Big (1988 ): 15 INSANE Facts You Never Knew

Big looked like a charming fantasy about a kid who wished to grow up overnight. But behind the giant piano, toy store magic, and Tom Hanks' unforgettable performance was a production filled with rejected stars, abandoned versions, casting chaos, and one director making Hollywood history. Robert De Niro was officially cast before salary negotiations collapsed. Steven Spielberg planned to direct it with Harrison Ford. Multiple body-swap movies hit theaters first, and the cast assumed Big would disappear without a trace. Instead, it became one of the biggest hits of 1988 and earned Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination. These are 15 weird facts about Big — the kind that make one of the most beloved family films ever made feel even more unlikely once you know what was happening behind the scenes.