John Grisham, a former lawyer turned bestselling author, has enthralled readers since the 1990s with novels like The Firm, which was adapted into a successful film in 1993. Directed by Sidney Pollack and starring Tom Cruise, the movie grossed $270 million. Interestingly, Gene Hackman, who played a key role, was omitted from promotional materials due to late casting decisions and marketing strategies favoring Cruise, leading him to remove his name entirely from advertisements.
John Grisham, a former lawyer who transformed into a bestselling author, has captivated readers with his thrilling novels since the 1990s. Many of his works, including The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, and The Firm, have been adapted into successful films. Now at the age of 69, Grisham boasts an impressive portfolio of nearly fifty published works.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Grisham penned the gripping tale of a brilliant young lawyer who is lured by a prestigious Memphis firm, only to discover its involvement in illicit activities. This riveting story, titled The Firm, was released in 1991 and quickly became a bestseller.
Just two years later, Sidney Pollack directed the film adaptation of The Firm, which marked the beginning of Grisham’s literary works being brought to the big screen, with varying degrees of success.
With a substantial budget of $42 million, Pollack assembled an exceptional cast, including Holly Hunter, Ed Harris, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Hal Holbrook, Gary Busey, and David Strathairn. The leading role of Mitch McDeere was played by none other than Tom Cruise, with the legendary Gene Hackman portraying his mentor lawyer.
The Firm achieved remarkable box office success, grossing $270 million, which, when adjusted for inflation, is approximately $590 million. Notably, the film ranked as the fifth highest-grossing movie in the U.S. that year, following hits like Jurassic Park and Mrs. Doubtfire.
Interestingly, despite Gene Hackman’s significant role, his name was notably absent from the film’s promotional materials, unlike Tom Cruise’s, which was prominently featured. What led to this unusual decision?
Last-Minute Casting Decisions
This intriguing detail came to light in a 1993 article from the Los Angeles Times, which stated, ‘Gene Hackman may have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Unforgiven last year, but he prefers not to be considered a secondary actor in the advertisements for his latest film, The Firm.’
Initially, the film’s producers envisioned a female character for Hackman’s role, intending to cast Meryl Streep. Her name remained attached to the project during its early stages. However, John Grisham, who had influence over the script, insisted that the character of Avery Tolar should be male, leading to Hackman’s involvement late in the production process.
Exclusion from Promotional Materials
While Tom Cruise had secured top billing on the promotional materials through negotiations with Paramount, Hackman sought similar recognition. His spokesperson questioned, ‘Why would Mr. Hackman’s name be below?’
However, it was explained that Hackman joined the project after filming had begun and was brought on board after Paramount had already established a marketing strategy centered around Tom Cruise. Faced with the choice to decline the role or find an alternate billing solution, Hackman opted to have his name removed entirely from promotional materials. In the film itself, he is credited in the second position during both the opening and closing credits.