Trivia / Constantine (2005)

• Actor-Inspired Element: Peter Stormare came up with his own costume design for the appearance of Lucifer - the off white linen suit with tar dripping down from his (bare) feet are specifically mentioned. The producer and director had initially wanted "leather pants, bare-chested ... a dog collar with spikes" and tattoos over Stormare's face and chest.
  • Overlaps with Cast the Expert as Stormare is a devout Protestant.
• Creator's Favorite Episode: Keanu Reeves has named Constantine as one of his favorite roles. He's tried getting a sequel greenlit but found no studio interest...until 2022.
• Deleted Role: Michelle Monaghan had a supporting role as Constantine's demon lover Ellie. Most of her scenes were cut. She can be seen briefly in the hospital when the sprinklers are set off - shouting "Holy Water!"
• Dueling Works: With Hellboy, which was released a year earlier. The film was even retitled from Hellblazer to differentiate itself. The two movies both used the same prop as the Spear of Destiny.
• Executive Meddling: The reason why Constantine was change from British to American — the studio heads wouldn't back the film otherwise.
• Fake American: British actress Rachel Weisz as both Angela and her twin Isabel.
• The Foreign Subtitle:
  • Hungary: Constantine: The Demon Hunter
  • Russia: Constantine: Lord of Darkness
  • Taiwan: Constantine: The Exorcist Detective
• Playing Their Own Twin: Rachel Weisz plays the twins Angela and Isabel.
• Prop Recycling: The Spear of Destiny prop is the same one as used in Hellboy.
• Typecasting:
  • Rachel Weisz as the tough, no-nonsense Brainy Brunette.
  • Tilda Swinton as the androgynous Ice Queen.
• What Could Have Been:
  • The film was originally greenlit as a Nicolas Cage vehicle. The original director Tarsem Singh said he couldn't make the movie he wanted with Cage in the lead. The latter dropped out not long after the former did. Mel Gibson and Kevin Spacey were also considered.
  • Constantine's coat was originally going to be brown, but the color didn't work well with Keanu Reeves' complexion, so the decision was made to go with black.
  • Father Hennessy was supposed to originally die when - hallucinating that he was getting drastically thinner - he would gorge himself desperately on food and choke.
  • A lot of fans of the film (and comic) consider the editing out of Constantine's half-demon sex partner Ellie, based on the succubus Ellie from Hellblazer and played by Michelle Monaghan, to be a loss for the film. The reason given was that it would be harder to believe that Constantine was a bitter loner if he were sleeping with a gorgeous woman, even if she were evil and their relationship was toxic.
  • Chaz had more scenes in the original script that ended up cut along the way. As a result, he just sort of vanishes for a good portion of the film. Likewise an additional ending would show Chaz becoming an angel.
  • The original script had Hell as a black void with a floor covered with oil.
  • Stormare originally auditioned for the role of Balthazar, but seeing the audition the producers asked if he would read for Lucifer instead.
• Word of God: According to the Director's Commentary on the DVD, Constantine's brass knuckles are made from gold, that was blessed by a Bishop during the Crusades. Also, the rag that Constantine lights on fire to defeat the flying demons, is a piece of Moses's shroud, given to him by Beeman.