Development
Rights to the project were legally complicated: because Paramount had bought Erich Segal's original screenplay for Love Story and the novel was written afterwards, the studio retained the sequel rights to the characters, i.e. it could make a sequel using the same characters. However Segal could still write his own sequel book. Paramount had first refusal rights on Segal's book, but if they refused his offer, Segal could take the project to another producer. [3] [4]
Segal was reported as working on a screenplay sequel to Love Story called Oliver's Story as early as 1972. [5] However Segal wound up writing the novel version first although "it took me five years of trembling and fear to start," he said. "I was terrified of the curse of the second novel." [6] In the meantime, Paramount had other writers prepare possible sequels to Love Story.
Writing the book of Oliver's Story took Segal two and a half years "because I didn't have an ending". He said he wrote "every word" of the book "with Ryan O'Neal in mind. And in my mind's eye I also saw [Ray] Milland and [John] Marley in their roles" and he felt Candice Bergen would have been ideal for the lead female. [6] The novel was published in February 1977 and became a best seller. [7] Segal said various studios were unhappy with the book as a film project because "no one dies". [8]
Paramount had the right to match anyone's offer for a sequel, but Segal demanded $5.5 million for the rights and the studio refused to pay it. Instead Paramount commissioned David Newman and his wife to write an original screenplay using the characters from Love Story. In September 1977 Segal said he was writing the screenplay version of Oliver's Story which he had sold, without Paramount's involvement, to Lew Grade, to make, possible for television. [4] [9]
This meant there was a chance for two rival Love Story projects - Oliver's Story, from the Segal novel, and a Paramount sequel, Love Story Two, not from the novel. Don Simpson, vice president of production at Paramount, said the studio had four screenplays in total under consideration for the sequel (this presumably included the script from the Newmans), plus the sole right to use Ryan O'Neal's services. Segal felt a version of Oliver's Story could have been made without O'Neal but Simpson argued "anybody who goes out and does a sequel without O'Neal is going to fall flat on their face at the box office." [9]
Paramount had offered Ryan O'Neal a reported $3.5 million to reprise his role in a sequel. Segal commented, "They'll have to hire a UCLA film school student to direct because that's the only other talent they'd be able to afford." Don Simpson wanted Arthur Hiller to direct while Segal's choice of director was Claude Lelouch. Segal's preference for the female lead was Candice Bergen although rumours at the time had Farrah Fawcett as the favourite. [9]
Michael Eisner, head of Paramount, said "one way or another we're doing a sequel to Love Story," adding, "I happen to like Oliver's Story but nothing is more presold than the movie and the original book. I think Oliver's Story can only help the momentum of the property that Paramount exclulsively owns." [4] Segal in turn threatened to sue Paramount if the studio made a sequel without his involvement. [10]
In August 1977 Segal said Lew Grade had bought the rights to Oliver's Story for $1 million and that filming on the project would start on 15 October 1977, possibly starring Richard Jordan or Jan Michael Vincent as Oliver and Jacqueline Bisset as the female lead, with Charles Jarrott most likely to direct. [8]
By September, however, it was announced that Lew Grade had reliquished his rights to the project and Segal and Paramount had come to terms - the studio would adapt Oliver's Story. [11] Segal had dropped his price to $1.5 million. [12] [3] David Picker, who had been president of Paramount Pictures, was given the project to produce as a "going away present". [13]
O'Neal refused to star in the film, however, saying he was unhappy with the script. "It was just a rehash of the book, which hadn't interested me," he said. [14] He added, "I just don't think Segal did a good job of catching him. Oliver is a real hard guy to follow." [15]
In January 1978 it was announced John Korty would direct Oliver's Story and that Paramount would make the film with an unknown male star, while O'Neal was going to make The Champ at MGM. [16] Korty was best known for his television movies and low budget feature films. Korty later said he had been approached to direct by Picker. He claims Picker called him up and said, "Erich Segal is writing his own script and I'm pretty sure it's going to be terrible,” so "“I'm looking for somebody to treat it like an independent film... I know your work and I would love to have you direct this with the idea that you'll probably end up writing a script as well, and it's going to be a six or seven million dollar Christmas release from Paramount.” [13]
Although Korty did not like Love Story, he was eager to try his hand at something more commercial and thought the prospect of dealing with Oliver's grief over Jenny's death would make for rich thematic material. "I've got enough good reviews to wallpaper several rooms but I've never had enough elements interesting to the public to get people into theatres," said Korty. [3]
Korty went to New York to start casting, seeing a lot of theatre actors. His choices for the leads were William Hurt and Meryl Streep. While David Picker was supportive, Korty says Michael Eisner, then head of Paramount, did not want to cast them as they were unknown. Korty later said, "To this day I think, 'What would that movie have looked like with Meryl Streep and Bill Hurt, you know?'" [13]
O'Neal then pulled out of The Champ and became available. Paramount had Korty rewrite the script and O'Neal agreed to make the film on the basis of the new draft. O'Neal said Korty is "saying more or less the same thing as Erich, but he's answered a lot of questions, a lot of exclamation points." [1] Among the changes Korty made was enlarging the part of Joanna Stone and ending the film on a romance between her and Oliver. "I wrote and photographed a very upbeat ending in which, as a symbolic gesture, Ryan knocks down a wall in his apartment as a way of opening up his life and starting with this young girl," said Korty. [13]
O'Neal says he was paid less than $3 million for the role, although he received $1 million up front and a share of the profits. [14] "“Without O'Neal, Oliver's Story would be a totally different film," said Korty later during filming. "To most peÒple, Ryan O'Neal is Oliver Barrett. That's what's going for us now. They're involved in his life.” [17]
In March 1978 it was reported Paramount hoped to give the female lead to Meryl Streep who had been in Julia but that O'Neal wanted Candice Bergen. [18] O'Neal says Bergen was reluctant to appear in the film and he had to persuade her by giving her one of his points in the film. [14]
The other female lead was played by Nicola Pagett, who had been in Upstairs, Downstairs and was cast after the filmmakers saw her photo in People magazine and flew her out to the US for a test. Both Bergen and Pagett were only cast after filming had already started, a situation produced David Picker called "very, very scary." [3]
John Marley did not reprise his role as Ali MacGraw's father from the original. He and Paramount had come to terms on money but not billing; he was replaced by Edward Binns. [19]
