A Pretty girl Reunion, Ben Affleck’s cool Feet and a $17 Million Payday: 20 Secrets About Runaway Bride Revealed
by Tierney Bricker | Tue., Jul. 30, 2019 3:00 AM
It absolutely was the film 10 years into the making—in more ways than one.
Nine years after Pretty Woman made Julia Roberts a superstar and switched Richard Gere into one of Hollywood’s many sought-after leading men, the iconic on-screen pair finally reunited in Runaway Bride.
Released on July 30, 1999, Roberts and Gere again teamed up along with their Pretty Woman manager Garry Marshall, who passed on in 2016, for the romantic-comedy about a little city woman therefore scared of dedication that she is dashed through the altar 3 times and also the jaded divorced newsprint columnist determined to see her run for the time that is fourth. Obviously, they fall in love.
Fans sprinted to your movie movie theater to start to see the set’s chemistry, making Runaway Bride, which was in fact within the works for over ten years with numerous other superstars connected to star at some time, a more impressive blockbuster hit than Pretty Woman, that has been released in 1990.
But simply it was more successful, as Runaway Bride failed to captivate critics (earning just a 46 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and even had one of its stars later admitting it just didn’t capture the magic of their previous film because it made more money than Pretty Woman doesn’t mean. (Plus, one of Roberts’ other iconic rom-coms—Notting Hill—came out simply weeks before.)
Nevertheless, compliment of Roberts and Gere’s effortless charm and charisma—both independently and combined—and Marshall’s knack for the genre, Runaway Bride has guaranteed an area as you of Hollywood’s many suffering intimate comedies, even though it had been hardly ever made along with an ending that is different one point.
Through the A-listers that have been initially expected to star when you look at the film in 1991 to Roberts’ own experience as a bride that is runaway listed here are 20 enjoyable facts you will possibly not realize about Runaway Bride.
1. Although the concept seemed tailor-made for Gere and Roberts to own their Pretty Woman followup, Runaway Bride ended up being really when you look at the works well with over 10 years, with numerous other famous actors set to try out the battling bride-to-be (times four) and cynical journalist.
First up? In 1992, Geena Davis and Harrison Ford had been set to lead the film, however it dropped aside once the director that is first in had difficulties with the script. Within the next couple of years, movie movie stars like Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, Ellen DeGeneres and Mel Gibson had been all into the mix.
2. However in 1996, Sandra Bullock ended up being enthusiastic about playing Maggie and urged the task ahead. Until she then had some hesitations–much like Maggie together with her suitors–and had been away, with Ben Affleck and Tea Leoni in speaks to take control, aided by the studio liking the notion of a more youthful few. However when Affleck passed, one of many manufacturers made a decision to approach Gere.
3. As he adored the script, Gere had one condition the studio needed to fulfill before he finalized on to relax and play Ike: “Whenever you can get Julia, i am in.” Roberts, who’d initially been not sure regarding the film whenever she read a version that is previous of script years prior, made a decision to take another appearance. And following a telephone call along with her old Pretty lady main character, the film movie movie stars had been prepared to reunite.
“People have already been hoping to get them right straight back together for nine years,” studio producer Tom Rosenberg told The Los Angeles instances. “And abruptly it happened—it ended up being all settled in a week.”
4. The phone that is next had been one Gere and Roberts will have to make together, while they had to pursue their Pretty Woman manager to help make the reunion formally complete by directing their love tale once more. There was clearly one hitch however, as Marshall had guaranteed to just take their spouse to Australia for the vacation that is much-needed.
“They said, ‘Get off the phone, we should speak to your spouse,” Marshall recalled to your publication. “They shared with her things such as, ‘ exactly How usually do we get to be able to try this?’ and, ‘we are going to just just take excellent care of him,’ therefore finally we stated, ‘OK, I’ll take action.'”
5. The trio’s provided history made filming Runaway Bride a fairly stress-free experience for the trio, with Marshall noting a big change in their main character, now equipped with a decade of expertise on sets along with stardom.
“Richard was indeed really careful on Pretty girl, but this time around he had been much more prepared to be funny,” the manager stated. “Mostly we chatted within our own little shorthand. All I had to complete ended up being yell ‘Action’ and ‘Shut up.'”
6. After getting A-listers Roberts and Gere agreeable, the film’s budget soared to $70 million, an unusually large number for an enchanting comedy. As well as back-end gross on the movie, Roberts obtained $17 million on her behalf dashes through the altar, while Gere pocketed $12 million. The movie stars shown worthy of the big paydays, as Runaway Bride launched at # 1 during the package workplace, attracting a week-end total of around $35 million, definitely the opening that is best ever for a Roberts movie during the time.
7. While Runaway Bride went on to gross over $150 million domestically (and $300 million globally), learning to be a blockbuster hit, it received significantly less than stellar reviews, with Gere later on searching straight straight right back regarding the film in a job interview with Entertainment Weekly and admitting, “Whatever that secret was at the very first movie, you cannot make that take place. While there is some wonderful stuff in the film, it surely did not have the miracle of this very very first one. The expectation it was planning to have that exact same form of delicious secret had been reckless. It had been an unusual movie, it absolutely was a various time, she was at an alternative destination, I became in a new spot.”
8. Manufacturing descended upon the little city of Berlin, Md., making it the fictional and quirky Hale, Md. for the film, and place near to $1 million in to the economy that is local upped the true property market and very nearly doubling tourism following the https://ukrainianbrides.us movie’s launch.
“We have been totally astonished,” Berlin’s then Chamber president told The Baltimore Sun associated with the effect the film had around town of simply 3,000 individuals. “the film had been the Midas touch that introduced our city to many individuals. It place us regarding the map.”
9. When known as “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel, hosting the Roberts-Gere car continues to be a place of pride for Berlin, because of the city holding a Runaway Bride thirty days in August to commemorate the twentieth anniversary.
“People can be bought in in addition they wish to hear, ‘Hey did you receive to fulfill Richard Gere? what exactly is Julia Roberts like? Can we come across the home? Where had been the bridal shop?'” Ivy Wells, Economic and Community developing Director of Berlin, stated. “We thought guess what happens, we will supply the individuals what they need in addition they desire to commemorate the film so we are planning to take action up for the 20th anniversary.”