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Being two of the most respected and appreciated presences in Hollywood, Matt Damon and Ridley Scott’s collaboration has always been widely regarded by fans from all around the globe. For one that started with 2015’sThe Martian, their collab was a blockbuster success as it led to the movie that is considered the biggest box office draw of the actor’s career.
And yet, as much as the film was critically and commercially commended, it still failed to conquer one mark: Live up to the filmmaker’s original dream for it. As it turns out, while initially embarking on this adventure, Scott misread the story for being along the lines of one that he had been wanting to make forever. Except that it wasn’t, because of a minor difference.
Ridley Scott Originally Misread Matt Damon’sThe Martian
Based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir,The MartianseesMatt Damon‘s astronaut Mark Watney on a spectacular space mission to Mars before it all goes wrong. This is followed by his striving to survive on the planet while undergoing severe challenges as his colleagues in NASA exhaust all options to bring him back home.
However, when filmmakerRidley Scottembarked on the mission to bring this story to life, it seemed like he originally had different ideas as to how his version of this story would unfold in live-action. To be more precise, he felt this could be his own version ofRobinson Crusoe on Mars– the film from the 60s that he desperately wanted to recreate for quite some time.
The Martian Author Gave us Another Insanely Epic Space Sci-fi Masterpiece, Ryan Gosling is Leading the Movie
In an interview withAir & Space, Damon confessed the same of how Scott originally interpreted this story, saying:
One of the things Ridley said was, “I’ve always wanted to make Robinson Crusoe, and I feel like this is my chance to do it.”
But little did he know that there was a major difference between the two. While the 1964 film saw a man stranded and trying his best to survive, this novel-based story saw one in a similar situation but hewantedto be seen.
AsDamon explainedduring the same interview:
But what we soon discovered is that it’s different in that it’s not a guy by himself on an island—it’s a guy by himself on a planet who has the expectation that he’s being observed.
Of course, the movie perfectly depicted this kind of“solitude”as it saw Mark trying his best to reach out even while he was alone. As Damon continued:
There are Go-Pros and cameras all around the hab he’s living in. He’s behaving with every intention that these things will be discovered and mined for all the information on them. So it’s solitude, but he’s not living as though he’s completely alone.
This way, the film stood out from how Scott had originally intended it to, not really allowing the filmmaker to fulfill his desire to make aRobinson Crusoemovie. And yet,he did such an exceptional job at making this 2015 filmthat it became one of theGood Will Huntingstar’s most successful ones to date.
Nonetheless,The Martianis One of Ridley Scott’s Best Films to Date
Besides starring some of the most beloved names in the industry likeJessica Chastain,Chiwetel Ejiofor, andSebastian Stan, the film also perfectly encompassed the themes of hope, isolation, perseverance, the importance of human connections, and home. Because of all of these elements, it easily became one of the best films to ever come out from Damon to date.
Holding a unanimous score of 91% on Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, this film quite literally ranks second, only after his all-time sci-fi blockbuster from 1979,Alien, onRotten Tomatoes. Even on Damon’s list of smash hits, this film holds the #9 position given to it byRotten Tomatoesout of the 80+ movies he has starred in to date.
“Nobody gives a f**k about that”: Ridley Scott’s Blunt Response to Matt Damon Claiming His ‘Interstellar’ Role Could Tank ‘The Martian’
Then there was the commercial success of the film, which was equally stunning. According to the numbers listed byBox Office Mojo, this film was made on a budget of $108 million and went on to make a whopping $630.6 million from global box offices. To say the least,IMDbeven lists this film as second in the actor’s best films based on their box office performances.
All in all, even though the movie may not have been what Scott intended to make, it is still applaudable how he managed to make such an outstanding masterpiece.
The Martian can currently be watched on Prime Video.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
