The $30 million gamble that went awry

The original script of 'Ricochet' was meant to be another 'Dirty Harry' outing, but producer Joel Silver took it in a different direction , resulting in a film that would modestly gross $21 million worldwide against its estimated $19 million budget.

According to the report,the film's plot involves the relentless revenge of a psychopath who makes it his mission to destroy the cop who put him behind bars.

A departure from the norm

Clint Eastwood deemed the original script too grim, and the producer Joel Silver took it in a different direction.

Eastwood might have been right, because the plot of Ricochet involves the relentless and hellbent revenge of a psychopath who makes it his mission to deestroy the cop who put him behind bars.

What could have been

The original script written by Fred Dekker was meant to be another 'Dirty Harry' outing, but when Eastwood deemed it too grim, Silver took it in a different direction .

Dekker also said that he counted seven things of his in the finished product, adding that he found the final casting great , however.

Unanswered questions

One question remains: what would have happened if Eastwood had stuck with the original script?

Would the film have been a hit, or would it have suffered the same fate as 'Ricochet'?

The answer , unfortunately, remains a mystery.

Broader context

The film's plot is a departure from the norm, and it's not hard to understand why Eastwood passed on this story as Harry Callahan's next adventure.

Ricochet did modestly at the box office, making $21 million worldwide against its estimated $19 million budget, and reviews at the time were rather mixed.

Ultimately , it's no coincidence that it's mostly remembered as one of Washington's lesser early thrillers.