Clint Eastwood's Cry Macho finished filming in just under a year, but it may surprise some to know that production was delayed for many decades due to the original version being canceled. Cry Macho is a neo-western drama that follows an aging rodeo star named Mike (Clint Eastwood) as he journeys across Mexico to return a teenager named Rafo to his father in the United States. On their journey, Mike finds one final chance for redemption; teaching Rafo what it means to be a good man.
Planning for the original Cry Macho's production began promptly after N. Richard Nash's novel was published in 1975. However, making arrangements to start filming would prove to be an arduous task. Many notable stars have circled the project during its decades-long development, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pierce Brosnan.
Producer Albert S. Ruddy has spent years working to bring Cry Macho to screens, and even began filming a version in the early 1990's with Roy Scheider but abandoned the project before it could be completed. In the late 1980s, Eastwood was also approached, and though he turned it down to make Dirty Harry sequel The Dead Pool, it was because he did not believe he was the right choice rather than being disinterested. In a recent interview, Eastwood explained (via People) that at the time he "felt [he] was too young for the part" and instead considered directing it. Eventually, Ruddy would begin filming Cry Macho with Roy Scheider as the lead.
Very little information has been revealed regarding Scheider's involvement in the project, however, apart from the fact filming began in Mexico in 1991, only to be canceled soon after. Consequentially, any reasons for the film not being completed are left to speculation. It seems unlikely Ruddy would call off production for the film, given how determined he has been to mount an adaptation of the novel, suggesting financing issues may have been to blame. While a very well-respected actor, Scheider also lacked the star power of someone like Eastwood or Arnie, which may have been another factor in this version having difficulties attracting financing or studio support.
In addition, the plot of the original Cry Macho with Scheider is likely the same as the current adaptation, seeing as Eastwood had similar perceptions of Mike. Eastwood has displayed in trailers that he plays Mike as a harsh but well-meaning man while Schwarzenegger also described the role (via Entertainment Weekly) as being very "opposite of what [one would] expect someone like [him] to do," implying the general concept has remained the same. It would make sense for Scheider to have done the same, as Ruddy's casting choices all present an idea of adapting Mike Milo through figures who appear tough yet can be sincere and sensitive as well. The original version may be lost, but the Cry Macho audiences will see will likely tell its story as Ruddy originally intended.