The Hunt for Red October director John McTiernan revealed that the 1990 action classic could have been completely different. The Hunt for Red October was the latest in a series of box office successes for McTiernan, who had previously helmed 1987's Predator and 1988's Die Hard Red October was successful not only as an adaptation of a work by renowned war novelist Tom Clancy, but as a showcase for both major stars like Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, and breakout character actors such as Sam Neill, Courtney B. Vance and Stellan Skarsgård.
What made The Hunt for Red October stand out from a lot of its action movie contemporaries was the setting and tone of the film. All the action of Red October took place on submarines, giving an at-times claustrophobic and condensed feel compared to more dynamic, open-air war stories such as Red Dawn and Top Gun. Moreover, the backdrop of the Cold War, in addition to the predominantly Russia-centric conflict and cast of characters, made this a more subdued, mediated antithesis to the explicit patriotism of other American action films of the time. While these elements have made The Hunt for Red October a favorite even 30 years later, details have emerged about attempts to alter the film's approach.
Speaking to the Empire Film Podcast, McTiernan addressed the final product of The Hunt for Red October, and revealed a failed studio plot to re-cut the film entirely. McTiernan discussed an unnamed Paramount executive's attempt to make Red October more like the studio's other action movie spectacles, especially Top Gun, changing its premise to take place on airplanes. The director then shared how he handled this sudden curve ball. Read the full excerpt below:
"There was one guy at Paramount after that, when I was making Red October. While I was out of town, this son of a ----- marched into the cutting room and ordered the editors to re-cut the movie as if it were Top Gun 2. He was gonna somehow turn submarines into airplanes. He was gonna make a name for himself out of that ... So I didn't throw anything, I didn't act upset, I just quietly said 'guys, what's going on here?'"
This event says more about Paramount's mindset at the time than it does about anything The Hunt for Red October did by itself. With Paramount now finding immense box office success with Top Gun: Maverick, it's clear now how determined the studio was to recreate the original movie's stellar reception from audiences. Since Red October's release, it's also obvious that an attempt to make a Tom Clancy product into a more bankable, homogenized action film succeeded, with Harrison Ford taking the role of Jack Ryan from Baldwin in the subsequent Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. However, re-cutting a finished movie into an entirely new setting and tone is certainly a bold decision, and Red October benefited from staying true to its original concept.
While further attempts at Tom Clancy action flicks have succeeded, the admission by McTiernan does solidify The Hunt for Red October's place as a unique entry into the canon of 80s and 90s action films. Although Jack Ryan has been brought back several times in the last decade through stars such as Chris Pine and John Krasinski, the appeal of the original adaptation, and the Cold War-infused tension and suspense of The Hunt for Red October, makes for a more satisfying and memorable outing for the character. And though action movies mean something entirely different now than they did in 1990, it's comforting to hear that no amount of studio interference could stop The Hunt for Red October from becoming the classic that it's seen as today.
Source: Empire Film Podcast