Julia Roberts wanted Pretty Woman to take a darker tone.
During her appearance on the Graham Norton Show on Friday, with Timothée Chalamet, Tom Hanks, and Cher, the 56-year-old actress said that she was “crushed” when the original version of the smash 1990 rom-com was shelved.
Roberts, who played professional escort Vivian Ward, claimed that “It was going to be a much darker film called $3,000.”
In the draft that was tossed out, “Vivian was a drug addict and the movie ended with [Richard Gere’s character Edward Lewis] leaving her in a side street, throwing the money at her, and driving away,” according to Roberts.
The Oscar-winning actress said she was “really proud” to have landed the role, but “when the production company folded and the film disappeared, I was crushed.”
“But then Disney picked it up, which seemed so unlikely, and made it funny,” that’s what she said.
Garry Marshall’s legendary 1990 romantic comedy tells the story of a wealthy businessman who employs an escort to accompany him to various functions, but they find up falling in love.
The picture grossed $463.5 million at the box office and is considered Roberts’ breakthrough role, garnering her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nod.