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It began life as an imposing Paramount production, with a script by Oscar-winning screenwriterMark Boal.
In the midst of everything, Bigelow stepped away, too, only her departure was permanent.
The movie eventually went into turnaround, all its fumblings relegated to a loss on Paramounts tax return.
Like so many worthy scripts before it,Triple Frontierseemed destined for the graveyard.
Needless to say, nothing goes as planned.
Soon, Hollywoods most bankable leading men began negotiating star turns.
Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, and Christian Bale all reportedly circled the project.
Rovenpublicly museda 2011 start date to accommodateJohnny Depps packed schedule.
Adds Gartner, I remember he was in excellent shape.
However, Tom Hankss publicist Leslee Dart begs to differ.
Its not even close to being true, Dart tells Vulture.
There was no deal, no start date.
He may have been in excellent shape.
But it had nothing to do with prepping for the film.
Roven waves this off as fake news.
No, thats not accurate, he says.
It was a very sought-after property, Roven contends.
Mark wrote a really terrific script and had a lot of really terrifically talented people chasing it.
But ultimately, it didnt work out and Kathryn focused their attention on a different project.
None of those guys got along, says the source close to the movie.
Kathryn couldnt stand Roven and the deal ended.
So Mark just pulled out of it.
I think that it was just transmitted to us that she just wasnt going to do the movie.
Hurt Lockerwon Best Picture.
It wasnt about creative differences.
I think we all wanted to make the same movie.
Even without an Oscar-winning director attached,Triple Frontiermaintained its buzzy momentum.
A hired gun, he most decidedly was not.
Once [the film] came back to life again, J.C. really intrigued us, Gartner says.
It wasnt about action cred.
We wanted to make a classy, dramatic action film, says fellowTriple Frontierproducer Andy Horwitz.
When he expressed interest, it was exciting to us because he ticked those boxes.
EnterChanning TatumandTom Hardy, who started talks to occupy co-lead roles in the long-gestating thriller.
Tatum and Hardy, that was real, and they ended up hating each other, says the insider.
I ask Roven if this is true.
The true, real issue was creative differences, the producer says.
Insists Gartner, As they came onboard, a creative process started and it didnt gel.
According topublished reports, lingering unhappiness with the direction of Chandors retooled script had caused them to flee.
Like Tim BurtonsSuperman Livesand Stanley KubricksNapoleon,Triple Frontierappeared to be fated for the filing cabinet.
But around the same time, a serendipitous reshuffling of two prominent Hollywood film executives was afoot.
Former Fox Filmed Entertainment chairman Jim Gianopulos was being installed as chairman and chief executive of Paramount.
After repeated requests, Netflix declined to comment on its broader ambitions in purchasingTriple Frontier.)
Suddenly, Ben andCasey Affleckwere on the short list to co-star alongside Ali.
Chandor continued to toy with Boals script.
He made the movie his own, says Horwitz.
I would say that probably 95 percent of the dialogue in the film is his.
It all felt like progress, until a third existential threat reared its head.
Ben made an announcement where he needed to look after his personal health.
That caused us to hit the pause button.
In the end, though, Affleck returned toTriple Frontier.
Spiders and giant centipedes.
Epic levels of mud, recalls Gartner.
Yeah, it was insane.
They look freezing, and I will tell you, they truly were.
(Despite the extreme conditions, the movie came in on schedule and under budget.)
Although the producers remainschtumabout the movies final cost,Triple Frontierlooks expensive.
Kathryn certainly had a vision for the movie, and it wouldve been a different version than J.C.s.
But she ended up not choosing to make the film for whatever reasons.
So when J.C. came in, he gave us a very distinct vision.
We were never going to give up, Horowitz says.
There was never a part of our minds that thought the movie wasnt going to happen.
It was just a matter ofwhen.
