Dwayne Johnson had some massive names on his dream board for Red Notice. And not just Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. He aimed for the stars, literally. Word was, he wanted Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves to join the action-packed chaos. Now that’s a franchise flex.
Red Notice already smashed Netflix records on its debut. It logged a wild 148 million viewing hours on opening day, making it the streamer’s biggest launch at the time. Johnson, Reynolds, and Gadot played high-stakes criminals (and one agent chasing them), flipping through museums, vaults, and betrayal like it was just another Tuesday. But even with that lineup, Johnson wasn’t done assembling his dream squad.
According to The Illuminerdi, Cruise had been set for a surprise cameo in the original movie. Just a quick drop-in, sure, but one that would’ve teased a bigger role in the sequel. Sadly, it didn’t happen. Cruise backed out, reportedly due to his high standards when picking roles. Plus, the film had already blown a chunk of its budget paying the top trio $20 million each (per the Illuminerdi). Not much wiggle room left for another megastar.
Still, Johnson didn’t lose steam. If Cruise wasn’t stepping in, he had another action icon in mind – Keanu Reeves. Reports from We Got This Covered revealed that Reeves topped Johnson’s wish list for the sequel. Johnson had actually tried to rope him in earlier for Hobbs and Shaw, but scheduling got in the way. This time, with John Wick 4 and The Matrix Resurrections wrapped, Reeves could’ve finally fit into the Red Notice puzzle.
That was the plan. But juggling star schedules was no easy feat. Reynolds had Deadpool 3 on deck, Gadot was tied up with Wonder Woman 3, and Johnson had Black Adam and a buffet of franchise gigs lined up. If Red Notice 2 and 3 were going to shoot back-to-back, as director Rawson Marshall Thurber hoped, it would take some serious calendar magic.
Universal originally passed on the movie due to its ballooning costs. That’s when Netflix swooped in and made it their most ambitious original film yet. The move paid off in spades. And the idea of turning Red Notice into a full-blown franchise? That was Johnson’s vision from day one. Big stars, bigger heists, and global chaos at its sleekest.
Had Cruise joined, the energy would’ve gone full throttle. Had Reeves jumped in, the sequel’s cool factor would’ve exploded. Either way, Johnson wasn’t thinking small. He wanted a franchise that felt like a cinematic crossover event, with Interpol chasing icons.
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