Susan Sarandon says she turned down a ‘big check’ for Thelma & Louise sequel… where the iconic duo were set to come back as GHOSTS
They famously drove off the edge of a cliff while being chased by police around the Grand Canyon in Ridley Scott’s iconic 1991 action movie.
But that wasn’t meant to be the end of Thelma & Louise – as star Susan Sarandon has revealed there was at one point plans for a very unlikely sequel idea.
Speaking about the doomed project, that would have presumably featured her co-star Geena Davis, Susan, 74, told Jimmy Fallon that studio execs wanted the characters to come back from the dead.
Spooky! Susan Sarandon says she turned down a ‘big check’ for Thelma & Louise sequel… where the iconic duo were set to come back as GHOSTS
‘They talked about a sequel, but I could not … I don’t know what it would be,’ Susan revealed. ‘I can’t understand.’
Jimmy then correctly suggested that the sequel would have gone down a supernatural route, referencing the 1937 comedy where Cary Grant played a ghost.
‘Oh, yeah!’ the Oscar-winner responded. ‘Actually, that was a very bad idea they had. We were ghosts looking down on earth and helping women who were in bad domestic [relationships].’
The studio wanted more: Thelma & Louise (1991) raked in over $45 million against a $16 million budget at the box office and has remained popular ever since
Hear me out: Jimmy Fallon predicted the idea for a sequel would have to go down a supernatural route, which Susan, 74, confirmed during their chat on Wednesday
Susan then revealed that she ran the idea past her former partner Tim Robbins, with whom she shares two sons.
‘And I remember saying to Tim, “But what would we be doing?” And he said, “You’d be getting a big check.”‘
But Susan ultimately decided the ghoulish premise wouldn’t have worked, and said she thought it would be ‘best left alone.’
Iconic duo: The pair are seen in LA circa 1990 ahead of the groundbreaking film’s release
It’s little surprise to learn that studio execs wanted more from the rebellious pair, after the success the movie made at the box office – raking in over $45 million against a $16 million budget.
The movie has now reached cult status and remained a firm favourite among movie fans ever since.
For the movie – considered a landmark feminist film – Ridley Scott was nominated for Best Director, while both Susan and Geena Davis were nominated for Best Actress.
When told by Jimmy that a new generation of fans have embraced the movie, Susan replied: ‘Oh, good! I didn’t know that. That’s cool.’
The movie ultimately received six Academy Awards, and in 2016, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’.
Screen legens: The movie ultimately received six Academy Awards