Trivia / Ronin (1998)

• Alan Smithee: David Mamet worked on the film as a script doctor. He re-wrote a significant amount of the script, making major changes to character and dialogue from J.D Zeik's original. There was a dispute among the studio, John Frankenheimer and the WGA over the credit, with MGM and the WGA insisting that Zeik be given story credit and billing over Mamet. They wouldn't back down, and so Mamet asked that his name either be removed or placed under a pseudonym. The credits of the film now read "Story by J.D. Zeik. Screenplay by J.D. Zeik and Richard Weisz".
• Cast the Expert: Katarina Witt's skating talents are put on display during her cameo.
• Deleted Role: Ron Jeremy flew to Paris to film a small part that was eventually cut by the studio.
• Fake Nationality: East German-born Russian Gregor is played by Swedish Stellan Skarsgård, while the IRA commander Seamus is played by the Welsh Jonathan Pryce. The Russians meanwhile, are played by a Czech-born American, a German, and two Frenchmen respectively. Possibly averted with Deirdre; since actress Natascha Mc Elhone, while English, is Irish on her mother's side and was raised in Belfast.
• Focus Group Ending: The original ending had Deirdre outside the café where Sam and Vincent are, thinking about whether she should enter or not before deciding against it. As she walks to her car, she is taken by the I.R.A., who she has betrayed, and who will (presumably) kill her. In his DVD Commentary, John Frankenheimer claims that the preview audience disliked the ending, saying that they did not want to see Deirdre die. A second ending was filmed where Deirdre walked away after Sam walked out of the café. According to Frankenheimer, this ending was also disliked by the preview audience, who thought it was the set-up to a sequel, and described it as too "Hollywood" (Frankenheimer agreed with them on this). While Frankenheimer liked the original ending, he conceded that with the investment MGM/UA had made in the film, they had to listen to the audience, so the final ending, where Deirdre does not appear, and her fate is left up in the air, was used. The original ending is included on the Special Edition DVD.
• No Stunt Double: Skipp Sudduth (Larry) is a keen amateur racing/stunt driver in real life, so director John Frankenheimer let him do nearly all of his own driving during the car chases.
• Playing Against Type: Sean Bean, usually called upon to be a major badass whether playing a hero or villain, here instead plays a complete idiot wuss who gets pwned by a coffee cup and has to stop the car to puke from stress after getting shot at. He is also simply allowed to leave (fired/sacked from the group) when his inexperience is revealed, instead of being killed.
• What Could Have Been: Christopher Lambert was considered for Vincent.

---