David Bowie Almost Appeared in a Beatles Movie
Cinema history is full of missed opportunities. For example, a Beatles movie almost featured David Bowie as a character from a Beatles song. Instead, a famous comedian got the role. A member of the film’s cast revealed what she thought about this development.
David Bowie almost played Mr. Kite in a Beatles movie
Across the Universe is a Fab Four jukebox musical set in a heightened version of the 1960s. Several characters in the movie are named after figures from Beatles songs, including Jude, Lucy, Maxwell, Sexy Sadie, and Mr. Kite.
During a 2018 interview with Vulture, director Julie Taymor discussed the role of Mr. Kite. “We rehearsed it like a normal musical in theater … and it bonded everybody,” he said. “I’ll never forget [star] Evan [Rachel Wood] walking in the hallways with this Bowie T-shirt, because at one point we’d asked David Bowie if he was going to play Mr. Kite. And I think that at the moment Evan was really like, ‘Bowie, Bowie!'”
Wood revealed what she thought when Eddie Izzard got the role instead of the “Space Oddity” singer. “Well, yeah, I mean I’m always like, ‘Bowie, Bowie,'” Wood said. “But I was also all about Eddie Izzard. I was always doing Eddie’s stand-up in the hallway.”
David Bowie covered a Fab Four song with John Lennon’s help
Across the Universe is named after The Beatles’ song of the same name, which has an interesting connection to Bowie. The “Let’s Dance” singer covered “Across the Universe” on his album Young Americans. Bowie was one of a long line of 1970s icons who put their own spin on the Fab Four’s catalog.
During a 1975 interview with Rolling Stone, John recalled working on the cover with Bowie. He said he had had some good times with Bowie in New York City. One night, Bowie told John he was planning to cover “Across the Universe” and asked the former Beatle if he would help him record the track. John played guitar on Bowie’s “Across the Universe.”
John was very nonchalant about playing on the cover. Numerous singers have covered Beatles songs, but Bowie is one of the few who did so with a Beatle’s help! It’s not clear if Taymor offered Bowie a part in “Across the Universe” because he previously covered the song of the same name. Either way, his presence in the movie would have been marvelous.
How Evan Rachel Wood felt about appearing in a Beatles movie
During the Vulture interview, Wood had fond memories of making the movie. “It was one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “I was 17.
“Once I heard Julie was making a Beatles movie, I remember just thinking, ‘There’s nobody else that can do this. And I won’t let anybody else do it!'” Wood added. “It just had to be. And then I got the part and we all spent about seven or eight months in New York together.” While Across the Universe garnered a mixed reception upon its release, it has since become a cult classic among Beatles fans.
Across the Universe is a fun, psychedelic journey and it might have been a little bit more fun if Bowie was along for the ride.
