Michael Biehn was a late replacement as Hicks in James Cameron's Aliens. Some rare photos of James Remar in the role have surfaced...
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-static.denofgeek.com%2Fsites%2Fdenofgeek%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Farticle_main_half%2Fpublic%2F9%2F51%2F%2Faliens_0.jpg%3Fitok%3DDYfoEUPr&hash=a12852feaf1436fc8fddf25f1bd88c58f6d87eae)
James Cameron was a couple of weeks into filming his superb sequel Aliens when he had to make a significant casting change. James Remar had originally been cast as Corporal Dwayne Hicks, but he was replaced by Michael Biehn, and his scenes re-shot.
The story at the time was creative differences, but since then the actor confirmed to Sidebar that "I had a terrible drug problem, but I got through it... I was initially cast as Corporal Hicks, and I was fired after a couple weeks of filming because I got busted for possession of drugs, and Michael Biehn replaced me".
Out of nowhere, it seems, a bunch of photos have now popped up online, that show James Remar as Hicks, before he got the boot from the production. Here's how he looked...
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-static.denofgeek.com%2Fsites%2Fdenofgeek%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Finsert_main_wide_image%2Fpublic%2F9%2F47%2F%2Fjames_renar_hicks.jpg%3Fitok%3DIXAcKTEL&hash=cd5912c09e9be5ecf6a110e77a29c897d880f786)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-static.denofgeek.com%2Fsites%2Fdenofgeek%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Finsert_main_wide_image%2Fpublic%2F9%2F48%2F%2Fjames_renar_hucks_2.jpg%3Fitok%3DFSKKw6VN&hash=2f9f3ed8c6dd8551614c268f6863b517246120f9)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-static.denofgeek.com%2Fsites%2Fdenofgeek%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Finsert_main_wide_image%2Fpublic%2F9%2F49%2F%2Fjames_renar_hicks_3.jpg%3Fitok%3DICMaW1zK&hash=c620f1db9d1a421348383f661a65153389674ca6)
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-static.denofgeek.com%2Fsites%2Fdenofgeek%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Finsert_main_wide_image%2Fpublic%2F9%2F50%2F%2Fjames_renar_hicks_4.jpg%3Fitok%3Dir-GwlRb&hash=e9ea02a1725d57a7077c0289be6e26423a8a820e)
We chatted to Michael Biehn about his last minute casting in the film a couple of years back. He recalled that "I got called by [producter] Gale Hurd on the Friday night checking my passport was in order. I said yes, and I was shooting Monday morning. Which meant that I didn't have to do that three weeks of rehearsal period, before the movie started, where they did the round table reading, and they would take all the soldiers out and march them over and over again, and have all the dinners".
Biehn added that "the one thing I didn't like about it was they made me wear Remar's vest, his chest plate - every actor got to create his own chest plate, and James Remar created his and he painted [it]. Everybody painted theirs, and he painted his with a heart with a lock on it, and the painted heart was right where his heart was, and I thought, 'f**k me, I'm not wearing that - that looks exactly like a target to me!'"
Article Courtesy of: Den of Geek
Article Link: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens/32973/aliens-rare-photos-of-james-remar-as-hicks (http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/aliens/32973/aliens-rare-photos-of-james-remar-as-hicks)
I've had some of these for yonks. I don't think they're especially rare.
In fact Val posted some just over 2 years ago (https://alienseries.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/the-other-hicks-james-remar/), which is probably where I got them.
Not new at all. I saw this posted at comicbookmovie.com too, though I know they sometimes post old movies' concept art as news for some reason. I guess they figure someone will get a kick out of it.
James Remar should play Turk in A:CM The Movie.
It's sad that Remar had to lose the role due to his own personal failings, but at the same time, when I picture him as Hicks, I can't help but imagine him saying, "I'm sick of running from these wimps!" :D
Quote from: Local Trouble on Nov 17, 2014, 07:26:16 PMJames Remar should play Turk in A:CM The Movie.
:laugh:
A doped-up Hicks might have helped to re-enforce that Vietnam era vibe.
Quote from: The Eighth Passenger on Nov 19, 2014, 04:11:02 PM
A doped-up Hicks might have helped to re-enforce that Vietnam era vibe.
Might have held up the production too.
A shame that the dailies they shot with him were removed from the blu-ray at the 11th hour, apparently by Cameron's request. Wonder if they'll ever release that footage.
Every couple of months these old photos resurface on Reddit as 'new' or 'rare' and sites like Den of Geek or Kotaku make a splash with them.
Quote from: Edward Brock on Nov 21, 2014, 12:57:20 PMA shame that the dailies they shot with him were removed from the blu-ray at the 11th hour, apparently by Cameron's request. Wonder if they'll ever release that footage.
I didn't know that. Would've been cool to see them.
Quote from: Edward Brock on Nov 21, 2014, 12:57:20 PM
A shame that the dailies they shot with him were removed from the blu-ray at the 11th hour, apparently by Cameron's request. Wonder if they'll ever release that footage.
Don't remember that being mentioned? Where'd you see that.
Quote from: Corporal Hicks on Nov 21, 2014, 02:13:57 PM
Quote from: Edward Brock on Nov 21, 2014, 12:57:20 PM
A shame that the dailies they shot with him were removed from the blu-ray at the 11th hour, apparently by Cameron's request. Wonder if they'll ever release that footage.
Don't remember that being mentioned? Where'd you see that.
The Digital Bits mentioned it in their review of the set. Considering their track record and their close relationship to Charles de Lauzirika I doubt they were making it up.
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/reviewshd/bdreviews102210.html (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/site_archive/reviewshd/bdreviews102210.html)
QuoteA couple of notes on the extras: Many of you may recall that actress Sigourney Weaver gave an interview to the L.A. Times in which she indicated that she was going to be recording new audio commentary tracks for all four films in this set. This is something she planned to do, and Lauzirika and Fox worked hard to facilitate it. Unfortunately, the intense demands upon her schedule of promoting the theatrical release of Avatar didn't allow this to happen. That's certainly a shame, but it's the nature of the beast and she IS still represented on the previous DVD commentaries. In addition, the Dailies: James Remar as Hicks Enhancement Pod was deleted from the set's extras at the request of Lightstorm.
But yeah, it's kinda hard to find any other references to it.
http://www.avpgalaxy.net/2010/04/25/aliens-anthology-features/ (http://www.avpgalaxy.net/2010/04/25/aliens-anthology-features/)
From what I've read online it was due to Cameron's company requesting them removed.
Yeah, while I understand why they won't talk directly about the reasons for Remar's replacement (from the few snippets we ocasionally get from the cast, it's probabily to protect him the most), I honestly don't understand what's the big deal about the dailies. They've already used snippets of his footage in "Superior Firepower" if I remember correctly.
Quote from: Edward Brock on Nov 23, 2014, 10:17:12 AMThey've already used snippets of his footage in "Superior Firepower" if I remember correctly.
Not that I recall, other than showing the shot of him that's in the finished film to explain his presence.
Oh ok, my bad.
Wow I did not know that I did not know he was acting as Hicks from aliens.
Quote from: super scarface on Dec 08, 2014, 06:58:35 PM
Wow I did not know that I did not know he was acting as Hicks from aliens.
But did you
know that you did not know that you did not know? :D
Quote from: Mr. Clemens on Dec 08, 2014, 11:07:21 PMBut did you know that you did not know that you did not know? :D
(https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs21.postimg.org%2F43j5rxxlz%2Ffile_204837_2_under_siege_2_eric_bogosian.jpg&hash=ade15db7484d12ea9a89bb5cb1704133382a2ff6)