Woody Harrelson
Left: Benny and Joon
Reason: Wanted to Pursue Other Opportunities
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
The quaint “Benny And Joon” worked well with Johnny Depp in the lead role, but the original plan had Woody Harrelson in mind as the lead role.
But Harrelson, however, left the picture, when he was subsequently offered the main role in Adrian Lyne’s “Indecent Proposal” which became a much bigger hit.
Marlon Brando
Left: The Egyptian
Reason: Bad Health
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
Early in Marlon Brando's career, he was set to take lead in the film "The Egyptian." The role eventually went to Edmund Purdom, with Brando just making it through one rehearsal. After that, as the book "Casting Might-Have-Beens" describes, 20th Century Fox received a letter from Brando’s psychiatrist, which told the studio that the star was “too sick” to appear in the film.
Fox didn’t take this well, and in turn, sued Brando for reneging on his deal. Fox won, which wasn’t surprising given this was an era where studios ruled supreme over actors as the norm. Brando had to pay $75,000 for the delay he caused to "The Egyptian," and he also had to appear in another movie for the studio, which would be "Desiree."
Robert Redford
Left: Blue
Reason: Unknown
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
The little production of "Blue" eventually saw Terence Stamp take the lead role. But originally Robert Redford had signed up for this role. Redford, though, dropped out of the movie with just a week left before cameras were set to roll, and Paramount Pictures duly gave its lawyers a call.
Redford was sued for breaching his contract. It’s said that because of this, he refused to work with Paramount on "Rosemary’s Baby" shortly after when director Roman Polanski offered him the role of Guy Woodhouse.
Mario Lanza
Left: The Student
Reason: Unknown
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
This film from 1954 was originally set to see Mario Lanza star as Prince Karl. But soon after he was cast, he quit the role, and MGM sued him accordingly for $5 million.
Yet, a settlement was reached and Lanza provided the voice for the character of Prince Karl. With Edmund Purdom replacing him, thus he had to move his lips in time to the dialogue that Lanza had prerecorded for the role.
Evan Rachel Wood
Left: 10 Things I Hate About Life
Reasons: Personal
Est. Salary Loss: Unknown
The film was set to shoot at the start of 2013, but production was delayed four weeks after filming. What was the problem? She reportedly left the film back in 2013 for personal reasons, allegedly saying she couldn’t return until the end of the year.
It was revealed that a lawsuit was filed against the actress, claiming over $30 million in damages. That amount was made up of alleged lost profits, equity investments, and special damages. Evan Rachel Wood’s representatives declared the lawsuit “a bullying tactic from the broke producers,” claiming that they’d run out of money. Evan Rachel Wood denied the accusations in the lawsuit. The film remains unfinished, and it’s unclear just what happened with the lawsuit.