I can’t express in words how difficult it is to direct a movie. Not only are they responsible for every element of the film, but they also have to meet their needs, from the details of every aspect of the visual presentation to the acting, sound design, rhythm of the editing, and overall tone of the film. While we continue to respond to requests from studio executives and accept their cooperation every step of the way, we know that they will likely be the ones to blame if everything goes wrong.
No director is immune to the occasional misstep, but these 10 filmmakers had their careers suddenly derailed by one flop. While it is true that some of these films mark the bottom of a director’s downward spiral, there are also films that have led directors to failure despite winning Oscars. Hollywood’s ruthless grip turned a deaf ear to their former glories when these directors, seasoned and up-and-coming, were all but excommunicated from the industry.
10. “Black Dahlia” (2006)
Director Brian De Palma
A cinematic chameleon and a spectacular stylist, Brian De Palma seems like the type of filmmaker who won’t let his career-defining failures pass him by. The director is known for his work in films like Scarface, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables, and Carlito’s Way (one of the many underrated masterpieces that time has overlooked). has enjoyed a decades-long career that frequently combines aggressive experimentation with genre-bending success. ).
However, the turn of the century was not kind to him, with 2000’s Mission to Mars a critical commercial failure and 2002’s Femme Fatale not even better. Given the hype and hopes leading up to the release of The Black Dahlia, a neo-noir about one of the most infamous murders in American history, its poor production and shallow storytelling were the final straw for De Palma’s career. This means that you have hit the nail on the head. In the nearly 20 years since, he has directed only three films, all of which were box-office failures and studios could barely bring them to market in the first place.
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9. “Pinocchio” (2002)
Works directed by Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni worked primarily as an actor in the early part of his career, but he turned to film directing in 1983, making his debut with Tu Mi Turbi. The writer-director and star reached the pinnacle of his career in extraordinary fashion with 1997’s Tu Mi Turbi. A heart-breaking masterpiece, Life is Beautiful is a moving war comedy-drama that won three out of seven Academy Award nominations, and Benigni himself won for his acting and was nominated for Best Director. .
Sadly, his next film as writer, director, and star will not be as successful. 2002’s Pinocchio tries to navigate Benigni’s charm, warm family charm, and childlike wonder, but it lacks fantastical richness and ends up being rather monotonous. are. It immediately put a damper on an international career that had blossomed for decades. Benigni has continued to work primarily as an on-screen talent ever since, but this film was a major blow to his directorial aspirations. 2005’s The Tiger and the Snow was a divisive film among fans and critics, but it remains his last directorial effort.
Release date December 25, 2002
Starring Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Carlo Giuffre, Mino Bellei, Peppe Barra, Franco Giavallone, Max Cavallari, Bruno Arena.
Running time 108 minutes
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8 “Gilli” (2003)
Directed by Martin Brest
More than anything, Gili is a prime example of what disaster can happen to the film industry when studios usurp creative control from directors. In fact, it would be unfair to equate a movie that was derided by critics and a box office abomination with a failure by director Martin Brest, and the writer/director himself said in a 2023 Variety interview, He has expressed his hatred for the film, and also revealed how studio executives completely dismantled the film. The experience was so humiliating that Brest chose never to work again.
While it is a tragedy that a studio that was supposed to support a filmmaker would make him feel this way, it is also a terrible loss to the film industry that Brest insisted on canceling the film. His deft observation of tone made him an incredibly versatile filmmaker. He directed the sublime ’80s comedies “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Midnight Run,” and turned his attention to more dramatic work in the ’90s, directing the Oscar-nominated classic “Scent of a Man.” “Woman” was the highlight of his career.
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7 “Gods of Egypt” (2016)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Image via Lionsgate
Australian film director Alex Proyas began his career in the 1980s, and the strength of his style, as shown in films such as The Crow and Dark City, led to many films in the 90s. It has started to attract the attention of fans. There’s no doubt that the quality of his films declined in the 2000s, but he still managed to turn a profit with sci-fi blockbusters I, Robot and Knowing, but 2016’s Gods of Egypt The well has run dry.
This fantasy blockbuster combines mythology and Hollywood action with a star-studded cast, but it fails to weave everything together effectively and has some weak special effects, leading to a poorly-received box office performance. Revenue was a huge failure. This will be the last film Proyas has ever directed, but in 2019 he founded a production company in Sydney, and in 2021 he went on to develop VidiVerse, a video platform for independent filmmakers. He continues to be active in the industry.
gods of egypt
Release date February 25, 2016
runtime 95
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6 “Green Lantern” (2011)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Green Lantern’s notoriety has become something of a joke, one that star Ryan Reynolds himself incited. But what’s no laughing matter is how significant a blow this disastrous DC film was to director Martin Campbell. Campbell’s subsequent film budgets were nowhere near the levels he had enjoyed prior to his superhero mishap.
