It looks like Terrence Malick is not the only Hollywood director cutting big name stars from his movies. Ang Lee has completely cut Tobey Maguire from LIFE OF PI and recast the role.
LIFE OF PI hits theaters in just a few months and Lee felt that Maguire was too recognizable and would overshadow the lesser known actors in the rest of the movie. Maguire was set to play the reporter who interviews the main character regarding his adventures, which are told in flashback.
The reporter role has been recast with Rafe Spall, who last appeared in PROMETHEUS.
When asked about the cut, Maguire said “I fully support Ang’s decision to go a different direction for this role in Life of Pi. Ang shared a lot of the film with me, and what I saw was absolutely beautiful.” The actor had previously worked with Lee on RIDE WITH THE DEVIL.
Ang Lee said “To be consistent with the other casting choices made for the film, I decided to go with an entirely international cast. I very much admire Tobey and look forward to working with him again in the future.”
LIFE OF PI also stars Irrfan Khan, Gérard Depardieu, and Suraj Sharma. it opens in theaters on November 21st.