The Italian Job (2003)
- The original script for The Italian Job was written over a decade before production finally began in 2003.
- Before Mark Wahlberg was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- During the filming of The Italian Job, Mark Wahlberg improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
The Italian Job is a 2003 American heist action film directed by F. Gary Gray, a loose remake of the 1969 British classic. Mark Wahlberg stars as Charlie Croker, who leads a crew of specialists โ including safe-cracker played by Jason Statham, tech expert played by Seth Green, explosives man played by Mos Def, and inside woman Stella played by Charlize Theron โ to steal $35 million in gold bars from their former partner Steve, played by Edward Norton, who double-crossed them and killed their mentor John Bridger, played by Donald Sutherland, after the original heist in Venice.
The heist involves manipulating Los Angeles traffic signals to create gridlock while using three Mini Coopers to navigate through the city's subway tunnels. The Mini Cooper chase sequences became the film's signature, with the nimble cars weaving through Los Angeles streets, subway stations, and storm drains in elaborately choreographed pursuits that made the compact vehicles into unlikely action heroes. The Italian Job earned $176 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.
