Scarlett Johansson wasn’t supposed to star in Woody Allen’s movie

[Mis à jour le 2 novembre 2022 à 20h40] Broadcast on Arte this November 2, 2022, Match Point was a real critical success when it was released in 2006. The film was selected seven times in several award ceremonies (without winning any except the Goyas), notably allowing Scarlett Johansson to be nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Still, the Danish-American actress might have never starred in the drama of Woody Allen.

Indeed, originally, it was Kate Winslet who was to play the leading role in Match Point opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Emily Mortimer. However, the British comedian had to give up the role just a week before filming began at London. Scarlett Johansson thus agreed to replace her at short notice, a real challenge for the actress. For his part, Woody Allen had to adapt the scenario so that Nola Rice is no longer English, but American. “It took me about an hour to change the script,” explained the filmmaker at the microphone of the Guardian, in 2004. A formality that paid off for the feature film, which has become cult for fans of the work of the New York director.

Synopsis – Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a tennis teacher of modest social rank who is hired by a club frequented by wealthy people. There he meets Tom (Matthew Goode) and befriends him. Chris falls in love with Chloe (Emily Mortimer), Tom’s sister, whom he eventually marries. But Chris also has a brief relationship with Nola, Tom’s fiancée. But Tom wants to marry someone from his background. Nola will return to America after her relationship broke up. A few years later, Chris and Nola reunite. Not knowing who to choose between Chloe and Nola, Chris slowly descends into madness.