Movies - TV
Clint Eastwood Almost Threw Out Unforgiven's Screenplay Sight Unseen
By MATT RAINIS
"Unforgiven" can be seen as Clint Eastwood's magnum opus, and the script by David Webb Peoples was shopped around to multiple directors before finally landing on Eastwood’s desk. However, Eastwood’s collaborator Sonia Chernus recommended turning it down, saying, “Get rid of it fast,” and the actor considered taking her advice.
Luckily for Western fans, Eastwood did eventually read the script, and he loved it instantly. He liked it so much that he decided he'd direct and play the lead, but he wanted to wait until he was the right age to carry the role properly. It was love at first sight, and Eastwood was ready to put in the work to make the movie a reality.
By 1992 when the film was released, Sonia Chernus must have really regretted the call she made. The movie was both critically and commercially successful, and still serves as a proper swansong for the Western genre. If there's a lesson here, it's to never take a friend's movie recommendation — they might be dead wrong.