Brendan Fraser Rejected George Of The Jungle 2 over Disney’s low offer

Actor Brendan Fraser’s 1997 comedy favourite George of the Jungle spawned a 2003 direct-to-DVD sequel in which Fraser was replaced by actor Christopher Showerman. Several characters comment on the actor switch in George of the Jungle 2, with one joking that Disney was too cheap to hire Fraser for a second time.

Fraser recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that he was approached for George of the Jungle 2 but turned down the offer because of the salary, reports ‘Variety’.

“I think George got a remake, and they built a joke into it that the studio was too cheap to hire me, which wasn’t inaccurate,” Fraser said.

“I was approached. I can’t remember what I was doing at the time, but I felt like I wanted to go do The Quiet American instead with Michael Caine, and shoot the first Western film in Vietnam ever, directed by Phillip Noyce, to tell an infinitely American story,” Fraser continued.

“I’m always making diverse choices, and, hopefully, that keeps me and an audience interested. With a bit of distance, I think they’ve all cumulatively led up to the place I’m in now.”

Without Fraser, the George of the Jungle franchise went straight to DVD and more or less flamed out. Choosing to go do The Quiet American instead was a smart move, as the 2003 drama earned critical acclaim and netted Michael Caine an Oscar nomination for best actor.