Angelina Jolie Wasn’t Considered Bankable Enough for Brad Pitt’s Se7en ‘Copy’ Starring The Greatest Living Actor

Before superstardom, Angelina Jolie proved her worth in The Bone Collector, a thriller that drew criticism for echoing Brad Pitt’s Se7en.

Credits: Left image via Arnold Kopelson Productions and Right image via Universal Pictures.

Universal Pictures didn’t think Angelina Jolie was bankable enough to headline a gritty thriller alongside Denzel Washington, who was already an acclaimed actor (via SyFy).

So, director Phillip Noyce struck a personal deal and put his resources on the line to cast Jolie in The Bone Collector.

The 1999 movie is based on Jeffrey Deaver’s bestselling novel, and stars Washington as Lincoln Ryme, a quadriplegic forensic expert, and Jolie as a police officer named Amelia Donaghy.

The duo unravels a series of crimes across New York City, but despite a strong cast and intriguing plot, The Bone Collector has always been seen as a rip-off of Se7en.

Angelina Jolie Proved Her Box Office Draw in The Bone Collector 

Angelina Jolie in The Bone Collector | Credits: Universal Pictures.

Universal was nervous and understandably so because the studio had already sold half of The Bone Collector’s distribution rights to Columbia Pictures, and still feared it wouldn’t recoup its budget.

To win over the executives, Phillip Noyce made a bold offer!

If the production went over budget, he’d cover the difference himself, and if it came under, he would take home half of the savings.

The gamble paid off, and he earned a “nice bonus” for this deal.

Most importantly, he made this proposition because he wanted to cast Angelina Jolie, who wasn’t a household name at the time, and the Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington.

The Bone Collector had a budget of $48 million and made $151 million worldwide, which is more than three times its budget (via The Numbers).

The movie solidified Jolie’s standing in Hollywood, and then she went on to win an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress in Girl, Interrupted.

The rest, as they say, is history, as she went on to become a bona fide star.

Why The Bone Collector Feels Like a Rip-off of Brad Pitt’s Se7en 

Brad Pitt in Se7en | Credits: Arnold Kopelson Productions.

The Bone Collector looks, sounds, and plays out a lot like Se7en. You’ve got the rookie paired up with a genius veteran trope, a shadowy serial killer who leaves behind cryptic clues, gruesome crime scenes, and a lot of rain, which darkened the aesthetics.

Interestingly, Denzel Washington was once offered the role of Brad Pitt’s character, Detective Mills, in Se7en, but he declined because the material was disturbing (via Collider).

Years later, he took on The Bone Collector, which had far less philosophical weight and an ending that’s nowhere close to Se7en. 

By comparison, Phillip Noyce’s movie plays it far safer, and its impact is little to none.

Whereas Se7en is etched into people’s memories, and “What’s in the box?” is a pop culture staple.

It’s arguably one of the best crime thrillers ever because Fincher took noir tropes and elevated them to a whole different level, inspiring generations of films to come.

Movie
Budget
Worldwide Box Office
Rotten Tomatoes
(Critic Score / Audience Score)

The Bone Collector
$48 M
$151 M
84% / 95%

Se7en
$30 M
$328 M
30% / 63%

So, The Bone Collector gave us Angelina Jolie before superstardom, Washington in peak form, and Noyce’s risky bet.

However, when you place it next to Se7en, the movie just doesn’t cut deep enough.

But what do you think, is the movie unfairly being labelled as a copycat? Or do you see the similarities too?

You can watch The Bone Collector and Se7en on Prime Video.