10 Box Office Flops That Put Their Creators In Director’s Jail

Director’s jail is not just like the common one, because it operates underneath Hollywood’s personal convoluted “justice” system. A singular field workplace flop may lead to a life sentence for a filmmaker the place they’re covertly blacklisted from the business, by no means ever engaged on an enormous studio film once more. It is harsh — however nobody ever stated that Tinseltown is a good or forgiving place.

What’s wild is how Hollywood would not take historical past into consideration right here. A director may pump out 5 financially profitable movies in a row and have one dud, however that is it — off to director’s jail they go. Heck, at instances, films are doomed to fail earlier than they’re even made, however the filmmaker will get the blame ultimately. Have a look at “Catwoman” and “Road Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” as infamous examples. There are buying lists with extra substance than these scripts, and never even Steven Spielberg may have saved them. Nonetheless, it is the administrators who’re blamed for the following trainwrecks when a high-powered studio exec ought to have stated a very long time in the past, “Perhaps this is not the fitting film to make.”

Then once more, there are administrators who determine to fly too near the Solar and burn their wings. Poor Tom Hooper have to be allergic to cats at this level, whereas Josh Trank by no means needs to see one other superhero venture in his life. However did they deserve what occurred to their careers, although? Let’s take a look at all of the field workplace flops that put their creators in director’s jail.

Josh Trank established himself as a wunderkind with 2012’s “Chronicle.” Not solely did the movie reinvigorate the superhero style by way of its found-footage method and novel story, but it surely additionally made some huge cash for twentieth Century Fox ($126.6 million from a $12 million finances to be actual). Unsurprisingly, Fox turned to Trank for 2015’s “Unbelievable 4” reboot.

Trank’s star continued to be on the rise as he was provided the prospect to helm a “Star Wars” film primarily based on Boba Fett. In 2015, all of it got here crashing down for him. First, Trank exited the “Star Wars” movie reportedly after Lucasfilm heard about alleged points between the director and Fox on “Unbelievable 4.” Then, on the cusp of the discharge of “Unbelievable 4,” Trank posted and deleted a message on X, stating that the model of the film being launched wasn’t the one he envisioned, successfully disowning the theatrical lower. “Unbelievable 4” bombed, making $167.9 million from a $120 million finances, but additionally receiving brutal opinions.

For Trank, this earned him a one-way ticket to director’s jail. It might be 5 years earlier than he launched his subsequent film, “Capone.” Talking about what transpired to Yahoo Entertainment, Trank blamed the media studies. He stated, “The tales painted an image of this individual, Josh Trank, who’s inept and in over his head and inflicting all this harm and in battle with all these individuals, and that is not what my expertise was within me.”

Within the 2010s, director Tom Hooper was on an all-killer-no-filler streak, creating “The King’s Speech,” “Les Misérables,” and “The Danish Woman.” Subsequent on the agenda was “Cats,” an adaptation of the wildly standard Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. If anybody may carry this to the massive display screen, it might be Hooper, proper?

Everybody thought so too till the primary trailer dropped. The hybrid CGI cat humanoids changed into meme fodder, as everybody felt trapped within Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” music video. The writing was on the wall, although there was the flexibility to pivot, very like Paramount Photos did with “Sonic the Hedgehog,” after the studio and filmmaker determined to delay the movie and deal with fan issues in regards to the CGI. The precedent was there, however Common Photos and Hooper determined to press forward with “Cats” anyway.

So, what occurred subsequent? The anticipated. “Cats” was savaged by critics and barely clawed its option to $75.6 million worldwide from a $95 million finances. Issues weren’t additional helped when visible results artists spoke out about Hooper’s alleged mistreatment of them in the course of the manufacturing, and even Andrew Lloyd Webber said the “Cats” movie was so bad that it made him buy a dog. Regardless of Hooper’s profitable streak earlier than “Cats,” he wasn’t forgiven for this field workplace flop. Hooper continued to work as a director, filming commercials for the likes of McDonald’s and Vodafone, however Hollywood did not precisely come knocking along with his subsequent provide.

Whereas 1994’s “Road Fighter” stakes its declare as certainly one of the best ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ movies of all time, 2009’s “Road Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” is simply outright unhealthy — nothing extra. It was pummeled by critics and swept its personal leg to fall to $12.6 million from a $50 million finances. From the terrible performances to the held-by-two-matchsticks storyline, nobody walked out of that manufacturing with their heads held excessive — and the movie despatched director Andrzej Bartkowiak straight to director’s jail.

