Original "Snakes on a Plane" Director Wanted to KILL (OFF) SAM JACKSON!!!

(AP Photo/HO/Rogue Pictures)

While interviewing Ronny Yu (the one on the left, fools), The Slug's B.F.F. and "Snakes on a Plane" correspondent Ryan Pearson asked about the blog-buzzed horror film that Yu was originally supposed to direct (and that has pretty much flopped at the box office). The Hong Kong horror master cited the boring "creative differences" explanation, but then gave us the juice. He initially signed on because of the title (duh!) and though he was friendly with Samuel L. Jackson, Yu wasn't sure Jackson was the right fit for the film. Here's his explanation:

"If you put Samuel L. Jackson in it, and you have snakes on a plane, who is the star of the show? Is it Samuel L. Jackson, or is it the snake? If you want Samuel L. Jackson to be the hero, then the snakes weren't that important, because you knew at the end Samuel L. Jackson would save the day."

His big UNLESS: "If I'm allowed the creative freedom, then I'll do it a little differently with Samuel L. Jackson. I'll make him more of a surprise for the audience. ... He can be a cool guy, but kill off the cool guy, so people hate those snakes. Rather than have the normal hero come save the day, I think the audience wants to see something a little bit different, unpredictable. Of course, working with a studio you have to follow what they set down, what their rules are."

Bottom line: Yu wanted to kill off Sam Jackson. The studio didn't. Yu left.