Owen Wilson was supposed to star in a movie about OJ Simpson. However, he refused the twelve million dollar fee.
Hollywood star Owen Wilson (55) has turned down a leading role in the film “The Justice” and thus a fee of twelve million dollars. In the film, Wilson was cast as Douglas McCann, a lawyer who represented OJ Simpson in court in 2000. The film portrays Simpson as innocent. Wilson is said to have turned down the role, saying, “If you think I’m playing the lead in a movie about the innocence of OJ, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Satirical thriller”
“The Justice” revolves around Simpson’s alleged murders of his German-born ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her acquaintance Ron Goldman. Simpson’s lawyer, Douglas McCann, who represented him in court in 2000, is also at the center of the story. Hollywood superstar Owen Wilson was chosen for this role. Charlotte Kirk (31) as Brown and Vienna-born Boris Kodjoe (51) as Simpson were cast in other leading roles. The film sees itself as a “satirical thriller” – probably one of the reasons for Wilson’s clear rejection.
“You must be kidding me.”
According to director Joshua Newton (55), he was recently offered the role of Simpson’s lawyer and received a harsh rejection. “Owen Wilson was perfect for the role,” said Newton. “We met in Santa Monica. Everyone loved the script. His agent wanted him to do it and we offered him $12 million. But at the end of the lunch, Owen stood up and said, ‘If you believe I’m the lead in a movie about OJ’s innocence, then you’ve got to be kidding me.'” Owen Wilson’s management has not yet commented on the incident.
Another actor was found to “perfectly match”.
What would the late OJ Simpson have thought of the film project and Wilson’s reaction? In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the two murders. At the same time, in 1997, a jury in civil court found Simpson responsible for “intentionally and wrongfully” causing the deaths of Brown and Goldman and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to their families. Back in 2020, “The Hollywood Reporter” reported, citing Newton’s lawyer Larry Caldwell, that “The Juice” (then called “Nicole & OJ”) had filmed at least 90 percent of the material with Kirk and Kodjoe. According to “The Hollywood Reporter”, director Newton is now said to have managed to find another actor who was “perfectly suited” for Wilson’s role.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
