The lure of a $12 million payday for taking a leading role in a film depicting O.J. Simpson as innocent of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman was not enough to tempt Owen Wilson to accept the job.
The film, which is titled The Juice and has been described as a “satirical thriller”, is being directed by British filmmaker Joshua Newton.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Newton said he had approached Wilson about playing Douglas McCann, a real-life attorney who delved into the many conspiracy theories that surrounded Simpson’s 1995 murder trial. Newtown outlined what happened next:
Owen Wilson was perfect for the role.
I actually had a meeting with him in Santa Monica. Everybody loved the script. His agent wanted him to do it. We offered him $12m.
But at the end of the lunch, Owen stood up and said, ‘If you think I’m going to take the lead role in a movie about how OJ didn’t do it, you’ve got to be kidding me.’
The Independent reports production of the film, which was originally titled Nicole & OJ, is continuing.
Station 19’s Boris Kodjoe is playing Simpson opposite Charlotte Kirk (Ocean’s 8) as Nicole Brown Simpson.
Newton says he hopes to complete the movie by 3 October, which would mark the 29th anniversary of Simpson’s not-guilty verdict.
O.J. Simpson died of cancer earlier this month at the age of 76, as Breitbart News reported.