What Just Happened 2008
During a typical week in Hollywood, producer Ben faces shark‑infested waters as he tries to finish his projects. A studio boss orders massive rewrites on a Sean Penn film, while another won’t approve a project unless Bruce Willis shaves his beard. Ben also works to repair his marriage and stay close to his young daughter.
Does What Just Happened have end credit scenes?
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What Just Happened does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.
Meet the Full Cast and Actors of What Just Happened
Explore the complete cast of What Just Happened, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.
Robert De Niro
Ben
Stanley Tucci
Scott Solomon
Catherine Keener
Lou Tarnow
Bruce Willis
Self
John Turturro
Dick Bell
Robin Wright
Kelly
Lombardo Boyar
Guard at Studio Gate
Kristen Stewart
Zoe
Sean Penn
Self
Lily Rabe
Dwan
Christopher Evan Welch
Studio Marketing Guy
William Ragsdale
Agent #1
Michael Wincott
Jeremy Brunell
Paul Herman
Jerry
Gary Teague
Cheering Fan at Cannes Film Festival (uncredited)
Mark Ivanir
Johnny
Kate Burton
Doctor Randall
Marin Hinkle
Vanity Fair Coordinator
Brandon Keener
Young Studio Executive
Slim Khezri
Self - Cannes Film Festival Guest (uncredited)
Jill Flint
Lou's Secretary (uncredited)
Lindy Booth
Hostess
Bess Rous
Actor's Assistant
Noush Skaugen
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Vincent De Paul
Jack L. McDonagh's Brother (uncredited)
Annie Parisse
'Fiercely' Actress
Jaime Peralta
Doorman (uncredited)
John Schiappa
'Fiercely' Villain
Ali Olomi
Waiter (uncredited)
Paul Lieber
Vanity Fair Photographer
Graham Clarke
Edward Ziggenthrope (uncredited)
Peter Jacobson
Cal
Alexander Blaise
French (voice) (uncredited)
Julia Faye West
Cannes Film Festival Guest
Vivian Kalinov
Producer (uncredited)
Moon Bloodgood
Laura
Jason Kravits
Pollster
Sulinh Lafontaine
Manicurist
Tienne Vu
Manicurist #1
Monica Ramon
Celebrity Guest (uncredited)
Tiffany Pulvino
Executive Assistant (uncredited)
Virginia Bryant
Grammy Scene Award Attendee (uncredited)
Logan Grove
Max
Adrian Bustamante
Lou's Entourage (uncredited)
Ayla Kell
Mary #1
Kazu Nagahama
Asian Jewish Guy (uncredited)
Sonny Vellozzi
Film Crew Member (uncredited)
Laurie Lee
Red Carpet Fan (uncredited)
Scott Alan Berk
Film Premiere Guest / Paparazzi (uncredited)
David Pearl
French Officer (uncredited)
Steven Galarce
Jack L. McDonagh's Cousin (uncredited)
Kevin A. Green
Movie Screening Attendee (uncredited)
Dave Johnson
Red Carpet Guest (uncredited)
Dey Young
Ben's First Wife
Jonathan C. Kaplan
Suit #1
Brett Berg
Deniro's Film Editor (uncredited)
Kat Kramer
Celebrity Guest - Cannes Film Festival (uncredited)
Philip M. Gardiner
Film Critic (uncredited)
Ari Barak
Aba Peterson
Robert Sky McDougall
Hollywood Producer at Funeral (uncredited)
Dennis Albanese
Anthony (uncredited)
Cayleen Davies
Young Woman in Maserati
Anna Moon
Bartender (uncredited)
Linda Lee
Manicurist (uncredited)
DB Albert
Cannes Film Festival Guest (uncredited)
Scott L. Treger
POWER Producer (uncredited)
Jared Morrison
Film Crew (uncredited)
Michael Lovern
Paparazzi (uncredited)
Paydin LoPachin
Mary #2
Michelle Elkin
Chroreographer
Gene Richards
Hollywood Producer At Funeral (uncredited)
Wendy Riordan
Starlet (uncredited)
James M. Myers
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Joe Mancini
Teamster (uncredited)
Lu Johnson
Vanity Fair Set Dresser (uncredited)
J.R. Garcia
Red Carpet Guest (uncredited)
Remy K. Selma
Jimmy
Alessandra Daniele
Sophie
Terrance Yates
Dance Instructor
Jacques Maroun
French Taxi Driver
Ron Li-Paz
Rabbi
Emily Alpren
Lou's Assistant
Brent Rose
1st AD
Jean-Michel Richaud
Festival Host
Alex Norca
Guard at Cannes Airport
Virginia Nguyen
Manicurist #2
Thao Le
Manicurist #3
Emily J. Benson
Dancer
Erin Marino
Dancer
Heather McManama
Dancer
Junar Pasco
Dancer
Katie A. Rustowicz
Dancer
Patrick R. Sheck
Dancer
Phromporn Thongsrisook
Dancer
Marni E. Zaifert
Dancer
Scott Burn
Lou's Assistant
Stacey Alfano
Kaitlyn (uncredited)
Dimitri Lekkos
Jack L. McDonagh - Dead Agent (uncredited)
Jolie Brady
Friend of Zoe (uncredited)
Kristopher Maz
Famous Actor (uncredited)
Kalina Justice
French Wife (uncredited)
Julia Frisoli
Lady Getting Pedicure (uncredited)
Nicole Peplinski
Beautiful Girl (uncredited)
Tommy Gerrits
Student (uncredited)
Shiran Nicholson
Hitman (uncredited)
Frank Hansen
Hitman #2 (uncredited)
Orleans Miranda
Hollywood Agent at Funeral (uncredited)
Austin Lord
Actor - Burial Scene (uncredited)
