The other actresses considered for 'Gone Girl' (2014)

Pike's is my absolute favourite performance of the decade so far, so it's hard for me to really consider anyone else in the role.

Of this list, I guess Blunt, Theron or Portman could have perhaps worked, but even there, I just can't see it.

The way I see it, and I liked the film well enough, but the problem with the film is not with Pike (best of that bunch) it's that the material is made for Brian DePalma in his genius (Carrie/Dressed To Kill/Blow Out/Scarface) '76-83 mode. I mean, the film is lifeless except for the one (bloody) scene that evokes DePalma at his nastiest.

He would have had delicious, mean spirited fun with not just the plot mechanics but the marriage satire, suburbia satire........and because the American cinema hasn't been able to find another DePalma since him (not even DePalma himself sadly), were left to wonder what could have been.

I could see Blunt, Cornish, and Wilde.

Mara and Theron would feel a bit too obvious.

Portman and Witherspoon wouldn’t fit.

And... Hahahahaha! Keep Hough far away.

I never imagined Blunt while reading, and never thought of her in the role until this thread, but she would've pulled it off. Same for Portman, she can switch from warm to cold with ease.

Theron would be way too obvious. If people complained that Pike felt cold from the start, it would've been worse with Charlize. I mean, she would've killed the post-twist scenes, but I don't think people would buy her as Cool, Nice New Yorker WASP. Witherspoon, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for Diary Amy, but it'd be surprising to see her as Psycho Amy (which is good).

Mara is way too cold and young for the part.

Wilde, Cornish, Hough are just wrong.

Being honest, this is the role Rachel McAdams was born to play and she would've been stellar in it. She's proven she can do psychothic and cunning with Mean Girls, and since the post-twist's tone is very satirical, she could do that. Also, she has all the charm and warm for playing the Diary Amy.

Pike beats all of them with ease with the possible exception of Blunt, who I wouldn't have associated with Amy Dunne but might've pulled it off now that I think about it.

The criticism that Pike's way too cold from the outset to make the twist truly work would be multiplied tenfold if it were Charlize in the role, much as she fits the physical description.

Witherspoon might've been a good pick too, but I'd still take Pike over her, especially since she had another project that very same year in which she was perfectly cast and much better than I imagine she'd be as Amy.

I don't think "aristocratic" is exactly how I'd describe Amy. The way she's built resembles a lot of rom-coms tropes, as to reflect a woman who is cute in a neurotic way, but if you'd ground those leading ladies from romantic comedy fiction in the real world, they'd actually sound more like spoiled brats - that's the tone Gone Girl is going for. I think McAdams is always effortless when she's doing this charming romantic girl thing (like in About Time, The Time Traveler's Wife, etc etc etc), and also can play very well mean girls (hahaha). I don't think it's aristocratic - if you go that way, Amy would be unlikable since page one -, but rather (rich) girl-next-door meets psycho.

Also, I don't really agree that she'd have to necessarily be this Hitchcock blonde type of beauty. I always thought the whole point of the character is that she seems very approachable at first glance.

There are only two correct answers for this:
1) Charlize Theron
2) Nicole Kidman if the film was made 10-15 years earlier.

And I don't know where you got that shortlist from, but most of those names would've been terrible.

How about Jessica Chastain? According to IMDb, she was also considered.

Team Reese, personally.

I really didn't care for Pike's performance.

So you would want a much worse one instead?

You get to see Adams take on another Gillian Flynn role on HBO soon.