Rachel Weisz Cut Out Of ‘To The Wonder’ During Editing Process

Actress Rachel Weisz is a Best Supporting Actress winner for 2006’s The Constant Gardener and one of the most respected women working in Hollywood. Yet, despite her critically acclaimed success, all of the actress’ scenes were cut from the finished product of the upcoming film To the Wonder by acclaimed director Terrence Malick.

Speaking in an interview with La Stampa, Weisz surprised everyone by announcing that her scenes were completely removed from the film.

Weisz is not alone in her cutting room floor predicament; also believed to be cut were Michael Sheen, Amanda Peet, and Jessica Chastain.

To The Wonder is a story about a Midwestern man (Ben Affleck) who married a European women in Paris. Once back home in the United States, Ben’s character starts to fall back in love with his old partner played by Rachel McAdams.

Malick left Hollywood for 20 years, and, since his return, he has attracted many top names to his recent projects. The director is so well respected that actors and actresses are willing to sign a contract that states they may be dropped from the final edition of his movies.

Big names literally mean nothing to the director; in The Thin Red Line he cut Gary Oldman, Mickey Rourke, Viggo Mortensen, Bill Pullman, and Martin Sheen.

Not everyone is a fan of his shooting style; Christopher Plummer told Newsweek last year:

“I love some of his movies very much… [but] he edits his films in such a way that he cuts everyone out of them… [Malick] gets terribly involved in poetic shots, which are gorgeous… He gets lost in that and the stories get diffused. I’ll never work with him again.”

Fans of Malick’s poetic storytelling style will be able to check out the film when it debuts at the Toronto Film Festival on September 10.