Kurt Russell Signed On to This Sci-Fi Hit Without Even Reading the Script

Kurt Russell once revealed that he joined the cast of Vanilla Sky without even reading the script, trusting the people involved more than the story itself.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Russell explained, “Back before I signed on to ‘Vanilla Sky’ with Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe, my agent and I were talking on the phone, and I said, ‘Yeah, I want to work with those guys.’ And he said, ‘Well, do you want to read the script first?'”

“And I said, ‘No, I don’t care if it’s one line or a hundred lines, if they kill seven people or what. It doesn’t make any difference. I want to work with those people, I think they’d be fun to work with.'” He said.

Vanilla Sky, released in 2001, is a science fiction psychological thriller directed and written by Cameron Crowe. It stars Tom Cruise as a magazine publisher who starts questioning reality after a disfiguring car accident.

The film is a remake of the 1997 Spanish film Open Your Eyes, with Penélope Cruz reprising her role from the original. The supporting cast also includes Russell, Jason Lee, Noah Taylor, and Cameron Diaz.

The movie was a moderate success at the box office, grossing over $203 million worldwide against a $68 million budget. Critical reception was mixed, with many praising Diaz’s performance, which earned her nominations for both a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Paul McCartney’s song Vanilla Sky was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Over the years, the film has developed a cult following despite its mixed reviews.

On Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of critics gave positive reviews, noting that the film mixes genres but can feel incoherent. Metacritic gave it a score of 45 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Audiences were less kind, giving it a “D−” grade via CinemaScore.

Notable critics had varied opinions. Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars, calling it a moral story about a man who loses everything and questioning why. Richard Roeper ranked it the second-best film of 2001.

Stephen Holden of The New York Times praised the movie’s ambition but felt it became disorganized at times, while Salon.com criticized its plot as overly complicated without offering real insight. Some reviewers compared it unfavorably to Open Your Eyes, calling it a vanity project for Cruise.

Despite the mixed reviews, Cameron Diaz’s role received consistent acclaim. Critics described her performance as both compelling and emotionally intense, with her portrayal of a dangerous and obsessive character standing out as one of the highlights of the film. Penélope Cruz, however, received a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress, shared with her other roles that year.

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