Remember that time Edward Cullen and Elle Woods ran off and joined the circus together?
Set mostly in the 1930s, Water for Elephants—based on the 2006 best-seller by Sara Gruen—features Robert Pattinson, in the peak of his Twilight fame, as veterinary student Jacob, who quits school after a family tragedy, decides to ride the rails and unwittingly jumps a circus train. There he finds volatile ringleader August, played by Christoph Waltz, and his performer wife, Marlena, played by a platinum blonde and pin-curled Reese Witherspoon. A love triangle more dangerous than the Edward-Bella-Jacob triad quickly ensues.
Released on April 22, 2011, Water For Elephants went on to gross $117 million, showcasing Witherspoon's knack for picking the right books to adapt years before she starred in and produced projects such as Wild and Big Little Lies.
And the Legally Blonde star was the first actor cast in the circus, with several other big names in the mix to star as Jacob before Pattinson secured the part, even though director Francis Lawrence said he was initially "skeptical" of the star.
From the surprising way Witherspoon supported Pattinson after his high-profile split from Kristen Stewart in 2012 to the other Oscar-winning actor who was originally supposed to play August, here are 14 behind-the-scenes facts you might not know about Water For Elephants...