Spike Jonze's new movie downloads Scarlett Johansson update to replace Samantha Morton

By Sean O'Neal | June 21, 2013 | 5:21pm

Aux Features Film

Spike Jonze’s Her—the previously reported, very Spike Jonze comedy where Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with Siri, basically—recently received a release date of November 20. However, as anyone who uses iTunes will tell you, it’s never too soon for a sweeping update: Vulture has learned that, for the voice of the seductive operating system that seduces Phoenix, Jonze made a last-minute swap of Samantha Morton for Scarlett Johansson, a surprise first hinted at when Johansson suddenly appeared on the cast list alongside other stars Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and Chris Pratt.

Jonze himself later clarified the decision in an email to the site, saying, “It was only in post production, when we started editing, that we realized that what the character/movie needed was different from what Samantha and I had created together. So we recast and since then Scarlett has taken over that role.” Jonze had nothing but kind words for Morton’s performance, calling the decision to replace her “pretty normal in terms of my not-quite-painless-for-everyone-involved 'process' of discovering what the movie is.” And in the middle of that process, Jonze received a notice saying the voice of his female operating system needed a “husky” upgrade. As with Siri, it was probably either download that or switch to Slightly Condescending British Man.