Campbell, who has been working in feature films since 1973, made his biggest impact with the James Bond series, reinventing the spy story not once but twice with his directorial roles in GoldenEye and Casino Royale. did. Although he has continued to act after Green Lantern and has had success with films like The Foreigner, his career has never reached the same heights as before, and he has never had the opportunity to do so. is not actually given. This is a shame considering his balance. Grinding action and lighthearted entertainment is a brand of entertainment that is sorely missed in today’s movies.
green lantern
Release date: June 17, 2011
Runtime 114 minutes
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5. “Poseidon” (2006)
Works directed by Wolfgang Petersen
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Despite its title, Poseidon is a special effects-laden disaster epic with limited style and no substance at all. German director Wolfgang Petersen was no stranger to geeky maritime films, but his World War II thriller Das Boot was his definitive masterpiece and one of the best war movies ever made. Although one of the best films ever made, Poseidon sank instead of swimming, becoming a much-derided flop that cost Warner Bros. about $70. -$80 million.
It was also a costly blow for Petersen. Petersen’s career was at something of a turning point, with his last two films, The Perfect Storm and Troy, financially successful but widely unpopular. Petersen’s only film since Poseidon was the 2016 German crime comedy Vier Gegen die Bank. It’s a great look into a career featuring highlights like The Neverending Story, Air Force One, In the Line of Fire, and the aforementioned war classic Das Boot. It means a sad end.
Release date: May 12, 2006
Running time 98 minutes
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4 “Ghosts of Mars” (2002)
Works directed by John Carpenter
Image provided by: Sony Pictures
A master of genre and visual flair, John Carpenter has long been known for his work in horror, science fiction, and action, including Halloween, The Thing, The Trouble in Little China, and New York City. Masterpieces such as “Escape” are just a few. A number of his definitive hit songs. However, his career began to decline in the late 1990s, with Escape from LA and Vampire both commercial and critical failures. 2002’s Ghosts of Mars effectively completed his downfall.
As a space-western action-horror, the film has all the genre eccentricity you’ve come to expect from Carpenter, following a police squad as they battle a mining colony haunted by inhuman ghosts on a terraformed Mars. Masu. The film caused yet another box office failure for Carpenter, and the studio no longer considered him a viable investment. He returned to the director’s chair with 2010’s The Ward, but has since retired from directing, although he was an executive producer and executive producer on Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends. He was involved in the production as a composer.
ghost of mars
Release date August 24, 2001
Runtime 98 minutes
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3 “Rollerball” (2002)
Directed by John McTiernan
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
In the late 1980s and ’90s, John McTiernan directed blockbusters. After making his debut in Nomads, he went on to define the era of action films with films like Predator and Die Hard, and in the ’90s he starred in hits like Red October and The Last Action. He created underrated masterpieces such as “Hero” and “The 13th Warrior.” But his 2002 remake of Rollerball would be a total surrender.
In addition to being a horribly misguided film and a box office flop, the film’s aftermath resulted in McTiernan being sent to federal prison for making false statements to FBI agents. McTiernan and producer Charles Roven clashed over the idea for the film, so McTiernan hired a private investigator to illegally eavesdrop on Roven to find out the producer’s true desires for the film. He ended up serving a 12-month sentence in 2013-2014, with “Rollerball” being his penultimate film, but 2003’s equally poor and unsuccessful “Basics” It was his last work.
Release date February 8, 2002
Running time 98 minutes
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2 “Heaven’s Gate” (1980)
Directed by Michael Cimino
Image courtesy of United Artists
Few directors have risen to fame as quickly and with such goodwill as Michael Cimino. Although he made a huge impact with The Deer Hunter, which was his second feature film and had just won an Academy Award for Best Director, many were initially skeptical of his next film, The Land of the Dead. He was intrigued by the Western film “Heaven’s Gate,” which depicts a feud. Wyoming barons and European immigrants in the 1890s. Despite a production cost of $44 million, the film grossed only $3.5 million at the box office and drew widespread critical derision.
But even worse than its commercial and critical performance, the film was marred by accusations of animal cruelty and the Humane Society of the United States’ ban on filming. Part of this film’s lasting legacy is its morbid contribution to the authority behind the “no animals were harmed” tag that has since become a common sight in film credits. It also effectively marked an abrupt end to Cimino’s career as a Hollywood star. The filmmaker was scheduled to direct five more films, none of which made much of an impact and all of which were largely forgotten.
Heaven’s Gate
Release date: November 19, 1980
Running time 219 minutes
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1 “Jupiter Ascending” (2015)
Works directed by Wachowski
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
As the writers and directors of 1999’s The Matrix, the Wachowskis (sisters Lana and Lilly Wachowski) would also occupy a respected place in Hollywood history. Their efforts on the Matrix sequels may not have matched the original’s pioneering, heart-pounding brilliance, but they’re also audacious enough to help write and produce Cloud Atlas and V for Vendetta. maintained an aura of dizzying storytelling.
For many, Jupiter Ascending was an exciting picture from the filmmaker and a welcome return to sci-fi action, offering a masterpiece of free, imaginative wonder. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t well-received, and while it served as a great visual spectacle, it fell short in its dramatic core. The film was a box office failure and was the last film the sisters worked on together, with Lana Wachowski writing, producing, and directing The Matrix Resurrection.
jupiter rising
Release date: February 6, 2015
Running time 127 minutes
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