In 1969, director George Roy Hill's Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid became one of the most iconic Western movies of all time and a favorite film of mine when I was a kid. Thanks to a classic script, pitch-perfect chemistry between Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and a slew of memorable moments, the film has gone on to become a true Hollywood classic.
But, did you know that the movie almost starred Warren Beatty and Elvis Presley? Yep, the first choices for the title roles were not Newman and Redford at all, but Beatty and Presley. So, what happened? Let's take a closer look.
Beatty was originally attached to star as Butch Cassidy, with Presley set to play The Sundance Kid. However, after several months of development, Beatty dropped out due to creative differences with Hill, and according to some reports, he thought the story was too close to Bonnie and Clyde. Regardless of the reason, with Beatty out, so was Presley, and that's when Newman and Redford came into the picture.
Elvis did star in a few Westerns over the course of his acting career including the 1969 film Charro! along with Love Me Tender, Stay Away, Joe, Tickle Me, and Flaming Star.
Newman had actually been Hill's first choice for the role of Butch Cassidy, but the actor initially turned it down due to concerns about being typecast as an outlaw. However, after Beatty's departure from the project, Redford reconsidered and signed on, but only if Redford would play Sundance. Thankfully, Newman agreed, and the rest is history.
Can you imagine how different Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid would have been with Beatty and Presley in the lead roles? It's hard to say for sure, but one thing is certain, it would have been interesting to see two such larger-than-life personalities share the screen together.
It's hard to imagine anyone other than Paul Newman and Robert Redford starring in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, but that's exactly what almost happened. Can you imagine Elvis Presley as The Sundance Kid!? But that's exactly what could have happened if things had gone differently. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), we'll never know what could have been. We'll just have to continue to enjoy watching Paul Newman and Robert Redford in one of the greatest Westerns of all time.
I actually think Elvis would have been good in the role! I actually would have liked to see that. But, I’m completely happy with the actors that ended up in the role and the movie is one of my all-time favorites.
Via: /Film
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