Editing Boogie Nights (section)

==Production==

===Development===
''Boogie Nights'' is based on a [[mockumentary]] [[short film]] that Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed while he was still in high school called ''[[The Dirk Diggler Story]]''.<ref name=latimes /> The short itself was based on the 1981 documentary ''Exhausted: John C. Holmes, The Real Story'', a documentary about the life of legendary porn actor [[John Holmes (actor)|John Holmes]], on whom Dirk Diggler is based.<ref name=filmschoolrejects>{{cite web | last=Kirk | first=Jeremy | title=37 Things We Learned From the 'Boogie Nights' Commentary | url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/37-things-we-learned-from-the-boogie-nights-commentary-fb8bba501524/ | work=Film School Rejects | date=September 13, 2012 | access-date=November 28, 2016 | archive-date=October 29, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029065738/https://filmschoolrejects.com/37-things-we-learned-from-the-boogie-nights-commentary-fb8bba501524/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Mark Wahlberg.jpg|thumb|upright|''Boogie Nights'' helped establish Wahlberg as a film actor; he was previously only known as the frontman of [[Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch]]]]
Anderson originally wanted the role of Eddie to be played by [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], after seeing him in ''[[The Basketball Diaries (film)|The Basketball Diaries]]''. DiCaprio enjoyed the screenplay, but had to turn it down because he had signed on to star in [[James Cameron]]'s ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''. He recommended his ''Basketball Diaries'' co-star [[Mark Wahlberg]] for the role.<ref name=filmschoolrejects /> DiCaprio would later say that he wished he had done both.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gq.com/story/leonardo-dicaprio-revolutionary-road-kate-winslet | title=Leading Man: Leonardo DiCaprio | date=November 2008 | access-date=July 3, 2023 | archive-date=March 20, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320060459/https://www.gq.com/story/leonardo-dicaprio-revolutionary-road-kate-winslet | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Joaquin Phoenix]] was also offered the role of Eddie, but he declined it due to concerns about playing a porn star. Phoenix later collaborated with Anderson on the films ''[[The Master (2012 film)|The Master]]'' and ''[[Inherent Vice (film)|Inherent Vice]]''.<ref>{{cite web | last=Brooks | first=Xan | title=Joaquin Phoenix set to star in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/25/joaquin-phoenix-paul-thomas-anderson | work=The Guardian | date=January 25, 2013 | access-date=November 28, 2016 | archive-date=March 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305000955/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/25/joaquin-phoenix-paul-thomas-anderson | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bill Murray]], [[Harvey Keitel]], [[Warren Beatty]], [[Albert Brooks]] and [[Sydney Pollack]] declined or were passed up on the role of Jack Horner, which went to [[Burt Reynolds]].<ref name=yahoo>{{cite web | last=Zakarin | first=Jordan | title=5 Things We Just Learned About 'Boogie Nights' | url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/5-things-we-just-learned-about-boogie-nights-104867842112.html | work=Yahoo! Movies | date=December 10, 2014 | access-date=November 28, 2016 | archive-date=March 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305134030/https://www.yahoo.com/movies/5-things-we-just-learned-about-boogie-nights-104867842112.html | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://grantland.com/features/boogie-nights/ | title=Livin' Thing | access-date=December 22, 2022 | archive-date=December 22, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222114220/https://grantland.com/features/boogie-nights/ | url-status=live }}</ref> After starring in ''[[Hard Eight (film)|Hard Eight]]'', [[Samuel L. Jackson]] declined the role of Buck Swope, which went to Don Cheadle.<ref name=filmschoolrejects /> Anderson initially did not consider [[Heather Graham]] for Rollergirl, because he had never seen her do nudity in a film. However, Graham's agent called Anderson asking if she could read for the part, which she won.<ref name=filmschoolrejects /> [[Gwyneth Paltrow]], [[Drew Barrymore]] and [[Tatum O'Neal]] were also up for the role.<ref name=yahoo /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/gwyneth-paltrow-turned-down-blockbuster-movie-roles-talks-regrets-2015151/ | title=Gwyneth Paltrow Turned Down These Blockbusters -- Does She Regret It? | date=January 15, 2015 | access-date=December 22, 2022 | archive-date=December 22, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222114219/https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/gwyneth-paltrow-turned-down-blockbuster-movie-roles-talks-regrets-2015151/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

