Striking Distance

Coming from a police family, Tom Hardy ends up fighting his uncle after the murder of his father. Tom believes the killer is another cop and goes on the record with his allegations. Demoted then to river duty, the killer taunts Tom.

Fun Facts about Striking Distance

The movie was shot over 13 weeks in the summer of 1992 in Pittsburgh under the working title "Three Rivers." Initially set for release on May 21, 1993, extensive re-shoots were required in Los Angeles after the first cut was poorly received by a test audience. 

Story adjustments and the elimination of certain plot points were implemented to enhance the film, causing a delay in its release to September 17, 1993. Reports from that time revealed that the test audience disliked the initial version due to confusing story elements, which were added by Bruce Willis to director Rowdy Herrington's and Marty Kaplan's original script. Described as being similar to "Hudson Hawk (1991) without the laughs," the initial cut faced criticism. 

Bruce Willis took charge, influencing scene rewrites and decisions on set, reminiscent of his approach during "Moonlighting" days. Columbia chairman Mark Canton expressed great optimism about the film's potential success despite the necessary re-shoots, anticipating it to be a significant hit if it grossed over $30 million at the box office. Canton's involvement in troubled film productions like "The Bonfire of the Vanities" (1990) and "Last Action Hero" (1993) was known, where similar issues arose during test screenings. In an effort to improve "Striking Distance," intimate scenes were made sexier, dialogue scenes were trimmed, and the film's focus shifted from "Three Rivers" to "Striking Distance" to emphasize its action-thriller aspect. 

Despite Bruce Willis's role in the challenges faced during production and the need for re-shoots, he placed blame on Herrington, who defended Willis in interviews. Reports from the cast and crew indicated that Willis's behavior towards Herrington was less than amicable throughout filming. Ultimately, "Striking Distance" fell short at the box office, bringing in only $24 million against a $30 million budget.