Depois de fazer sua estréia no cinema em 1954 no filme Lilacs In The Spring , Sean Connery teve uma longa e ilustre carreira no cinema. Ele interpretou James Bond em vários filmes de sucesso da franquia , e depois que se cansou do papel de 007 , ele teve muitas outras performances fabulosas. Quem pode esquecer sua virada verdejante como Robin Hood em Robin e Marian ? Ou seu papel como pai de Indy em Indiana Jones e The Last Crusade ? Para que não esqueçamos suas voltas em Os intocáveis ou em O homem que seria rei !
Connery was an accomplished actor, but his career came to an abrupt end in 2003. After starring as Allan Quartermain in The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, he decided to retire from acting. The film was beset with problems and was one of the most expensive box office flops ever. Connery allegedly hated his time on the film so much that he decided to walk away from acting for good. So, what was it about the film that caused Connery to quit? Let’s take a closer look.
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From Page To Screen: The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen began life as a graphic novel series in 1999. Created by Alan Moore, it told the tale of a number of famous fictional characters brought together to fight on behalf of British Intelligence. The group, made up of such literary heroes as Captain Nemo and Allan Quartermain, took on various villains, including Fu Manchu and Sherlock Holmes’ arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty.
With imagination to spare, an Avengers-like assemble of famous fictional characters, and a stunning steampunk setting, the graphic novels were very successful, so it was no surprise when Hollywood came calling.
With Blade director Steven Norrington at the helm, and a star-studded cast portraying the movie’s lineup of characters, including Sean Connery as Quartermain and Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray, it was expected that the film would be a good one.
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On the surface, the film seemed to adhere to the graphic novel on which it was based, with other characters from the source material, including Captain Nemo and Dr. Jekyll, taking their place in the lineup. The movie’s trailer was big and bombastic, and it seemed likely that the film would be a thrilling rollercoaster ride of a movie.
Sadly, the movie failed to make an impact, and what should have been an extraordinary movie for film and literary buffs alike ended up being a dud.
What Went Wrong?
With its team-up of famous literary heroes, the film could have become another successful cinematic franchise. Sadly, poor creative choices, production delays, and on-set problems scuppered the chances of any future movie in the series.
Troubles began when 20th Century Fox decided to shoehorn Tom Sawyer into the movie in a bid to placate the younger members of the American audience. Sawyer wasn’t part of the original lineup of characters in Moore’s work, and his inclusion meant some of the other characters in the movie were sidelined. The character of Mena Harker was one such character whose role was diminished, and for much of the film, The Invisible Man was nowhere to be seen (in a literal sense and otherwise).
The production of the film also had to be halted due to disastrous weather conditions. While shooting in Prague, the city suffered the biggest downpour it had seen in a century, and many of the movie’s sets were damaged in the process. These included Captain Nemo’s Nautilus submarine which, ironically, wasn’t built to withstand flooding. 20th Century Fox still insisted that the film be shot to schedule, so despite the delays and the set destruction, Norrington had to carry on regardless. This is one reason why some of the big action set pieces seem rushed and badly edited.
Needless to say, tensions on the shoot were fraught, especially between Connery and his director.
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Never Upset An Extraordinary Gentleman
So, what was it that caused Connery to quit after this film? Well, it’s safe to say his experiences on the movie did much to instigate his decision. Not only did he have to contend with the bad weather and delays, but he also had to work with a director he didn’t get on with.
According to Box Office Prophets, the two almost came to blows after a prop decision caused the movie to be delayed for a day. They also battled over the film’s final edit, the script itself, and the director’s methods of filmmaking. Rumors persist that the infuriated Connery wanted Norrington to be removed from the film and that he also wanted him locked out of the editing room.
After the film’s release, both Norrington and Connery disappeared from view, neither willing to promote the movie. The director continued a career in Hollywood, but never returned in a directorial role, and Connery settled into retirement.
When asked why he had quit in a BBC news interview in 2005, Connery seemingly alluded to his experiences on the 2003 film. He said:
“I’m fed up with the idiots. The ever-widening gap between people who know how to make movies and the people who green-light the movies… I don’t say they’re all idiots. I’m just saying there’s a lot of them that are very good at it.”
Connery trabalhou em um filme final antes de sua morte, o animado Sir Billi , mas ele nunca voltou em um papel de live-action. Sua morte foi triste, e é uma pena que seu último grande filme de Hollywood tenha tirado sua paixão por atuação. Ainda assim, todos nós podemos nos consolar com o fato de que podemos assistir e desfrutar de seu catálogo de filmes, muitos dos quais são muito melhores do que seu malfadado filme de 2003.