15 Passion Projects Of Hollywood Actors That No One Wanted To See
It’s obvious that celebrities have many of the perks of fame and fortune. For this, some actors believe that every idea springing from their brow is infallible. Everything they create would be enthusiastically received by the public, even ideas that should have been strangled before being allowed to take form. It shows up in actors who believe they direct as well as they act.
However, in fact, cinematic history has still littered with the corpses of such endeavors. Those efforts make people can only be amazed and leave the eternal question: “What the hell were they thinking?” With that in mind, take a look at 15 biggest mistakes made by famous actors when trying to go behind the camera.
On a $73 million budget, the film made just under $30 million worldwide. It won the Razzie for "Worst Movie of the Decade." J.D. Shapiro, who wrote the sci-fi catastrophe, took the Razzie and then apologized profusely. And Travolta kept working but his star power started to fade. He never recovered his fame like after "Pulp Fiction." In fact, his name will forever be linked with one of the greatest film disasters of all time. However, when asked if he regretted doing the movie, Travolta replied: "No way, are you kidding? Why would I ever regret that? I had the power to do whatever I wanted, and I chose to do a book that I thought was worthy of making into a movie. It’s a beautiful film. It’s a good movie."
Smith created the movie as a star vehicle for his 14-year-old son, Jaden. The actor convinced M. Night Shyamalan to direct his post-apocalyptic vision. Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's brother-in-law, Caleeb Pinkett, also became producers on the high-budget vanity project. The $130 million Smith family affair, debuted on the big screen in 2013 but was immediately met with severe criticism. "The problem is that the film is chockfull of clichés and stymied by production design and CG effects that look as if the worst of the Star Wars series was being devoutly copied," wrote a critic from GO London. Two years later, Smith called his experience with After Earth “the most painful failure” of his career, adding, “That was a valuable lesson for me.”
There are two big problems with 2002's "Swept Away". Firstly, director Guy Ritchie is director of feverish British crime comedies "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch". But he is not suitable for "Swept Away", which need a rom-com director. Secondly, Madonna is not a versatile actor. She was pretty good in a Evita because she could overact in the role of Eva Perón. However, Amber Leighton is not Eva Perón, and Madonna was unable to conceal herself under the famed first lady of Argentina's musical theater.
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Swept Away" received a mere 5% from critics. Nearly all critics focused their contempt on Madonna's acting abilities. Ritchie, who co-wrote the screenplay, also faced a good deal of backlash. Even Madonna's rabid fan base didn't see the movie. Despite having a $10 million budget, the domestic box office only brought in less than $600,000. Nearly winning all of the Golden Raspberry Awards was "Swept Away." It won for worst film of the year, worst remake of the year, worst actress of the year (Madonna), worst director of the year (Ritchie), and worst screen couple of the year (Adriano Giannini and Madonna). The failed romantic adventure is the last time Madonna headlined a film.
While filming "Pirates of the Caribbean," Depp became interest in adapting "Mordecai" for the big screen. He was introduced to the "Mortdecai" comedic thriller-novel series by his co-star Jack Davenport, and Depp envisioned it as a full-length film. Lionsgate funded $60 million to produce the 2015 film.
The film received negative reviews from critics and has a mere 12% on Rotten Tomatoes. Only $47 million was made at the box office. The caper comedy received almost universal criticism for its strange tone and poor humor.
Beatty was in his 80s while Hughes was in his 50s. However, the major issue with “Rules Don’t Apply” was not the age gap. The plot made an effort to balance romance, humor, satire, and Hollywood nostalgia. Unfortunately, when everything was combined, it didn't work. Beatty's passion project did not excite early test audiences, especially those under the age of 40. However, Beatty told the studio to disregard the general test audience's opinion, dump more money into marketing, and open up against tough competition on Thanksgiving weekend. Finally, “Rules Don’t Apply” failed miserably at the movie office, grossing less than $4 million globally.
It is a remake of the film "Doctor Dolittle" (1967) about a veterinarian who can talk with animals. The actor served as an executive producer, with his wife Susan as a producer. Unfortunately, the movie was awful at the film's first cut. And they attempted to save the movie: the producers repeatedly reshot the scenes in an effort to make the screenplay funny, they hired more writers like Seth Rogen,...
However, nothing worked. In 2020, "Dolittle" debuted on the big screen, and costed Universal $100 million. The movie received many bad review because of the lack of humor, the stale, confusing plot, and the subpar special effects. Germain Lussier from Gizmodo wrote, “Just when I thought Dolittle couldn’t get any less funny or idiotic, Robert Downey Jr. sticks his arms up a dragon’s a**hole. And I do mean that literally."
