How to Cope When Your Fave (Like Lola Tung or Simone Ashley) Gets Cut From a Blockbuster

Cosmopolitan

16-07-2025

I almost fell to my knees when I read that Bridgerton star Simone Ashley had her role cut from the hit summer film F1. It didn't deter her from turning out a look at its premiere, but the news was met with fan confusion and ire. Why would cutting Simone even be considered? She's an up-and-coming starlet with a passionate fan base eager to support her every move! But as F1 director Joseph Kosinski explained to People, "It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn't make it into the final cut."
Joseph did not lie. This incident is not an isolated one. That's become even more obvious with the news that Monsters breakout actor Nicholas Alexander Chavez and The Summer I Turned Pretty star Lola Tung had their sole scene in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer remake cut. Fans clocked that Nicholas and Lola weren't featured in the film's trailer or any other promotional materials earlier this summer, but their chop was confirmed by director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson at the premiere this week. She said plainly that their scene just didn't fit in with the final version of the movie. 'It was just one of those situations where it had nothing to do with Lola and Nicholas,' director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson explained, 'they are both so fantastic.'
And so we have found a pretty dismaying summer 2025 trend: Young, popular, streamer-bred talent having their highly anticipated big-screen moments slashed! These are the talents we root for! Whose casting announcements are met with such fervent stan celebration that you'd assume some of the users online are taking home a cut of the actors' paychecks. The directors who commit to their creative vision instead of succumbing to the pressures of fanfare have my respect. But respect won't satisfy the curiosity I have about Nicholas Alexander Chavez's IKWYDLS performance. Disheartening as it may be, there's a history for this sort of thing. A young Timothée Chalamet famously had his role in Interstellar cut significantly back in 2014. Shailene Woodley's portrayal of Mary Jane Watson in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 never saw the light of day. And we can learn from this history. So, to settle your worries about the widespread star slashing happening right now, here's a beginner's guide to surviving it.
Tempting as it may be, let's not completely rule these films out just because they cut your fave. There are plenty of exciting names to watch these major projects for. For example, I Know What You Did Last Summer's cast features the cream of young Hollywood's crop—from Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline, to The Studio's scene stealer Chase Sui Wonders. Expand your horizons! Consider alternative stanning options! Support your local theaters!
Think back to the day you first saw the IG story/press release/@FilmUpdates tweet that announced your fave's casting. Do you remember how hopeful you felt? The adorable press junket moments and red carpet looks you started to look forward to? That sweet sense of endless opportunity? Hold on to that feeling. Maybe revisit the projects that they haven't been brutally cut from. Pain isn't a forever feeling!
I'm talking about the grainy paparazzi photos from the set. Or the blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the film that was impossible to edit around. Maybe even pray that their scenes mysteriously leak on the internet one day. And consider watching the film extra closely. You can still catch a glimpse of Shailene Woodley during one climactic scene in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and try as the powers that be might, Simone Ashley's contributions to F1 couldn't be totally erased. (She can technically still be spotted in the movie, very briefly.)
While you hold on to those aforementioned scraps, remember that many victims of The Movie Cut have gone on to do great things! Ex. the upcoming third season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which I will be streaming to fill the Lola Tung-sized hole in my heart. These stars were cast for a reason—their talent, aura, and potentially their follower counts. Which means that in a dream world, there will be plenty more high-profile opportunities to come. And though I'm sure the fan outrage and advocacy are appreciated, please note that this is exactly what their agents are paid to do. There's (hopefully) more screentime in the days ahead.