Owen Wilson reportedly turned down $12M role in film that depicted O.J. Simpson as innocent

Owen Wilson decided to turn down a lead role in an upcoming film about O.J Simpson, the director has claimed.

O.J. Simpson was once viewed as the best running back in NFL history, eventually making his way in Hollywood with a few roles in Roots, The Naked Gun and No Place to Hide.

However, following his death earlier this month, his legacy was less about his football career and more about the trial that gripped the 90s, where he was accused of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1995.

He was acquitted on both murder charges, but the events have remained in the public consciousness, having been adapted numerous times for TV and film, including 2016's The People vs O.J. Simpson.

O.J. Simpson passed away earlier this month. (Jason Bean-Pool/Getty Images)

An upcoming film, entitled The Juice, however, is set to take look back at Simpson and his connection to this murder, with it depicting the football player as being innocent of the crimes.

The film, directed by Joshua Newton, is meant to be a 'satirical thriller' and is primarily focused on his attorney, Douglas McCann, who represented Simpson in a civil case in 2000.

And according to Newton, Owen Wilson was who he wanted to take on the role of McCann.

However, the actor has reportedly decided to stay well clear of it.

Owen Wilson reportedly turned down the role of Douglas McCann. (Rich Polk/Deadline via Getty Images)

According to reports by The Hollywood Reporter, Wilson sat down with Newton for lunch to discuss the film, and by the end, had firmly closed the door on getting involved.

Newton said: “Owen Wilson was perfect for the role. I actually had a meeting with him in Santa Monica. Everybody loved the script. His agent wanted him to do it.

“We offered him $12 million. But at the end of the lunch, Owen stood up and said, ‘If you think I’m going to take the lead role in a movie about how O.J. didn’t do it, you’ve got to be kidding me.'”

While Newton felt that the Midnight in Paris star was 'perfect' for the role, he also said that they were able to find someone equally as 'spot on' - but he has not yet revealed who that is.

UNILAD has contacted Wilson's reps for comment.

The film, which is said to be in pre-production, plans to follow McCann, who is described a ‘street-smart LA attorney' who 'risks everything when conspiracy theorists draw him into the divisive O.J. Simpson saga'.

Newton is also hoping to complete the film by October 3, 2025 - which will be the 30th anniversary of Simpson's acquittal.

Topics: Celebrity, NFL, Football, Film and TV

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.