Die Piratenbraut
At the time the film was produced, Geena Davis and director Renny Harlin were married. Harlin convinced producer Mario Kassar to cast Davis, who was known for light comedies, in hopes that it would turn her into an action-adventure star. Carolco, already deeply in debt when the film entered pre-production, initially budgeted $60 million for "Cutthroat Island" and pinned its hopes for survival on the success of the film. To fund this endeavor, the cash-starved company cancelled its only other project under production, "Crusade" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, losing $13 million in the process but freeing up additional money for "Cutthroat Island". It also sold a $20 million interest in Paul Verhoeven's "Showgirls", "Last of the Dogmen", and "Stargate", and aggressively marketed "Cutthroat Island" to overseas distributors, who were convinced to buy the distribution rights in their various countries with the promise that the film was a sure-fire hit.