The original cast of The Brutalist, initially announced way back in 2020, was made up of very different actors — and it would’ve made for a very different movie. Director Brady Corbet began developing The Brutalist as his next project after his previous movie, Vox Lux, was released in 2018. But it took a really long time for the film to come together. Since it’s a slow-paced three-and-a-half-hour Holocaust drama with an intermission (in other words, not mainstream commercial entertainment), The Brutalist was a risky investment for studios and producers, so it was tough for Corbet to get the financing together.

The risk ended up paying off, since The Brutalist ultimately made a sizable profit at the box office and scored 10 Oscar nominations. Adrien Brody won Best Actor for his portrayal of visionary architect László Tóth. But László was almost played by someone else entirely. Over the course of its six-year development, The Brutalist’s cast changed drastically. All the actors who were initially lined up for the film ended up dropping out and being replaced. If Corbet had stuck with his original cast, The Brutalist would’ve been a radically different film.

The Brutalist Originally Was Going To Star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard, Sebastian Stan, & More

The Brutalist Set Its First Cast In 2020

An old ᴅᴇᴀᴅline report from September 2, 2020, announced a very different cast for The Brutalist. This original line-up had Joel Edgerton playing the lead role of László, which ended up going to Brody. Marion Cotillard would’ve played his wife, Erzsébet, who was later played by Felicity Jones, and Mark Rylance would’ve played wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren, who was later played by Guy Pearce. The report also claims that Sebastian Stan and Vanessa Kirby would’ve joined the cast in undisclosed roles, presumably taking Joe Alwyn and Stacy Martin’s roles as Harrison’s son and daughter.

This original casting announcement includes a couple of the actors who would appear in the final movie, like Raffey Cᴀssidy as László’s orphaned niece Zsófia and Alessandro Nivola as his cousin Attila. It even mentioned Martin, who may have been given a smaller role to begin with before being promoted when Kirby’s casting fell through. Most of the original actors ended up being replaced. Coincidentally, after dropping out of The Brutalist, Stan wound up competing with Brody in the Best Actor category with his turn as young Donald Trump in The Apprentice.

Why The Brutalist’s Cast Changed So Drastically

The Exact Reason Why Hasn’t Been Confirmed

The exact reason why The Brutalist lost all its stars and had to recast its main roles hasn’t been confirmed. The original cast was announced in 2020, then there was no news about the film until the new cast was announced in 2023. All that we know for sure is that, by the time the movie started shooting, all the stars that were initially announced were no longer attached to the project. Based on speculation alone, there are a few possible explanations for why Edgerton, Cotillard, and co. dropped out of The Brutalist.

Pay was probably a major factor, since The Brutalist was made on a slim budget and stars like Cotillard and Rylance can command a significant payday. By the time the financing was secure enough to set a definitive shoot date, Corbet likely had to compromise for a smaller figure and could no longer afford his first-pick actors. If Kirby is being offered scale for The Brutalist and millions for Mission: Impossible – ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Reckoning Part One, the choice is pretty easy. A movie like The Brutalist often requires actors to take a pay cut for the sake of the art.

Scheduling was probably a big issue, too. The initial ᴅᴇᴀᴅline report claimed that filming was due to begin in January 2021. The original actors will have carved out time in their schedules to make the shoot at that time. But due to various behind-the-scenes setbacks, production on The Brutalist was delayed by more than two years, and the cameras didn’t start rolling until March 2023. By then, the actors had signed on to other projects and might not have been able to make it. Stan has long-term commitments to Marvel that have to be met.

The Brutalist Would’ve Been Completely Different If The Original Cast Stayed

Edgerton Was Totally Wrong For László

If The Brutalist had been able to keep its original cast, then it would’ve been a completely different movie. Edgerton is a really fine actor who’s given some brilliantly nuanced and understated performances, so he’d be capable of carrying a movie with the scope and depth of The Brutalist, but he’s totally wrong for the role of László. Brody shares László’s Hungarian and Jewish heritage, but Edgerton is of Dutch descent. Brody has an old-school movie-star style that fits perfectly with the old-timey feel of The Brutalist; Edgerton is a great actor, but his style is too modern.

Rylance played a creep in Bones and All, so he could’ve captured Harrison’s sinister side toward the end of The Brutalist, but he might not have had the bravado to play Harrison’s rich-guy arrogance as effectively as Pearce did. Harry is supposed to be young and green, trying to copy his dad, so Stan might’ve been too old to pull it off as well as Alwyn. Cotillard could’ve been a terrific Erzsébet — she’s a native European, an Oscar winner, and a subtle dramatic performer — but Jones ended up being unforgettable in that role.

After Seeing The Brutalist, I Can’t Imagine The Cast Being Any Different

The Brutalist Ended Up With The Right Actors

The original cast of The Brutalist could’ve been solid — they’re all great actors with a proven track record of powerful performances — but the version of the cast we got in the final film is perfect. After being entranced by their performances for a whopping three-and-a-half hours, I can’t imagine anyone else playing those roles as well. Brody is László, Jones is Erzsébet, and Pearce is Harrison.

When it comes to casting a movie, getting the relationships right is just as important as getting the individual characters right. They don’t just have to find the right actor for each role; those actors need to share on-screen chemistry. Who knows if Edgerton and Rylance would’ve shared the same spot-on mix of mutual respect and mutual resentment that Brody and Pearce brought to László and Harrison? It would’ve been interesting to see how The Brutalist would turn out with its original cast, but the right actors ended up playing these roles.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline