Kevin Smith, who did an uncredited rewrite of the script, stated that a total of eight writers worked on the script, while the Writers Guild of America only gave credit to Gina Wendkos, who wrote the first draft of the script, which, according to Smith, scarcely resembles the final film. (See WGA screenwriting credit system.) Jeff Nathanson wrote a draft that director David McNally credits as the draft that "brought the thing home"; Nathanson was credited on the initial theatrical poster but not in the finished film. Carrie Fisher also wrote a draft. Casting Early on, before the producers decided to cast mostly unknown actors, the lead role of Violet Sanford was offered to pop singer Jessica Simpson, who turned it down. January Jones also auditioned for a role. Filming Principal photography took place in Manhattan and small towns in New Jersey including South Amboy and Sea Bright for a month. Production then moved to California and shooting took place in Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Pasadena, and San Pedro. Title The film was based on an article, "The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon", in GQ by Elizabeth Gilbert, who worked as a bartender in the East Village, Manhattan. The bar, which opened in 1993, quickly became a favorite of the Lower East Side hipsters. As mentioned in the film, the slang term "coyote ugly" refers to the feeling of waking up after a one-night stand, and discovering that one's arm is underneath someone who is so physically repulsive that one would gladly chew it off without waking the person just so one can get away without being discovered. Coyotes are known to gnaw off limbs if they are stuck in a trap, to facilitate escape. Reception Box office Coyote Ugly opened fourth at the North American box office making US$17,319,282 in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $60,786,269 domestically and $53,130,205 around the world to a total of $113,916,474 worldwide, becoming a box office success. Critical response The film received negative reviews from critics. Criticisms and praise centered around the belief that it was little more than an excuse to portray "hot, sexy women dancing on a bar in a wet T-shirt contest". On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 23% based on 104 reviews, with an average rating of 3.8/10. The site's consensus states: "Coyote Ugly has an enthusiastically trashy energy and undeniable aesthetic