Kevin Costner Really Wanted The $200M Movie With His Idol That Offered Him ‘Limitless’ Money But Left It for Something Better

Kevin Costner turned down ‘The Hunt for Red October’ with Sean Connery for focusing on his ‘Dances With Wolves’

When Kevin Costner chose not to appear on the much-acclaimed fifth and final season of Yellowstone, partially due to scheduling conflicts and largely to focus on his latest western, Horizon: An American Saga, hearts were broken. In doing so, the Oscar winner not only denounced the chance of encashing a hefty paycheck but also invested a significant amount of his own money to make the project see the light of day.

While the 70-year-old is no stranger to taking risks when it comes to pursuing his passion for western films, this is hardly the first time that he has chosen the creative freedom of the director’s seat over the lure of an eye-watering salary. In fact, in his prime, Costner left a lucrative opportunity to star with one of his idols – Sean Connery – in The Hunt for Red October that went on to gross over $200 million in the 1990s.

Why did Kevin Costner refuse to star in The Hunt for Red October?

Kevin Costner, who boasts of some of the eclectic performances throughout his career, was once offered to bring to life Tom Clancy’s phenomenal character, Jack Ryan, on screen. When director John McTiernan took up the daunting task of adapting Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October, his first choice for playing the fictional U.S. Marine lieutenant and stockbroker was none other than Costner.

However, The Bodyguard star, after already having given his word for Dances With Wolves, had to decline the role of Jack Ryan, which later went to Alec Baldwin. Nevertheless, Costner had his full circle moment when he was cast as Ryan’s mentor, Thomas Harper, in the 2014 reboot Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

Decades after initially declining the opportunity to portray Clancy’s fictional protagonist onscreen, Costner came clean about why he had to make the difficult choice and decline the offer for a hefty salary. Speaking to Variety, Costner said,

I know this: I had to turn down ‘The Hunt for Red October’ because I had promised I would do ‘Dances,’ and some people thought me saying no to ‘Hunt for Red October’ was that I needed more money. It wasn’t more money. I had already postponed ‘Dances’ for a year and I wasn’t going to do it now.

Kevin Costner in a still from Dances With Wolves | Credit: MGM

He, however, admitted in the interview that while it ‘pained’ him to turn down the offer as he was being offered the ‘biggest paycheck’ he has ever seen, he had to make the difficult choice and choose his passion project over the fat salary. He continued,

I had all my things in place. In fact, if anything, it caused me a lot of pain because there was more money offered on ‘Hunt for Red October’ than I had ever seen in my life. So I was doing the dumb thing. I was putting up my money and leaving behind the biggest check I had ever seen.

He further explained in another interview with Den of Geek that though he was branded ‘stubborn’ by the makers of Red October, he could not reconsider his stance as he had already given his word on Dances With Wolves. 

They offered me more money than I had ever seen, and I think they thought I was just stubborn. But I wasn’t! ‘No’ didn’t mean ‘More money!’, it meant that I couldn’t do it. I had given my word on Dances With Wolves.

While Costner took a major gamble by choosing Dances over Red October, Lady Luck was in his favor as his directorial debut swept the Oscars that year and landed the feature film a total of seven wins. Costner, too, took home a pair of Oscars for ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ for his Dances With Wolves.

Turning down Red October left Kevin Costner without the opportunity to star with Sean Connery

When Kevin Costner turned down Red October, he not only incurred a financial loss but also missed an opportunity to share the screen with an actor whom he has always held in high esteem. In the 1990 classic, Sean Connery portrayed the role of Commanding Officer Marko Ramius.

A still from Sean Connery and Kevin Costner’s The Untouchables | Credit: Paramount Pictures

Following the James Bond star’s passing in 2020, Costner took his social media to pen a heartfelt note for his former co-star, noting, “he was the biggest star that I ever worked with and I will be forever grateful to be linked with him on film.”

he was incredibly inclusive with me professionally and personally. He was the biggest star that I ever worked with and I will be forever grateful to be linked with him on film. Sean Connery was a man’s man who had an amazing career. (2/2)

— Kevin Costner & MW (@modernwest) October 31, 2020

I, like the rest of the world, was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sean Connery this morning. Sean was a crafted actor who was enormously proud of his body of work, particularly his work on stage. And although he was a very no-nonsense person. He was incredibly inclusive with me professionally and personally. He was the biggest star that I ever worked with and I will be forever grateful to be linked with him on film. Sean Connery was a man’s man who had an amazing career.

While the duo previously paired up for The Untouchables in 1987, Red October could have been the duo’s second outing had Costner taken up the role.

Nevertheless, at the end, Costner’s difficult choice proved to be fruitful as Dances With Wolves not only brewed a storm at the box office and award ceremonies alike but also etched Costner’s name as a dependable western director.