The popular horror comedy “Hocus Pocus” and the most popular mouse house in the world had the actor in mind to bring “Max” to life
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Leonardo DiCaprio could have been “Max” (photo: instagram/@leonardodicaprio/@leonardodicapriofans/@hocuspocusmovie)
To speak of Leonardo DiCaprio is to mention great Hollywood film productions such as Titanic-the most awarded and nominated film in the history of the Oscars-, his eccentric romances with well-known women in the acting industry and even his continued activism for the rights of the LGBT+ community.
Despite this, the beginning of his career was also full of controversy, despite the fact that thanks to his great talent he quickly positioned himself as one of the promises within the seventh art and over time he has shown it in more than one film likeThe Man in the Iron Mask, Blood Diamond and The Revenant, a film that gave him his first and only Oscar in 88th Academy Awards ceremony.
Even without knowing it, many years ago, when he was just a young artist, the actor was already so coveted by production houses, directors and big franchises to the point that at some point in his nascent career he said “no” to one of the companies largest and most important children’s entertainment in the world: Disney. This is the story of when Leonardo DiCaprio was about to star in one of the most important movies in the history of the most famous mouse house in the world for a large financial sum, but he rejected it.
“The Revenant” awarded him his first and only Oscar EFE/EPA/DAVID SWANSON
DiCaprio had started his career in the early 1990s, appearing in television commercials that are currently viral on the internet, due to the great success now. He also came to act in recurring roles in television series such as in Santa Bárbara and Problems grow, very popular in the American region but without great international significance like other television projects in the United States.
He made his film debut in the science fiction comedy and terror Critters 3: You Are What They Eat (in Spanish, Critters 3: Eres lo que comen), also known in Argentina as < i>Critters 3: they eat everything! and in Mexico as Critters 3: Los engendrosmade in 1991 -it was directed by Kristine Peterson; It is the third film in the Critters saga – and thanks to that he had a very important exposure in the United States, as many actors recognized his talent and the directors saw in him a diamond in the rough.
In this way, a great job offer came to the actor from the person in charge of great classics in the history of children’s animation such as Pirates of the Caribbean -saga of the beloved Jack Sparrowplayed by Johnny Depp-, The Lion King and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: starring in one of the new bets that the house of the mouse had in a somewhat unknown genre for them , a horror musical.
This is what the actor looked like when he was young
The film would be Hocus Pocus (titled Abracadabrain Latin America and The Return of the Witches in Spain) an American film from 1993, which is officially considered to be a horror comedy, directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Omri Katz, Thora Birch and Vinessa Shaw, which was released on July 16, 1993 in the United States.
The biggest fans of said production which is already a Halloween classic, you probably know it, but many others don’t. DiCaprio almost played beloved Max. The actor from Inceptionhe later revealed how badly Disney wanted to hire him. However, money does not buy everything although many think so, because although it is commonly said that not even love, although in this case it could be “it does not even buy DiCaprio”.
In 1993 he focused on filming his breakout role in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape opposite Johnny Depp for Swedish director Lasse Hallström, which cemented the fame of Johnny Depp and catapulted young Leonardo, who earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a mentally handicapped teenager; based on the novelWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grape, by writer Peter Hedges, he adapted the script for the film.
The star of the TitanicHe did not reveal how much Disney offered him, but based on his statements and the golden age of the production company, it can be assumed that it was a lot. The film alone grossed around $44 million at the box office. But DiCaprio wasn’t focused on financial gain.
“I don’t know where the hell I got the courage. You live in an environment where you’re influenced by people who tell you to make a lot of money and strike while the iron is hot. But if there’s one thing I’m very proud of, it’s being a young man who stood his ground “, he expressed to the media.
At that time, having said “no” to Disney was very questionable because although DiCaprio already had a potential career on the rise, many knew, especially critics and the specialized press in the seventh art, that being Young and working in the mouse house was the ideal and proven springboard for anyone with dreams of greatness in acting to achieve their goal.
The actor told him “NO” To Disney REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo
For many fans, DiCaprio’s physique in that year was ideal, because his beauty and especially his peculiar straight blonde hair would have been ideal with the character of Max, Well, that’s how the other actor we all know represented him in the final version of said production. Although he would not exist, the idea of seeing Leonardo making some kind of special appearance in the already confirmed second part would be a dream for those who wanted to see him in his first installment.
Hocus Pocus 2
A few years ago, plans for a sequel to Hocus Pocus began and by 2014, with several stars expressing interest in reprising their roles in the sequel, the movement for it took on impressive strength, especially when the funniest time of year for many –Halloween< /b>– is coming up.
A remake of the original film written by Scarlett Lacey was in development in 2017. It was confirmed that a sequel to Hocus Pocuswas in development in 2019, with D’Angelo set to write the script. Adam Shankman was hired to direct the film in March 2020 before being replaced by Fletcher in April 2021.
The film will premiere on Disney + on September 30, 2022
After all these changes and contributions to make things happen, production was scheduled to start in the summer of 2021, in Salem, Massachusetts, but finally began on October 18, 2021 in Providence, Rhode Island, possibly because the COVID-19 pandemic dictated new ways of doing everything in all walks of life. Finally, the film will premiere on Disney + on September 30, 2022.