Hollywood is no stranger to stories of delayed productions and unfinished dreams. But nothing is as exceptional as the 28-year journey behind the 2021 crime thriller The Little Things, starring Denzel Washington. Behind this movie’s release lies a history involving a surprising list of collaborators in Hollywood.
While its eventual 2021 release features Oscar winners, the story was originally pitched by John Lee Hancock in 1993. One of Hollywood’s greatest directors, Steven Spielberg, turned it down. The young actor, destined for stardom, wished to be a part of it, only to be lost too soon. And, decades later, Hancock paid a quiet tribute to him in his movie, Little Things.
Brandon Lee once vied for a role in the John Lee Hancock thriller, The Little Things
Written by John Lee Hancock in 1993, The Little Things tells the story of a weathered detective who teams up with a younger partner to track a suspected serial killer in Los Angeles. The movie ultimately starred Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto. But decades earlier, director John Lee Hancock envisioned a very different production, including Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, and Danny DeVito.
Hancock revealed that one young actor was nearly involved in this movie, Brandon Lee, son of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. Hancock told Variety,
Brandon was a very good friend; he read everything I wrote. When he read the first draft of this, he said, ‘I have to be in this movie.’
Tragically, Lee died in 1993 while filming The Crow, before the project ever reached production. Though Lee never appeared in the movie, Hancock found a way to honor him. In a subtle tribute, a TV in the background of a key scene plays a clip from the 1988–1990 series Ohara, where a young Brandon Lee had a guest role.
Hancock obtained permission from Lee’s family to use the footage, fulfilling a decades-old promise to include him in the movie. Warner Bros. gave him a list of shows from that era, and he remembered Brandon had done Ohara, and Hancock wasted no time using the footage. It meant a lot to him to include it.
Steven Spielberg passed on Lee Hancock’s thriller, The Little Things
The movie’s road to the screen was anything but smooth. Initially, Hancock had written the script for Steven Spielberg, who was fresh off his Oscar-winning work on Schindler’s List. Spielberg admired Hancock’s writing and had asked him to develop a story they could collaborate on under a blind picture deal with Warner Bros. Hancock recalled in CinemaBlend‘s ReelBlend podcast,
I wrote a long outline and talked to him on the phone about it… He really liked it. He said, ‘This is really, really good storytelling. It’s just too dark for me right now. I’m finishing Schindler’s List. I can’t live in this dark world again.’ And I understood that completely.
Following Spielberg’s departure, other Hollywood names circled the project over the years, including Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, and Danny DeVito. Each eventually moved on, and the script languished in development until Hancock chose to direct it himself nearly three decades after its inception.
Released in January 2021, The Little Things was met with mixed reviews but gained attention for its atmospheric tone, morally ambiguous storytelling, and homage to classic 1970s crime thrillers. Despite the long journey and multiple missed opportunities, the movie eventually found its voice, staying true to Hancock’s original vision.
In the end, The Little Things became a personal and professional milestone for Hancock. While audiences were drawn to the heavyweight cast and tense storytelling, the movie also quietly fulfilled an emotional promise, keeping Brandon Lee’s spirit alive in the very movie he once dreamed of joining.
You can rent The Little Things on Apple TV and Plex now.
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