Maybe you didn’t know it, but 1996 is a key year for a friendship that emerged in Hollywood. George Clooney and Nicole Kidman met on the set of The peacemaker. This exciting ‘thriller’ marked several milestones within the industry: brought Clooney and Kidman together for the first and only time, was the first release from filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s production company and helped launch the careers of everyone involved in the film. It should be noted that the person responsible for it is Mimi Leder, a director now recognized for her excellent work in titles such as The Morning Show, A Question of Gender either The Leftovers.
The story of The peacemaker is based on the novel One Point Safe by Andrew and Leslie Cockburn. The plot follows a Russian mercenary who has stolen nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union in order to send a message to the world. This event alarms nuclear scientist Julia Kelly (Kidman) and Colonel Tom Devoe (Clooney), who find themselves involved in a relentless pursuit of smugglers to prevent a global catastrophe.
Celebrities, nuclear weapons, terrorists, gangsters and a multitude of dangers: this action movie has it all. Besides, the soundtrack is composed by Hans Zimmer, the recent Oscar winner for Duneso don’t miss its composition while you enjoy this political ‘thriller’ that is now available on RTVE Play. As if that were not enough, the film was a global success, with a budget of 50 million dollars and a collection of more than 110 million at the box office.
George Clooney left this fantasy film at the last moment: it later became one of the biggest failures in history
A bet that would last decades
George Clooney and Nicole Kidman became friends on the set of filming The peacemaker and They made a bet that is difficult to forget with a third Hollywood star. Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer teamed up against Clooney and bet $10,000 that the actor would be married with children before he turned 40. Clooney was sure that he would win the bet, but his friends and colleagues clearly saw the more fatherly side of him.
Over time, the actor turned 40 and they had lost the bet, but he did not accept the actresses’ money. “Double or nothing for another 10 years”, Clooney said and, at 50 years old, they still hadn’t won the bet. Finally, it was six years later when Clooney married and had twins with lawyer Amal Alamuddin, at the age of 56. It is not known if Kidman and Pfeiffer followed through with the bet, but that friendship that emerged behind the cameras endures to this day.