Affleck signed on to act, write, direct, and produce "Live by Night", a movie based on Dennis Lehane's 2012 book of the same name. The studio thought the movie had all the elements of an Oscar contender and set it to its main release date of December 25. But Affleck's story was criticized by critics as a dull film. Critic Damond Fudge wrote, "Affleck continues to showcase his talents as a director. The film is slick and stylish, with some great individual shots and scenes... Unfortunately, his skill behind the camera can't fix the averageness of the plot." Finally, the film lost about $75 million.
But the film did not make money. It got lambasted by critics and won five Razzies, including worst picture. Green also "won" the Razzie for worst actor. "Freddy Got Fingered" may have ended Green's hot streak and Hollywood career.
And in 2004, "Beyond the Sea" is released to mixed reviews. While some critics praise the biography of Darin, others don't buy Spacey's performance. Critic Mick LaSalle was especially harsh in his review:""Beyond the Sea" is jaw-droppingly awful, a misbegotten and ill-conceived vanity project, in which Spacey - as writer, director, and star - takes an amazing showbiz story and kills it dead. The casting of Spacey, the movie's reason for being, is also its central flaw. He's wrong for the role in every possible way. In a black toupee, he looks nothing like Darin and more like a middle-aged woman. It's a project that didn't call for a green light but rather an intervention."
Finally, "Beyond the Sea" failed miserably and made about 8.5 million dollars globally. It becomes the only film directed by Spacey.
With financial from Columbia Pictures, "The Razor's Edge " was released in 1984 and received mixed reviews. The movie lost millions and became the only screenplay Murray ever wrote that got made into a feature film.
Unfortunately for Costner, audiences did not appreciate the movie. raved about the nearly three-hour film, which has an 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Costner's career kept going, but it never got back to the golden days of the 1990s. Prior to 2003's "Open Range," Costner did not direct another movie.
Overall, "Don Jon" received favorable reviews from critics. Many reviews noticed that Gordon-Levitt had a natural ability to tell a story and possessed a good ear for dialogue. But the film failed to meet studio expectations and only generated roughly $24 million in domestic sales.
Stallone's wrestling film was largely criticized by critics. And the movie was able to earn almost $7 million at the box office. After that, he went on to direct four "Rocky" movies, "Rambo", and "The Expendables". It seems that the mixed reviews of Paradise Alley did not have any negative effect on Sly's career.
When the movie debuted in 1991, it was immediately panned by critics. It turns out that balancing slapstick humor with action is really challenging. Though Hudson Hawk tried to be funny, the crowds weren't laughing. The flat humor missed the mark and the dialogue often hedged on embarrassingly cringe. Despite Willis's star power, American viewers shunned the film in droves.
The failure of the film didn’t ruin Willis’s career. He still owned the "Die Hard" series, and the rest of the 1990s were very good to him. However, "Hudson Hawk" was his last writing credit and probably the last time he got to make a “vanity project.”
"Harlem Nights" is a Prohibition-era comedy. tries to be a crime drama set in Harlem's golden age. It's a tough tone to handle for a first-time writer-director. When it debuted on screens, Murphy's first film received harsh criticism, because it didn't succeed as a "comedy-drama."
Despite mixed reviews, "Harlem Nights" performed well at the box office. The film has gained great popularity over time. After this movie, Murphy never went back to his difficult experience working behind the camera. Murphy reflected on "Harlem Nights" in 2016 and said: "That movie was a blur. It was Richard [Pryor], Robin Harris - all comedians. I remember Richard and Redd Foxx laughing offstage during the whole movie. The funniest sh*t was off camera, we’re all just crying. Redd was a really funny dude, he would have the set screaming all the time. But afterwards it was like, "Whoa, that’s a lot of work." I was really young when I did it. I had one foot in the club, and one foot on the set, a lot of sh*t going on. It’s amazing it came together."
However, in fact, cinematic history has still littered with the corpses of such endeavors. Those efforts make people can only be amazed and leave the eternal question: “What the hell were they thinking?” With that in mind, take a look at 15 biggest mistakes made by famous actors when trying to go behind the camera.
#1 "Battlefield Earth" - John Travolta's Scientology Movie Became One Of The Most Infamous Follies In Hollywood History
Source: Warner Bros.
