James Cameron’s Solution for ‘Gravity’ Could Have Easily Backfired for Sandra Bullock’s Highest Earning Actress Status

Sandra Bullock can easily be one of the most bankable actresses in Hollywood. She has an Academy Award by her side, perfectly solidifying her versatility as an actress. She has a string of well-acclaimed and commercially successful movies to her name. But in this list, Gravity directed by Alfonso Cuarón would definitely be her most successful movie.

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in Gravity | Credits: Warner Bros.

Also featuring George Clooney alongside Bullock, the movie broke all records when it was released in 2013. And also swept the entire Oscars that year with back-to-back wins. While the movie created instant magic on the big screen, Cuarón had to deal with a lot of budget issues. And friendly advice by filmmaker James Cameron would have completely changed the movie as well as Bullock’s highest-paid actress status.

James Cameron’s Advice for Gravity Might Have Changed Sandra Bullock’s Career Trajectory

Gravity took the world by storm when it was released in 2013. But making a movie of such a grand scale was not an easy feat and director Alfonso Cuarón, faced a lot of hurdles financially. When he presented the script to Warner Bros., the studio was reluctant to allocate such a big funding. Further, the movie also needed extensive technology, which added more hurdles to the project.

Sandra Bullock in Gravity | Credits: Warner Bros.

It was after this budget setback that he got in touch with other filmmakers (via Indie Wire). Firstly, he met David Fincher, who strongly advised him to wait for another 6 years as “there’s no tech.” After this, James Cameron suggested a way to make the movie, but the budget for the same would be a staggering $400 million. But Cameron’s plan had a setback for actress Sandra Bullock who was leading the project.

In Hollywood, there was a stereotype that such high-budget movies should only feature male leads. And no studio would have left the entire movie on Bullock’s shoulders, as it would have been a huge risk for the business. Thankfully, the filmmaker did not move ahead with Cameron’s plan and used technology known as The Volume.

Cuarón’s hard work proved to be successful, given that the movie earned $716 million worldwide. Further, it also made Bullock the highest-paid actress, with a paycheck of around $70 million after adding all the necessary revenue elements.

Surpassing actresses like Jennifer Lawrence ($34 million for The Hunger Games franchise), Jennifer Aniston ($31 million for We’re the Millers and Horrible Bosses 2), and Gwyneth Paltrow ($19 million for Iron Man 3). Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) and Cameron Diaz (various comedy movies) tied on the list with $18 million respectively (via Forbes).

Not Sandra Bullock, but Angelina Jolie Was the First Choice for Gravity

After the critical acclaim of Children of Men in 2006, director Alfonso Cuarón teamed up with Universal Pictures for Gravity. However, concerns about how to market such an ambitious film led the studio to withdraw from the project. Fortunately, Warner Bros. stepped in, having previously collaborated with Cuarón on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Angelina Jolie in Maria | Credits: Netflix

In early 2010, actor Robert Downey Jr. signed on as the male lead, but the search for a female lead proved difficult. While Angelina Jolie was initially considered for the role, negotiations with her fell through, leaving the studio in search of a new star.

Warner Bros. explored several options, even testing actresses like Blake Lively, but ultimately shifted their focus to Natalie Portman. However, she was pregnant at the time and wanted a break from acting, putting Gravity back at square one. After her Oscar-winning role in The Blind Side, Sandra Bullock was eager for a challenging role, and the filmmaker quickly moved to secure her for the movie.

Just as production was set to begin, Downey had to exit due to scheduling conflicts with Iron Man 3. Luckily, George Clooney saved the day and got on board with the project.

You can watch Gravity on Apple TV.