Coralie Fargeat, the director of The Substance, has revealed that Universal sold the film after she refused to make changes to her final cut.
It’s a story as old as Hollywood itself, but one that we’ll no doubt hear again and again. Coralie Fargeat has revealed in an interview with French outlet Le Point (via World Of Reel) that her fantastic body horror, The Substance would have been a very different film had executives at Universal gotten their way.
The film was set up at the studio and suffered a challenging shoot. The film’s star, Demi Moore has previously talked about the intense and demanding sequences that she had to undergo, including lots of sequences featuring nudity, heavy prosthetics or both. This apparently led to some febrile moments on set, while the sad passing of Ray Liotta (who was replaced by Dennis Quaid) created more complications for the shoot.
However, Fargeat reveals in the piece that the true battle for The Substance's soul came when she delivered her final cut to Universal, who she claims hated it and demanded significant changes. We’re not going to say a word about the film or its ending in case you haven’t yet seen it, apart from to state that the less you know going in, the more profoundly affecting it will be.
Read more: The Substance review | Coralie Fergeat’s body horror is outrageously good
According to the director, Universal became worried about releasing the film and tensions spiked after a test screening which three Universal executives attended, with one hating it so much they demanded extensive cuts, including a change to the ending. Fargeat, who had final cut written into her contract, refused, and so Universal sold the film to MUBI for $12.5m before its Cannes premiere.
It’s fair to say Universal was proven wrong. Not only would The Substance go on to become one of the most acclaimed and talked-about films of the year, but it also wound up in profit and is tipped to go on to an awards run over the next few months. Every case is unique. but here, the artist’s instincts proved to be right.
If you haven’t caught The Substance yet, then add the visionary body horror – streaming now on MUBI – to your to-do list. Somewhere just above your Christmas shopping would be the right spot.
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