Why Brad Pitt Didn't Star In Christopher Nolan's Inception

Every actor has passed on projects they probably shouldn't have. Bruce Willis regretted turning down "Ocean's Eleven" so much he showed up in one of the sequels, while Will Smith famously said "no" to "The Matrix" (then made a bizarre music video 25 years later where he inserts himself back into the movie in place of Keanu Reeves). But Brad Pitt seems to have a particular talent for passing on movies that ultimately turned out to be massive hits.

In fairness, when you're arguably the biggest movie star in the world, you're going to get offered pretty much every role under the sun. In Pitt's case, that means he's had to turn down a heck of a lot of films, many of which turned out to be major hits. He turned down "American Psycho," which certainly wasn't a cultural phenomenon but has developed a significant cult following of its own since the Christian Bale-led Brett Easton Ellis adaptation debuted. What must have been much more frustrating was when he turned down the "Bourne" movies for a Tony Scott-directed spy film that, let's just say, failed to make the impact that Matt Damon's seminal spy saga did. And like Smith, Pitt was also offered the role of Neo in "The Matrix" but turned it down. It wouldn't be the last big budget sci-fi film both stars passed on, either.

Back in 2010, Christopher Nolan was finally able to make his long-gestating dream-stealer movie, for which he'd written an 80-page treatment long before he helmed 2005's "Batman Begins" and became a sought-after filmmaker. After 2008's "The Dark Knight," the British director finally broke the story. More importantly, Warner Bros and Legendary were willing to shell out to realize his highly ambitious sci-fi action thriller. All Nolan needed was a cast, and it seems Pitt was one of the actors he had in mind. Alas, this would be another major success that the veteran star turned down.

Christopher Nolan had the idea for a movie about a group of thieves who steal ideas directly out of peoples' heads by infiltrating their dreams for years before he was allowed to make it — though "Inception" started its life as a horror movie concept. After "The Dark Knight" cemented his standing as one of, if not the pre-eminent director of his generation, he could pretty much do whatever he wanted, and "Inception" was given the go-ahead. But Nolan kept everything about his unique sci-fi movie close to the chest throughout its production, even asking actors to either read the script in his office or read it at home while somebody stood guard.

It was during this time that Brad Pitt was sent one of these top-secret scripts. According to a 2010 article by The Hollywood Reporter, Nolan offered Pitt the chance to read the script, but there was a catch: He had to respond to the director within 48 hours or the role went to another star. The outlet claimed that when Pitt didn't respond, Nolan set his sights on none other than Will Smith, who evidently turned down "Inception" because he "didn't get it." It was only after this that Nolan contacted the man who would ultimately star as professional dream thief Dom Cobb, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Things clearly worked out with DiCaprio in the lead role. "Inception" made $826.8 million worldwide on a $160 million budget, won critical acclaim, and garnered eight Oscar nominations, ultimately winning in four categories. All of this makes the question of why Pitt turned down the film even more pertinent.

Filming for "Inception" took place throughout 2009. That same year, Brad Pitt starred in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," and in 2010 — the year "Inception" bowed — he appeared in just one film: "Megamind." That is, he lent his voice to that animated superhero comedy. 2011 then saw him appear in "The Tree of Life," "Moneyball," and "Happy Feet Two." None of those movies were shot in 2009. All of which is to say that Pitt's schedule appeared to be open enough that he could have fit "Inception" into his plans.

However, as THR noted, the two biggest movie stars in the world had reason to hesitate when deciding whether to commit to Christopher Nolan's mind-melting sci-fi project. We know that Will Smith didn't get it, and while Pitt hasn't commented on his decision to pass (or not respond to Nolan within the 48-hour time limit) it's likely the complex plot had something to do with his decision. After all, Leonardo DiCaprio remains confused by Nolan's film, and he starred in it.

Whatever the case, Pitt certainly didn't need "Inception" at the time and has been just fine without it — though with "Oppenheimer" becoming the first blockbuster to win Best Picture in 20 years, I'm sure Pitt would be open to working on anything with Nolan now. Interestingly enough, the director has confirmed that the actor read his script for "Memento" all the way back in the early 2000s and was interested in the project. Ultimately, the lead role in Nolan's breakthrough film went to Guy Pearce, but it seems a Pitt/Nolan collaboration has been close to happening more than once and may yet come to fruition in the future.