A fairly girl Reunion, Ben Affleck’s cool Feet and a $17 Million Payday: 20 Secrets About Runaway Bride Revealed

by Tierney Bricker | Tue., Jul. 30, 2019 3:00 AM

It absolutely was the film ten years into the making—in more ways than one.

Nine years after Pretty girl made Julia Roberts a star and switched Richard Gere into certainly one of Hollywood’s many sought-after leading men, the iconic pair that is on-screen reunited in Runaway Bride.

Released on July 30, 1999, Roberts and Gere again teamed up making use of their Pretty Woman manager Garry Marshall, whom died in 2016, for the romantic-comedy about a little city woman therefore scared of dedication that she actually is dashed through the altar 3 times as well as the jaded divorced newsprint columnist determined to see her run for a time that is fourth. Obviously, they fall in love.

Fans sprinted into the movie movie theater to begin to see the set’s chemistry, making Runaway Bride, which was indeed in the works for over a decade with several other a-listers connected to star at some time, a more impressive blockbuster hit than Pretty girl, that was released in 1990.

But simply it was more successful, as Runaway Bride failed to captivate critics (earning just a 46 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and even had one of its stars later admitting it just didn’t capture the magic of their previous film because it made more money than Pretty Woman doesn’t mean. (Plus, one of Roberts’ other iconic rom-coms—Notting Hill—came out simply weeks before.)

Nevertheless, as a result of Roberts and Gere’s effortless charm and charisma—both independently and combined—and Marshall’s knack for the genre, Runaway Bride has guaranteed an area as you of Hollywood’s many suffering intimate comedies, even in the event it had been rarely made and had a different ending at one point.

Through the A-listers which were initially likely to star within the film in 1991 to Roberts’ very very very own experience as being a runaway bride, listed below are 20 fun facts you do not find out about Runaway Bride.

1. Although the concept seemed tailor-made for Gere and Roberts to own their Pretty Woman followup, Runaway Bride had been really into the works well with over 10 years, with numerous other famous actors set to try out the fighting bride-to-be (times four) and journalist that is cynical.

First up? In 1992, Geena Davis and Harrison Ford had been set to lead the film, however it fell aside as soon as the very first manager brought in had difficulties with the script. Throughout the next couple of years, movie movie stars like Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, Ellen DeGeneres and Mel Gibson had been all into the mix.

2. However in 1996, Sandra Bullock had been enthusiastic about playing Maggie and urged the task ahead. Until she then had some hesitations–much like Maggie along with her suitors–and had been out, with Ben Affleck and Tea Leoni in speaks to dominate, utilizing the studio liking the notion of a younger few. But once Affleck passed, one of several producers made a decision to approach Gere.

3. Before he signed on to play Ike: “Whenever you can get Julia, i am in. while he adored the script, Gere had one condition the studio had to satisfy” Roberts, that has initially been uncertain for the movie whenever she read a version that is previous of script years prior, chose to take another appearance. And after having a call along with her old Pretty lady main character, the film stars had been willing to reunite.

“People were looking to get them straight back together for nine years,” studio producer Tom Rosenberg told The Los Angeles occasions. “And unexpectedly it happened—it ended up being all settled in a week”

4. The next call had been one Gere and Roberts will have to make together, because they had to pursue their Pretty Woman manager to help make the reunion formally complete by directing their love tale yet again. There was clearly one hitch however, as Marshall had guaranteed to simply just take their spouse to Australia for the vacation that is much-needed.

“They said, ‘Get off the telephone, you want to confer with your spouse,” Marshall recalled into the book. “They shared with her such things as, ‘ just How many times do we get an opportunity to try this?’ and, ‘we are going to simply take excellent care of him,’ therefore finally we stated, ‘OK, we’ll do so.'”

5. The trio’s provided history made shooting Runaway Bride a fairly stress-free experience for the trio, with Marshall noting a big change in their main character, now equipped with ten years of expertise on sets sufficient reason for stardom.

“Richard was indeed extremely careful on Pretty girl, but this time around he had been a much more happy to be funny,” the manager stated. “Mostly we chatted inside our very very own shorthand that is little. All I’d to accomplish had been yell ‘Action’ and ‘Shut up.'”

6. The movie’s budget soared to $70 million, an unusually high number for a romantic comedy after getting A-listers Roberts and Gere on board. As well as back-end gross on the movie, Roberts received $17 million on her dashes through the altar, while Gere pocketed $12 million. The movie stars shown worthy of the big paydays, as Runaway Bride exposed at No. 1 during the package workplace, attracting a week-end total of approximately $35 million, definitely the opening that is best ever for a Roberts movie during the time.

7. While Runaway Bride went on to gross over $150 million domestically (and $300 million all over the world), becoming a blockbuster hit, it received lower than stellar reviews, with Gere later on searching straight right back regarding the film http://mail-order-bride.net/ukrainian-brides/ in an meeting with Entertainment Weekly and admitting, “Whatever that secret was at the very first film, you cannot make that take place. While there is some stuff that is wonderful the film, it surely did not have the secret associated with the very first one. The expectation it was likely to have that exact same types of delicious secret had been reckless. It absolutely was a different sort of film, it had been another type of time, she was at a different sort of spot, I happened to be in a different sort of spot.”

8. Manufacturing descended upon the tiny city of Berlin, Md., making it the fictional and quirky Hale, Md. for the film, and place near to $1 million in to the regional economy, upped the actual property market and nearly doubling tourism following the movie’s release.

“We have been completely astonished,” Berlin’s then Chamber president told The Baltimore Sun for the effect the film had around town of simply 3,000 individuals. “the film had been the Midas touch that introduced our city to numerous individuals. It place us regarding the map.”

9. As soon as known as “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel, hosting the Roberts-Gere automobile continues to be a spot of pride for Berlin, with all the city holding a Runaway Bride thirty days in August to commemorate the anniversary that is 20th.

“People are available plus they would you like to hear, ‘Hey did you get to fulfill Richard Gere? what exactly is Julia Roberts like? Can we come across the home? Where had been the bridal shop?'” Ivy Wells, Economic and Community developing Director of Berlin, said. “We thought you know what, we will supply the individuals whatever they want plus they wish to commemorate the movie so we are likely to take action up for the twentieth anniversary.”