On a $73 million budget, the film made just under $30 million worldwide. It won the Razzie for "Worst Movie of the Decade." J.D. Shapiro, who wrote the sci-fi catastrophe, took the Razzie and then apologized profusely. And Travolta kept working but his star power started to fade. He never recovered his fame like after "Pulp Fiction." In fact, his name will forever be linked with one of the greatest film disasters of all time. However, when asked if he regretted doing the movie, Travolta replied: "No way, are you kidding? Why would I ever regret that? I had the power to do whatever I wanted, and I chose to do a book that I thought was worthy of making into a movie. It’s a beautiful film. It’s a good movie."
#2 "After Earth" - Will Smith Produced A Star Vehicle For His Son, And Sank Multiple Reputations In The Process
Source: Sony Pictures Releasing
Smith created the movie as a star vehicle for his 14-year-old son, Jaden. The actor convinced M. Night Shyamalan to direct his post-apocalyptic vision. Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's brother-in-law, Caleeb Pinkett, also became producers on the high-budget vanity project. The $130 million Smith family affair, debuted on the big screen in 2013 but was immediately met with severe criticism. "The problem is that the film is chockfull of clichés and stymied by production design and CG effects that look as if the worst of the Star Wars series was being devoutly copied," wrote a critic from GO London. Two years later, Smith called his experience with After Earth “the most painful failure” of his career, adding, “That was a valuable lesson for me.”
#3 "Swept Away" - Madonna Hired Her Husband To Direct This Remake Of An Italian Classic
Source: Screen Gems
There are two big problems with 2002's "Swept Away". Firstly, director Guy Ritchie is director of feverish British crime comedies "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch". But he is not suitable for "Swept Away", which need a rom-com director. Secondly, Madonna is not a versatile actor. She was pretty good in a Evita because she could overact in the role of Eva Perón. However, Amber Leighton is not Eva Perón, and Madonna was unable to conceal herself under the famed first lady of Argentina's musical theater.
On Rotten Tomatoes, "Swept Away" received a mere 5% from critics. Nearly all critics focused their contempt on Madonna's acting abilities. Ritchie, who co-wrote the screenplay, also faced a good deal of backlash. Even Madonna's rabid fan base didn't see the movie. Despite having a $10 million budget, the domestic box office only brought in less than $600,000. Nearly winning all of the Golden Raspberry Awards was "Swept Away." It won for worst film of the year, worst remake of the year, worst actress of the year (Madonna), worst director of the year (Ritchie), and worst screen couple of the year (Adriano Giannini and Madonna). The failed romantic adventure is the last time Madonna headlined a film.
#4 "Mortdecai" - Johnny Depp Got Someone To Pay $60 Million To Turn A Cult Book Series Into A (Failed) Franchise
Source: Lionsgate
While filming "Pirates of the Caribbean," Depp became interest in adapting "Mordecai" for the big screen. He was introduced to the "Mortdecai" comedic thriller-novel series by his co-star Jack Davenport, and Depp envisioned it as a full-length film. Lionsgate funded $60 million to produce the 2015 film.
The film received negative reviews from critics and has a mere 12% on Rotten Tomatoes. Only $47 million was made at the box office. The caper comedy received almost universal criticism for its strange tone and poor humor.
#5 "Rules Don't Apply" - 80-Year-Old Warren Beatty Cast Himself As A Mid-50s Howard Hughes
Source: 20th Century Fox
Beatty was in his 80s while Hughes was in his 50s. However, the major issue with “Rules Don’t Apply” was not the age gap. The plot made an effort to balance romance, humor, satire, and Hollywood nostalgia. Unfortunately, when everything was combined, it didn't work. Beatty's passion project did not excite early test audiences, especially those under the age of 40. However, Beatty told the studio to disregard the general test audience's opinion, dump more money into marketing, and open up against tough competition on Thanksgiving weekend. Finally, “Rules Don’t Apply” failed miserably at the movie office, grossing less than $4 million globally.
#6 "Dolittle" - Robert Downey Jr. Remade A Notorious Financial Catastrophe, And The Result Was Another Notorious Financial Catastrophe
Source: Universal Pictures
It is a remake of the film "Doctor Dolittle" (1967) about a veterinarian who can talk with animals. The actor served as an executive producer, with his wife Susan as a producer. Unfortunately, the movie was awful at the film's first cut. And they attempted to save the movie: the producers repeatedly reshot the scenes in an effort to make the screenplay funny, they hired more writers like Seth Rogen,...
