The Wachowski sisters, the masterminds behind the incredible storyline, only had one film in their minds before the first release. However, ‘The Matrix’ film was so critically acclaimed that it gave birth to sequels.
As with any massive franchises, it boosted its stars’ popularity even more. Keanu Reeves, who already was a well-known action celebrity at the time, gave an iconic take on Neo, the lead role in the films.
However, Brad Pitt was initially offered the job – but he declined. In doing so, he missed out on a whopping $250 million!
Successful Career
As Brad was already immensely prominent during the ‘90s, he didn’t really need ‘The Matrix’ for his career to flourish. He entered the scene in the ‘80s when he joined the cast of ‘Thelma and Louise’ and slowly but surely, he carved his own path.
It didn’t take too long before execs saw this heartthrob’s potential and hired him to become the lead star of several movies. ‘Kalifornia,’ ‘Interview with the Vampire,’ and ‘True Romance’ were some of his earlier works.
But what really thrust him to stardom was ‘Fight Club,’ which was released in 1999. Since then, Brad became a household name and went on to star in and produce numerous films.
Why Brad Pitt Passed On the Role
Because his popularity was already undeniable at the time, execs contacted him for ‘The Matrix.’ He was one of the most sought after stars of that generation, after all, so any film that would have his name would surely be a hit.
However, upon receiving the call, Brad felt that something didn’t feel right about it – so he declined the offer. The ‘World War Z’ star described that decision as the ‘red pill.’
Explaining he was only given the first film, Brad had this belief that if he didn’t get it, it was never his. In short, he thought that ‘The Matrix’ belonged to someone else.
This was not the only great film that Brad had said ‘no’ to. In fact, he quipped that if he were to discuss the many spectacular films he declined in a show, he would need two nights of it.
Losing Big Money
Although Brad seemed to be aware that he missed out on a great opportunity, we cannot hide the fact that he also said ‘goodbye’ to millions of dollars from ‘The Matrix’ franchise. After all, the films proved to be lucrative for Keanu, who bagged around $80 million per installment.
For the role in all the movies, Keanu received a staggering $250 million, which means Brad certainly lost the opportunity to earn that amount.
