Getting Kesey On- and Off-Board
Michael Douglas’ producing partner, Saul Zaentz, was the owner of Fantasy Records and an avid reader. He really liked Kesey and his book. Saul approached Kesey and asked him to write a screenplay, promising him a piece of the action. But like many novelists who try to adapt their own material, it just didn’t work out. They fell out with Kesey after that, becoming their only longstanding and painful problem in the matter.
Photo by United Artists / Fantasy Films / Kobal / Shutterstock
They even got into a financial dispute. “It was silly, but maybe it was his way of defending his ego,” is the way Michael Douglas saw it. Hal Ashby, an early contender for the director, suggested Jack Nicholson for the role of McMurphy. The filmmakers didn’t really see it at first since he had never really played anyone like that before.