After having a very difficult time getting his previous film, ''Hard Eight'', released, Anderson laid down a hard law when making ''Boogie Nights''. He initially wanted the film to be over three hours long and be rated NC-17. The film's producers, particularly [[Michael De Luca]], said that the film had to be either under three hours or rated R. Anderson fought with them, saying that the film would not have a mainstream appeal no matter what. They did not change their minds, and Anderson chose the R rating as a challenge. Despite this, the film was still 25 minutes shorter than promised.<ref name=filmschoolrejects />

Reynolds did not get along with Anderson while filming. After seeing a rough cut of the film, Reynolds allegedly fired his agent for recommending it.<ref>{{cite web | last=Brew | first=Simon | title=10 actors who turned against their own films | url=http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/15452/10-actors-who-turned-against-their-own-films | work=Den of Geek | date=March 1, 2010 | access-date=November 28, 2016 | archive-date=April 20, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420120430/http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/15452/10-actors-who-turned-against-their-own-films | url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Citation comes across as 2nd hand gossip. With barely enough information itself, it's written in a way where it's expecting to give the reader another source but fails to do so.|date=January 2020}} Despite this, Reynolds won a [[Golden Globe Award]] and was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for his performance. Later, Anderson wanted Reynolds to star in his next film ''[[Magnolia (film)|Magnolia]]'', but Reynolds declined it.<ref>{{cite web | last=Jagernauth | first=Kevin | title="He Was Young And Full Of Himself": Burt Reynolds On Why He "Hated" Paul Thomas Anderson During 'Boogie Nights' | url=http://www.indiewire.com/2015/12/he-was-young-and-full-of-himself-burt-reynolds-on-why-he-hated-paul-thomas-anderson-during-boogie-nights-101670/ | work=Indiewire | publisher=Penske Business Media, LLC | date=December 3, 2015 | access-date=November 29, 2016 | archive-date=November 29, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129205856/http://www.indiewire.com/2015/12/he-was-young-and-full-of-himself-burt-reynolds-on-why-he-hated-paul-thomas-anderson-during-boogie-nights-101670/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012, Reynolds denied rumors that he disliked the film, calling it "extraordinary" and saying that his opinion of it has nothing to do with his relationship with Anderson.<ref>{{Citation|last=Mandatory|title=Deliverance Interviews (Ronny Cox, Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds & Ned Beatty)|date=July 11, 2012|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PnqGa3ffq4I| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211103/PnqGa3ffq4I| archive-date=November 3, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=March 1, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> According to Wahlberg, Reynolds wanted his character Jack Horner to have an Irish accent, which he used for the character on his first day of shooting, before dropping it on the next day.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thrash|first=Steven|title=Mark Wahlberg Recalls Burt Reynolds' Blunt Behavior on Boogie Nights: 'Don't You Ever Laugh at Me Kid!'|date=March 17, 2024|website=MovieWeb|url=https://movieweb.com/mark-wahlberg-boogie-nights-burt-reynolds-shocking-first-meeting/|accessdate=April 4, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bentz|first=Adam|title="Don't You Ever Laugh At Me, Kid": Mark Wahlberg & Burt Reynolds' First Boogie Nights Scene Went Very Awkwardly|date=March 15, 2024|website=Screen Rant|url=https://screenrant.com/boogie-nights-movie-mark-wahlberg-burt-reynolds-scene-first-story/|accessdate=April 5, 2024}}</ref>

According to [[Thomas Jane]], who played Todd Parker in the film, the character Cosmo throwing firecrackers throughout the drug deal scene was not originally in the script, but was written for Anderson's friend Joe G. M. Chan, whom Anderson had seen randomly throwing firecrackers at a party before asking him to appear in the film. Jane also said that Reynolds had attempted to knee him in the crotch during filming due to Anderson keeping the camera rolling after the end of the take, with Jane taunting him as part of a prank. Reynolds sent a six pack of beer to Jane's trailer as an apology.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Slx2icItg0 |title=Celebrity True or False: Thomas Jane Shares Some Great 'Boogie Nights' Stories {{!}} The Rich Eisen Show |date=2022-05-18 |last=The Rich Eisen Show |access-date=2024-12-28 |via=YouTube}}</ref>