Sandra Bullock Passed on Two Blockbusters—One She Still Regrets
Sandra Bullock’s career is filled with smart choices, but even she has a few what-ifs. Discover the two major films she turned down—one of which became a global phenomenon and left her wishing she’d said yes.
Sandra Bullock has built a remarkable Hollywood career by carefully choosing her roles, but even the most seasoned stars have moments they look back on with a twinge of regret. With hits like The Proposal, Speed, and The Blind Side under her belt, Bullock’s filmography is packed with box office gold. Still, it ’s hard not to wonder how things might have turned out if she’d accepted a couple of the projects she passed on.
Turning Down a Sci-Fi Classic
After making waves as an action lead in Speed, Bullock caught the eye of producers searching for the perfect fit for a groundbreaking sci-fi film. Before Keanu Reeves landed the iconic role of Neo in The Matrix , the filmmakers considered several big names—including Will Smith, Nicolas Cage, and Bullock herself. In fact, they were so eager to cast her that they were willing to rewrite Neo as a female character.
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura recalled,
“We went out to so many people, I don’t remember. We were getting desperate. We went to Sandy Bullock and said, ‘We’ll change Neo to a girl’. Joel Silver and I worked with Sandy on ‘Demolition Man’ and she was and continues to be a very good friend of mine.”
Despite their efforts, Bullock declined the offer, feeling the project wasn’t the right fit at the time. Years later, she admitted she wished she’d made a different choice.
“There haven’t been any roles that I wanted that I didn’t get, but there was a movie I wish I had done: The Matrix. At the time [I was approached about it], it wasn’t cast with Keanu, and I didn’t see myself with the person they wanted. Later, I saw the movie and loved it. It was sexy and great because of Carrie- Anne and Keanu.”
The Matrix: A Missed Fortune
The Matrix didn’t just become a cult favorite—it exploded into a multi-billion-dollar franchise. The original film, made on a $65 million budget, raked in over $466 million worldwide. Its sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, brought in $738 million and $427 million, respectively. The most recent installment, The Matrix Resurrections, added another $160 million to the total, pushing the franchise’s box office haul to nearly $1.8 billion.
Keanu Reeves, who ultimately took the lead, earned a reported $35 million from the first film alone, thanks to its massive success. For the sequels, he reportedly pocketed $120 million in bonuses, with additional millions for the latest entry. Bullock’s decision to pass on the role cost her not just a place in cinematic history, but a fortune in potential earnings.
The Superhero Movie That Got Away
In 2021, Bullock appeared on late-night TV to promote her film The Unforgivable and revealed she’d turned down another high-profile project—a superhero movie. She explained that her son, Louis, advised her against taking the part, and she ultimately agreed with his instincts. Bullock clarified that the film wasn’t part of the Marvel or DC universes, saying,
“I was approached for something that wasn’t Marvel, but my son said not to do it.”
She went on to say,
“It was kind of in the place that Louis felt I shouldn’t be… and he was actually right. I saw it when it came out and I was like, ‘Ooo! That’s unfortunate.’”
Bullock also mentioned she’d never been approached by Marvel, joking,
“I don’t think I’m Marvel material.”
The identity of the mystery superhero film remains unknown, but Bullock’s story proves that even the biggest stars sometimes rely on family advice when making career moves.