Initially, Bartkowiak carved his area of interest as a cinematographer, usually collaborating with director Sidney Lumet, earlier than he transitioned to the director’s chair. Within the early 2000s, Bartkowiak made a reputation for himself within the motion style, delivering hits like “Romeo Should Die,” “Exit Wounds,” and “Cradle 2 the Grave.” Whereas none of those movies are more likely to be remembered as bona fide motion classics, they turned tidy income and cemented Bartkowiak as a confirmed entity.

The cracks began to point out with 2005’s “Doom,” which was a field workplace bomb and critically derided movie. Bartkowiak dodged director’s jail that point, however after fluffing one other massive franchise film in “Road Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” he acquired his punishment from Hollywood. He would return to being a cinematographer, working with Joel Schumacher on 2011’s “Trespass,” earlier than quietly returning as a director for 2017’s “Most Influence” and 2020’s straight-to-demand “Lifeless Reckoning,” starring Scott Adkins and KJ Apa.

Tim Burton had an $18 million idea for a “Catwoman” spinoff that will have adopted “Batman Returns” and starred Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle as soon as once more. The machinations of the movie business work surprisingly, although, and this preliminary plan morphed into one of many weirdest — and worst — superhero movies of all time.

Warner Bros.’ massive concept was for a “Catwoman” movie that will don’t have anything to do with the character from DC, as a result of why not?! On this model, the hero is Persistence Phillips, who’s resurrected by a mystical Egyptian cat — as a result of perhaps somebody thought a radioactive cat chunk may need been an excessive amount of — and imbued with the basketball powers of Michael Jordan. To direct this image, the studio employed French filmmaker Pitof, a acknowledged visible results supervisor and second unit director on “Alien Resurrection.”

For sure, “Catwoman” stunk up theaters in 2004. Everybody and their grandmother dunked on the movie because it bombed on the field workplace, making solely $82.5 million from a $100 million finances. Consequently, Pitof by no means acquired one other probability to direct a Hollywood blockbuster after this. In a 2024 interview with CinemaBlend, the filmmaker defined how the movie’s best problem was the script, so it was a relentless case of tinkering with it to see the way it may work. “We had a 10-day reshoot a month earlier than launch date,” he stated. “Which is insane! To repair all of the little issues the script had.”

Director Richard Kelly deserves to be talked about greater than he’s these days. In any case, that is the filmmaker who wrote and directed “Donnie Darko” in his mid-20s. The Jake Gyllenhaal-led movie did not gentle the field workplace on hearth, but it surely changed into a cult basic that solely will get higher with time.

For Kelly, although, it bought him seen for being a visionary director with a novel eye for cinema. Nonetheless, his subsequent films did not construct on the optimistic momentum — at the least not when it comes to field workplace receipts. “Southland Tales,” a 2006 mishmash of genres starring Dwayne Johnson and Seann William Scott, stalled at slightly below $375,000 — sure, you learn that quantity proper — and was booed proper out of the Cannes Movie Pageant. Then, it was 2009’s “The Field,” starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. The ballsy thriller value $30 million to provide, but it surely solely raked in $33.3 million worldwide.

After the final field workplace flop, Kelly’s mainstream profession stopped in its tracks. What turned abundantly clear is that the director valued inventive dangers over protected and generic business blockbusters, and any relationship with a serious studio would all the time be unstable due to the kind of movies he needs to make. Kelly is not out of the movie-making enterprise altogether, although, as he revealed in a 2023 interview that he nonetheless has a variety of tasks he needs to do. The query is, will any main studio fund them?

Simon West’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” wasn’t precisely the best video game movie ever, although it made sufficient cheddar on the field workplace to maintain the studio completely happy and for a sequel to be greenlit. West did not return for the follow-up, “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life,” so Jan de Bont stepped in. It appeared like the proper pairing, since de Bont was the director behind “Pace” and “Tornado,” so his visible type would complement Lara’s death-defying adventures.

Whereas “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life” is a superior movie to its predecessor and options nice performances from Angelina Jolie and Ciarán Hinds, it did not do as nicely on the money registers, making $160.1 million from a $95 million finances. This is not the most important field workplace flop by any stretch, but it surely put a stake by way of Bont’s profession as a Hollywood director.

De Bont would not look again on the expertise in a optimistic gentle both, telling Uproxx how he had $12 million lower from his finances on the primary day. “It was not such a fantastic expertise,” he stated. “However extra from the explanation how the studio tried to actually intrude with it in a method. And the factor itself is that the makers of the sport have been additionally concerned. They usually by no means instructed me that they, additionally, have a say within the story.”

