The directors took it as a learning experience and ultimately used it to change the film’s fate.
In 2013, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s comedy film “This Is the End” featured a star-studded cast playing themselves in an apocalyptic scenario. However, one key cast member who could have been part of the film rejected it.
Daniel Radcliffe almost played the lead in the comedy film that was quite different from “Harry Potter,” the famous role for which he is best known. However, due to reservations about the script, Radcliffe declined the role.
Rogen and Goldberg revealed this during an interview with Buzzfeed, with Goldberg saying, “Two years before we brought it to anybody else, we brought it to Daniel Radcliffe, and he rejected it because it was s***ty, it wasn’t good enough.”
The two filmmakers, however, used the actor’s refusal as a learning experience since he was deemed correct in his assessment of the screenplay’s first draft. They even acknowledged that the script was in a different place when it got to Radcliffe, which played a part in turning down the role, and they used his criticism to improve the humor and script of the film.
“It was a bad early version. He taught us a lesson. We learned something from him that day,” he counted, also stating that if they had asked Radcliffe to do the film later, he might have accepted the role.
After that, they revealed that other celebrities, including Edward Norton, Elizabeth Banks, and Bill Hader, were also considered for roles in the film. But, scheduling issues prevented them from joining the star-studded cast, which included Emma Watson.
As a matter of fact, Watson was first puzzled by the film’s idea, but she was captivated by the writing and couldn’t pass up the chance to participate in such a distinctive production.
In an interview with Flicks and Bits, acquired by Digital Spy, the actress said, “I thought it sounded crazy. I remember trying to get my head around it on the phone to my agent, who was like, ‘So, it’s Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill and James Franco and Danny McBride and all these other comedians.’”
“‘Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are making it, and all the actors are playing themselves, and it’s going to be the end of the world… and they want you in the movie.’”
The finished version of “This Is the End” was a great hit, receiving favorable reviews and bringing in more than $126 million at the box office. With the help of Radcliffe’s input, Goldberg and Rogen improved the writing for the film, creating a subtler and more complex humor than what had been originally planned.
Besides, Goldberg also thought that the early draft of the script, which included “Harry Potter” references and James Franco as a materialistic, arrogant character, was too blatant. Later on, Jonah Hill’s character development into a giant softy and Franco’s sympathetic adoration for Seth were both incorporated into the new draft.
This is a perfect example of how constructive criticism may result in fruitful results. Even though Radcliffe declined the part, his open criticism eventually resulted in a more popular movie.