Byron de Marse
Funeral Guest #1 (uncredited)
Stephen Janousek
Funeral Guest #2 (uncredited)
Patrizia Barretto
Production Assistant (uncredited)
Eric Shackelford
Director - Cannes Film Festival (uncredited)
Stefania Koszti
Celebrity Guest #1- Cannes Film Festival (uncredited)
Sera Bailey
Cannes Film Festival Guest (uncredited)
Aubrey Dickinson
Cannes Film Festival Guest (uncredited)
Yeva-Genevieve Lavlinski
Cannes Film Festival Attendee (uncredited)
Aura Figueiredo
Lady at Cannes Film Festival (uncredited)
Sarah Elizabeth Dell
Cannes Spectator (uncredited)
Tom Probst
Celebrity Guest (uncredited)
Aryn Elaine
Movie Screening Guest (uncredited)
Gabriel Furman
Movie Screening Guest (uncredited)
Rob Tode
Test Screening Guest (uncredited)
Michael Masucci
Outraged Moviegoer (uncredited)
Thelma O'Leary
Audience Member (uncredited)
Sean Shea-Clark
Audience Member (uncredited)
Laurie Curtis
Paparazzi (uncredited)
Jonathan Flanigan
Bar Patron (uncredited)
External Links and Streaming Options
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Take the Ultimate What Just Happened Movie Quiz
Challenge your knowledge of What Just Happened with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.
What Just Happened Quiz: Test your knowledge of the key characters, plot twists, and behind‑the‑scenes drama in the 2008 film "What Just Happened?".
Who is the veteran Hollywood producer struggling with personal and professional problems?
Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for What Just Happened
Read the complete plot summary of What Just Happened, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.
Ben, a veteran Hollywood producer, Robert De Niro is at the heart of a storm of professional and personal crises as his latest film, Fiercely, collapses during a brutal test screening. The controversial ending shows the murder of the film’s main character and his dog, provoking questions about tone, intent, and the price of artistic risk.
Ben and his maverick British director Michael Wincott Jeremy Brunell press their case before studio executive Catherine Keener Lou Tarnow, who accuses Ben of using the dog’s death as a bargaining chip to force cuts elsewhere. She threatens to pull the film from Cannes and take over editing unless that moment is removed, while Jeremy digs in and refuses to back down.
On the personal front, Ben struggles to sever ties with his second wife, Kelly, played by Robin Wright. She is secretly having an affair with Stanley Tucci as Scott Solomon, a married screenwriter with a project he’s trying to shepherd to life, attracting attention and stirring tensions—indeed, even hinting at connections to a notable star being attached to the project. This tangled love affair complicates every choice about Fiercely’s future.
Meanwhile, the studio fears bad press and financial risk around a planned Bruce Willis project, given the star’s stubborn insistence on keeping his beard. Ben’s career hinges on the film’s fate, and any effort to reason with Willis is met with a forceful, unyielding response that threatens to derail the entire production.
Jeremy ultimately relents and re-edits the ending to let the dog survive. Ben tries to persuade Willis’s agent, John Turturro as Dick Bell, to convince the actor to shave the beard; the attempt backfires, and Dick is fired. In the end, Willis does shave, and production continues.
A week later, Ben, Lou, and Jeremy attend Cannes, hopeful for a Palme d’Or. But without telling Ben or Lou, Jeremy has re-edited Fiercely again—this time not only killing the dog but adding nearly a full minute of bullets into the protagonists’ bodies. The new ending destroys the film’s chances at the top prize and provokes mixed reactions, though some in the audience—including Sean Penn—applaud the daring move. Lou leaves Cannes on the studio’s private jet, leaving Ben stranded in France.
Back home, Ben participates in a Vanity Fair photo shoot featuring Hollywood’s top producers, but the debacle casts a long shadow. Once the magazine’s publishers hear about Cannes, Ben’s standing is diminished, and he is relegated to the far edge of the frame, a stark symbol of how quickly fortune can shift in the movie business.
Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for What Just Happened
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Cars Featured in What Just Happened
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What Just Happened Themes and Keywords
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