Cinema is a fickle enterprise, since nobody is aware of what is going to translate right into a blockbuster success or not. That stated, who of their proper thoughts determined to fork out $100 million for the sci-fi gangster comedy “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” within the first place?! Certain, it stars a big-name actor like Eddie Murphy, however dropping this sum of money on a non-franchise IP and anticipating miracles? That is like taking part in reality or dare with an anaconda and being shocked when the snake tries to choke you out.

Predictably, “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” crashed and burned. Actually, it changed into one of the biggest box office flops of all time, making solely $7.1 million world wide. Whereas filmmaking is a workforce effort, director Ron Underwood bore the brunt of this failure. In film enterprise’ eyes, he is the filmmaker behind this catastrophe piece and wanted to be marched off to director’s jail for his punishment.

“The Adventures of Pluto Nash” had a devastating impact on Underwood’s movie profession. He directed yet one more movie in 2005 titled “Within the Combine,” which additionally flopped, earlier than shifting his focus to tv. Since then, Underwood tackled episodes for exhibits like “As soon as Upon a Time,” “Nashville,” and “Gray’s Anatomy,” whereas sometimes directing tv films.

Martin Brest is not any common director. That is the filmmaker who introduced us “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Midnight Run,” “Scent of a Lady,” and “Meet Joe Black.” A lot of these films are extremely regarded of their respective genres and stay fan-favorite classics to today. But, Brest’s first main misstep value him his fame in Hollywood.

“Gigli” turned out to be a bomb of epic proportions — each critically and financially. The movie value $75 million to make and had the star energy of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez as its leads, but it surely stumbled to a smidgen over $7 million on the world field workplace. Ouch! Nobody escaped from this venture unscathed, with even Affleck stating his most infamous bomb led to his directing career.

Brest acquired the worst of it. Though his hand was pressured by the manufacturing firm to vary “Gigli” in methods he did not wish to, his title was perpetually connected to this mega-dud with the notorious line, “It is turkey time. Gobble, gobble.” Chatting with Variety in 2023, Brest admitted that he knew his time was up within the enterprise after “Gigli.” He stated, “As soon as this occurred, I believed I am going to by no means be invited again. Second, I might by no means have the ability to function with the type of management {that a} director, I really feel, wants and deserves. In order that felt like a transparent sign it was time for me to again away.”

Frank Darabont began out as a screenwriter within the leisure business earlier than transitioning to a writer-director. For sure, he left his mark with the one-two combo of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Inexperienced Mile,” which noticed each movies obtain vital acclaim and be nominated for Academy Awards. Subsequent up for Darabont was “The Majestic” in 2001 — a interval romantic drama starring Jim Carrey.

For all intents and functions, it had all of the makings of one other hit. That is not the way it turned out, although. Whereas the opinions have been so-so, the field workplace efficiency was atrocious. “The Majestic” value $72 million to make, but it surely solely raked in $37.3 million.

After that, Darabont disappeared from the Hollywood blockbuster scene as a director. He returned for 2007’s “The Mist” — one other Stephen King adaptation which turned a tidy revenue on the field workplace — nonetheless, this all the time felt as if Darabont was extra on parole moderately than totally out of director’s jail. Since then, he is caught principally to tv, creating exhibits like “The Strolling Lifeless” and “Mob Metropolis.”

Think about receiving the keys to the automobile of your desires then being instructed you may’t drive it. Years later, you obtain the inexperienced gentle to drive it, however the automobile would not begin anymore since it has been standing nonetheless for a lot too lengthy. That is the story of “The New Mutants.” Directed by Josh Boone in 2017, the superhero movie discovered itself caught in the course of the bizarre interval during which Disney acquired twentieth Century Fox and nobody knew what the longer term held. On the similar time, there have been plans for scheduled reshoots, however these have been placed on ice indefinitely as a result of uncertainty surrounding the movie’s launch.

Lastly, in August 2020, “The New Mutants” hit theaters. The unhealthy information was the world was nonetheless caught in pandemic mode, so nobody rushed out to see the movie, and it secured solely $47.5 million from a reported $67 million manufacturing finances. The reviews for “The New Mutants” were also mixed, however this was all the time set to be a lame duck since everybody knew it might result in nowhere when it comes to shared cinematic universes.

On the time of the discharge of “The New Mutants,” Boone was busy engaged on “The Stand” miniseries, and that turned out to be his final high-profile venture. It feels unfair that he discovered himself in director’s jail for occasions he had no management over, however alas, that is present enterprise, child.