James Cameron played an unusual role in the history of HBO’s hit series ‘Entourage‘. Long before Jason Momoa became Aquaman on the big screen, the first version of the character to reach blockbuster status appeared inside the fictional world of the show.
Actor Adrian Grenier played struggling movie star Vinnie Chase, whose career changed overnight after landing the lead role in a massive ‘Aquaman‘ film directed by Cameron.
‘Entourage’ Originally Planned Aquaman As A Box Office Disaster
Inside the story of ‘Entourage,‘ the Aquaman project carried a huge risk. Creator Doug Ellin imagined it as the kind of big-budget movie that could easily destroy a young actor’s career.
Ellin even admitted he originally thought Aquaman sounded ridiculous as a film idea. It is mainly because superhero movies still carried a strange reputation in the early 2000s. So, convincing audiences to take a hero who talks to fish seriously did not seem easy.
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James Cameron Refused To Let Aquaman Be A Flop
Ellin later explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that the idea only worked once James Cameron became part of the story. Cameron had already built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most successful directors.
As a result, giving him the fictional Aquaman film inside ‘Entourage‘ made the joke stronger and the story more believable at the same time. So, Ellin contacted Cameron and asked if he would appear on the show. Cameron agreed and treated the role with utmost dedication. The director even became a recurring guest star in the series.
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During early planning, Ellin revealed that the Aquaman movie inside the show was supposed to tank miserably at the box office. The failure would crush Vinnie Chase’s dreams of becoming a major Hollywood star. Cameron, however, strongly disagreed with the idea.
The Letter That Changed Aquaman’s ‘Entourage’ Storyline
According to Ellin, Cameron wrote a long letter explaining why the fictional movie could not become a flop. The director argued that if he directed ‘Aquaman‘ in real life, the film would succeed. Cameron believed audiences would show up in huge numbers. Ellin later admitted Cameron’s reasoning made perfect sense. After reading the letter, he decided to change the storyline.
The new direction transformed the fictional Aquaman into a massive box office hit in the world of ‘Entourage.’ Vinnie Chase suddenly became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Ellin later described Cameron’s idea as genius. The change pushed the character toward the Hollywood A-List and gave the show one of its most memorable plotlines.
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