley — Transformers
While trying to film the third “Transformers” movie, the conflict between Megan Fox and Michael Bay reached such Biblical proportions that Mr. Big Explosions called her a mediocre actress and kicked her out of the project. But where would he find a replacement for a sexy young girl in Hollywood of all places? Oh, right, there are thousands of eager fresh faces there, but Bay decided to hire the long-legged Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Excellent choice, Mikey!
