Bruce Willis' most successful film,The Sixth Sense, only happened after he had to cut a deal with Disney, who lost a significant chunk of money following the cancelation of another film he was set to star in. Released in August 1999,The Sixth Sensewas a worldwide sensation and is generally considered one of Bruce Willis andM. Night Shyamalan’s best moviesin their respective careers.
There is a good chance that Bruce Willis would not havestarred inThe Sixth Sense, which could have changed the trajectory of both Willis and Shyamalan’s careers, but one Willis movie set to be released just a few years prior toThe Sixth Senseended up going unfinished. Because of that fiasco,The Sixth Sensehad everything it needed to become a sensation.
Bruce Willis' Canceled Broadway Brawler Movie Explained
It Was Supposed To Be The Next Jerry Maguire
Intended to be released by Disney in 1997,Broadway Brawlerwas a Bruce Willis-led romantic comedy intended to be in the same vein asJerry Maguire. Maura Tierney was cast alongside Willis and was to be directed by Lee Grant. It didn’t work out, though, and after 20 days of shooting,Bruce Willis ended up firing a handful of people, which led to Disney shutting down production. Among those fired from the project were Lee Grant, cinematographer William A. Fraker, wardrobe designer Carol Oditz, and Willis' co-producer Joe Feury, who was the husband of Lee Grant.
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With a decent portion of the budget already used, Willis attempted to bring in another director to salvage the movie, but it proved fruitless, and the movie was completely scrapped. Given thatBroadway Brawlerhad gone through two years of pre-production and 20 days of shooting, Disney was losing out on a sizable amount of money. Because of this, Disney and Bruce Willis brokered a deal that allowed for some of his biggest hits to be made.
The Sixth Sense Only Happened Because Of A Deal Bruce Willis Cut With Disney
The Sixth Sense Is Now One Of Willis' Most Memorable Roles
Even though Bruce Willis waived his fee for Broadway Brawler, Disney had lost money because of his decisions, which led to them considering legal action against him. Instead of that happening,Bruce Willis and Disney cut a deal for him to star in three new projects with a greatly reduced salary to help them recoup the costs. Willis obviously took the deal and starred inArmageddon,The Kid, andThe Sixth Sense.
All three films made good money for Disney, withArmageddonandThe Sixth Sensebeing mega-hits.
If the situation withBroadway Brawlerdidn’t happen, it is reasonable to assume that Bruce Willis might never have starred inThe Sixth Sense, especially if his salary was too much for the rather modestly-budgeted M. Night Shyamalan film. Thankfully, it worked out quite well, andThe Sixth Senseended up being the most successful film in Bruce Willis' long and illustrious career, as well as Shyamalan’s.
The Sixth Sense
Cast
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller about a young boy who can see and communicate with ghosts. Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help Cole, played by Haley Joel Osment, while grappling with his own personal demons. The movie features a twist ending that has become iconic in pop culture.
