 Originally written as a male character with Tom Cruise attached to star, agent Salt underwent a gender change after a Columbia Pictures executive suggested Jolie for the role.With revenues of $293.5 million, "Salt" became an international success.The film received generally positive reviews, with Jolie's performance in particular earning praise; "Empire" critic William Thomas remarked, "When it comes to selling incredible, crazy, death-defying antics, Jolie has few peers in the action business."