- Jonny Lee Miller, Mindhunters, 2004. Butler, who would play enough FBI agents in his career, preferred to they Timeline games. His rejected science fictionist title proves to be Cluedo Meets The FBI on the cliché isolated island (in Holland), (no, really), where profilers are being trained… and killed. The title is FBI slang for its ISU, Investigative Support Unit, assisting US cops in tracking mainly serial killers. Released (more like escaped) in 2005.. Miller and Butler had co-starred in Dracula 2001.
- Liam Neeson, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, 2005. Butler auditioned for voicing CS Lewis’ legendary, not to say Christ-like lion, Aslan, But first, he had a question. “This isn’t going to be like the BBC puppet Aslan, right? Because, if so, I’m leaving right now.” He stayed but didn’t get the job. Nor did Brian Cox. Neeson nailed it. (As did Omar Sharif for the French lingo release).
- Daniel Craig, Casino Royale, 2005.
- Liev Schreiber, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, 2008. Schreiber was asked to play William Stryker but he prefered Victor Creed – aka Supervillain Sabretooth, aka Wolverine’s half-brother. “The most monstrous role I’ve played.” Having worked together in Kate & Leopold, 2000, Hugh Jackman – Wolverine, himself – recommended Liev for his half-brother and nemesis. Consequently, Butler, ex-wrestler Tyler Mane (too old to reprise the role from X-Men, 1999) and The Lord of the Rings’ Eomer, Karl Urbain, were simply swept aside.aka Wolverine’s half-brother.
- Jamie Foxx, Law Abiding Citizen, 2008. The Scot was set to be the Philadelphia DA dealing with Jamie’s ingenious, vengeful killer (while in prison!). Then, Jamie (with the clout of an Oscar) asked to swop and Butler duly agreed.. “Jamie as Nick… and me as Clyde? That would be awesome!” Butler certainly was – he had the better role, by far.
- Tom Cruise, Knight and Day, 2009. As the actioner changed over the years on shelves – and laptops – from All New Enemies to Trouble Man to Wichita, buddies Gene Hackman and Long morphed into Cruise and Cameron Diaz. And still flopped. Final title was, literally, senseless.
- John Cusack, 2012, 2009.nnnButler’s agenda prevented him from joining German director Roland Emmerich’s final (hopefully) disaster movie.
-
Paul Bettany, Priest, 2010. Once the bulky Irishman proved too busy for the vampiric Western, director Scott Stewart called up one off the stars of his supernatural debut, Legion, 2009. And so Bettany was religious for the fourth time after another cleric in The Reckoning, 2001, and a monk in Da Vinci Code, 2005, and, of course, Legion’s Archangel Michael.
- Tom Felton, Therese, 2012. Actor and stage directorCharlie Stratton spent years – “decades!” – preparing his film directing debut(after shorts and TV work) – his version of Emile Zola’s 1867 classic, Thérèse Raquin. Kate Winslet was set for the lead for a long time, then Jessica Biel took over – with Butler as her adulterous lover, Laurent. Finally, when Stratton started shooting in East Europe, the new lover was Draco Malfoy, all grownup from his Harry Potter days.
- Edgar Ramiez, Point Break, 2014. Due to “a confluence of factors” (that’s a new one!), Butler quit the re-tread and the Carlos find became Bodhi, the Zen-infused thief opposite Luke Bracey’s FBI agent Johnny Utah. (Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in 1990).
- Ben Affleck, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2015.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 10