Though very distinct projects, Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman (1990) and RDJ’s Iron Man (2008) experienced a similar developmental limbo.

SUMMARY

Though dissimilar in genre and narrative, Pretty Woman (1990) and Iron Man (2008) went through a similar developmental hell.

Both endeavors suffered under changing production companies, scripts, and a lengthy casting process.
Despite relying on improvisation in light of unfinished scripts, both projects would catapult Julia Roberts and RDJ to unfathomable fame.

Can the development process for two films of different genres possess any resemblance? Analyzing the similarities between Julia Roberts’ uber-iconic romantic-comedy Pretty Woman (1990) and Marvel’s first in-house-produced RDJ starrer that dictated the beginnings of a franchise unparalleled to most of its competitors may underscore the notion’s accuracy.
Pretty Woman (1990) and Iron Man (2008)
The two endeavors couldn’t be more dissimilar.

Nonetheless, their likeness highlights the developmental turmoil many film projects often go through. From transitions between production companies to script changes/constant re-writes to a lengthy casting process to a filming process that necessitates improvisation in light of an unfinished script—these are some of the struggles that Pretty Woman and Iron Man coincidentally share.

What the two projects also had in common, though, was the ability to overcome these obstacles and emerge as a memorable blockbuster that left a lasting impression on popular culture.

The Developmental Limbo Suffered By Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman (1990)
Pretty Woman (1990)
Julia Roberts highlighted Pretty Woman‘s narrative changes on The Graham Norton Show. The project’s inception detailed its darker beginnings as a drama about class and prostitution, with the original script titled 3000. Roberts described the initial story’s details in the following way:
“I auditioned for this movie … called 3000, which was the amount of money that he [Richard Gere’s Edward] paid her [Vivian] for their time together. She was a drug addict, and it wasn’t a healthy relationship. The movie ended … [with them having] a fight. He says, ‘Get out.’ He throws her out of the car, throws the money on her, and drives away. The end.”
Roberts added that the project momentarily vanished into limbo when the company initially producing it “folded.” It was later, with the insistence of Walt Disney Studios’ then-president Jeffrey Katzenberg, that the movie could be reimagined in a more romantic tone. The title changed after the endeavor was pitched to Touchstone Pictures and re-written as a rom-com.

Disney’s intervention didn’t indicate a smooth-sailing production. But first, we need to look at how Iron Man (2008) fits into a similar context.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man (2008) Had A Similar Beginning
Iron Man (2008)
The journey of adapting Tony Stark’s story for the big screen began in the 1990s. From Universal Studios to 20th Century Fox to New Line Cinema—several production companies dabbled in the development of an endeavor attempting to bring the Marvel superhero to a live-action medium. Alas, such efforts fell through for one reason or another.

All those incarnations had scripts produced for them, one (written for Fox) even containing a different Iron Man origin and, shockingly, a choice to feature MODOK as the antagonist. In 2005, Marvel began development from scratch following the failure of such negotiations.

Jon Favreau became attached to direct in 2006. He stuck to Marvel Comics as a source material for the character’s origin story. But to make it more contemporary, some elements were altered. The Vietnam War origin of the character was changed to Afghanistan. For the 2008 movie, two different scripts were devised: one by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway and the other by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby.
Iron Man (2008)
Favreau decided to combine the two. This amalgamation was furnished by John August. Choosing a villain for the endeavor also proved challenging. Mandarin was considered for the first movie but was eventually deemed unrealistic.

Like Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman, the casting process was arduous and lengthy. The decision to cast RDJ as the lead was faced with Marvel’s opposition, but this would soon change everything everything about the to-be franchise.

The Projects Shot Julia Roberts And RDJ To Superstardom
Julia Roberts and Robert Downey Jr.
Both projects landed on their feet after undergoing development limbo, but certain elements made filming anything but smooth sailing. Julia Roberts claims that the Pretty Woman script was being developed while the production was in progress. This led to the actors often running out of pages to cover during the shoot. Improvisation made up for the remaining space.

A similar fate befell Iron Man. Jeff Bridges, who played Obadiah Stane, claimed in a 2009 interview with In Contention (via Slash Film) that there was barely a script for the movie. “We would show up for big scenes every day, and we wouldn’t know what we were going to say,” said the star. Once again, the talents had to rely on improvisation to make the project work.

And work it did. Miraculously.

The two projects escalated Julia Roberts and RDJ’s fame and success. Pretty Woman amassed a whopping $463.4 million. Meanwhile, Iron Man secured $585.8 million at the box office. The two blockbusters would redefine the respective genres they belonged under. The rom-com additionally helped Roberts nab an Oscar nomination.

Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr‘s praise-worthy embodiment left room for more to come. As we all know it, his presence became the defining element of the franchise, and the MCU was born.

The rest is history.