Burn After Reading (2008)
- The original script for Burn After Reading was written over a decade before production finally began in 2008.
- Before George Clooney was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- Ethan Coen, Joel Coen originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
Burn After Reading is a 2008 American black comedy crime film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film follows a chaotic chain of events triggered when a disc containing the memoirs of a fired CIA analyst, played by John Malkovich, is found at a gym by two dim-witted personal trainers โ Chad Feldheimer, played by Brad Pitt, and Linda Litzke, played by Frances McDormand โ who attempt to sell the information to the Russian Embassy for money Linda needs for cosmetic surgery. The ensuing comedy of errors involves a U.S.
Marshal carrying on an affair via internet dating, played by George Clooney, and escalating violence that bewilders even the CIA officers monitoring the situation. The Coens created a farce about stupidity in which every character believes they are the smartest person in the room while being catastrophically wrong. Brad Pitt's Chad โ an endlessly enthusiastic, vacuous gym employee who thinks he's a spy โ was one of the most delightful comedic performances of his career.
Burn After Reading earned $163 million worldwide on a $37 million budget.
