The 1998 Jim Carrey dramedy The Truman Show underwent several changes after beginning life as a spec script in May 1991. Initially titled The Malcolm Show, the earliest treatment described it as a sci-fi thriller set in an alternate version of New York City. It would take a total of sixteen drafts before the story was considered suitable for filming. In the process, they lost Brian De Palma, who had been negotiating to direct before Peter Weir’s involvement.
De Palma reportedly wanted the film to be more voyeuristic, but ultimately dropped out to do Mission: Impossible. Several other directors were considered from there, including Tim Burton and even David Cronenberg. However, the darkness of screenwriter Andrew Niccol’s original script remained until Weir signed on.
In the early stages, Truman was an alcoholic who cheats on his wife with a prostitute that he makes dress up like Sylvia (Natasha McElhone). At one point, he witnesses an assault on the subway and fails to intervene.
Gary Oldman Once Screen-Tested for ‘The Truman Show’ in a Scene Too Dark for the Final Movie
Another dark sequence that was actually filmed involved Gary Oldman, who played Truman in a screen test. According to producer Lynn Pleshette, Truman’s belief that he’s being watched gets the best of him in the scene, culminating in him grabbing a stranger’s baby and threatening to drop it if the mother doesn’t admit she knows his name. The woman starts getting hysterical, and Truman finally hands her the baby, after which she says, “Thank you, Truman.”
The tone started to shift once Carrey agreed to star. As Weir explained later on, he admired Niccol’s script, but thought that the darkness and the big city setting undercut its credibility. During a 20th anniversary retrospective with Vanity Fair, Weir remembered thinking, “Why build a New York set? Too costly. And why would millions tune in 24/7 to something grim and depressing?” Producer Scott Rudin encouraged Weir to reimagine the project, and together he and Niccol reworked the story into a vehicle better suited to Carrey.
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