However, nothing worked. In 2020, "Dolittle" debuted on the big screen, and costed Universal $100 million. The movie received many bad review because of the lack of humor, the stale, confusing plot, and the subpar special effects. Germain Lussier from Gizmodo wrote, “Just when I thought Dolittle couldn’t get any less funny or idiotic, Robert Downey Jr. sticks his arms up a dragon’s a**hole. And I do mean that literally."
#7 "Live by Night" - Ben Affleck Leveraged His Batman Role To Get A Big-Budget Gangster Epic Made
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Affleck signed on to act, write, direct, and produce "Live by Night", a movie based on Dennis Lehane's 2012 book of the same name. The studio thought the movie had all the elements of an Oscar contender and set it to its main release date of December 25. But Affleck's story was criticized by critics as a dull film. Critic Damond Fudge wrote, "Affleck continues to showcase his talents as a director. The film is slick and stylish, with some great individual shots and scenes... Unfortunately, his skill behind the camera can't fix the averageness of the plot." Finally, the film lost about $75 million.
#8 "Freddy Got Fingered" - Tom Green Directed An Infamous Gonzo Comedy
Source: 20th Century Fox
But the film did not make money. It got lambasted by critics and won five Razzies, including worst picture. Green also "won" the Razzie for worst actor. "Freddy Got Fingered" may have ended Green's hot streak and Hollywood career.
#9 "Beyond the Sea" - Kevin Spacey Was Too Old To Play Bobby Darin, But As Director, Writer, And Producer, He Cast Himself Anyway
Source: Lionsgate Films
And in 2004, "Beyond the Sea" is released to mixed reviews. While some critics praise the biography of Darin, others don't buy Spacey's performance. Critic Mick LaSalle was especially harsh in his review:""Beyond the Sea" is jaw-droppingly awful, a misbegotten and ill-conceived vanity project, in which Spacey - as writer, director, and star - takes an amazing showbiz story and kills it dead. The casting of Spacey, the movie's reason for being, is also its central flaw. He's wrong for the role in every possible way. In a black toupee, he looks nothing like Darin and more like a middle-aged woman. It's a project that didn't call for a green light but rather an intervention."
Finally, "Beyond the Sea" failed miserably and made about 8.5 million dollars globally. It becomes the only film directed by Spacey.
#10 "The Razor's Edge" - 'The Razor's Edge' - Bill Murray Only Did 'Ghostbusters' So He Could Stretch His Dramatic Muscles With This Failed Literary Adaptation
Source: Columbia Pictures
With financial from Columbia Pictures, "The Razor's Edge " was released in 1984 and received mixed reviews. The movie lost millions and became the only screenplay Murray ever wrote that got made into a feature film.
#11 "The Postman" - After Becoming An Oscar Winner, Kevin Costner Became King Of The Bloated, Big-Budget Epic Flop
Source: Warner Bros.
Unfortunately for Costner, audiences did not appreciate the movie. raved about the nearly three-hour film, which has an 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Costner's career kept going, but it never got back to the golden days of the 1990s. Prior to 2003's "Open Range," Costner did not direct another movie.
#12 "Don Jon" - Director Joseph Gordon-Levitt Cast Himself As A Womanizing Smut Addict
Source: Relativity Media
Overall, "Don Jon" received favorable reviews from critics. Many reviews noticed that Gordon-Levitt had a natural ability to tell a story and possessed a good ear for dialogue. But the film failed to meet studio expectations and only generated roughly $24 million in domestic sales.
#13 "Paradise Alley" - Sylvester Stallone Went Behind The Camera For A Period-Piece Vanity Project
Source: Universal Pictures
Stallone's wrestling film was largely criticized by critics. And the movie was able to earn almost $7 million at the box office. After that, he went on to direct four "Rocky" movies, "Rambo", and "The Expendables". It seems that the mixed reviews of Paradise Alley did not have any negative effect on Sly's career.
#14 "Hudson Hawk" - Bruce Willis Wrote Himself An Ill-Fated Wacky Action-Comedy
Source: TriStar Pictures
When the movie debuted in 1991, it was immediately panned by critics. It turns out that balancing slapstick humor with action is really challenging. Though Hudson Hawk tried to be funny, the crowds weren't laughing. The flat humor missed the mark and the dialogue often hedged on embarrassingly cringe. Despite Willis's star power, American viewers shunned the film in droves.
The failure of the film didn’t ruin Willis’s career. He still owned the "Die Hard" series, and the rest of the 1990s were very good to him. However, "Hudson Hawk" was his last writing credit and probably the last time he got to make a “vanity project.”
#15 "Harlem Nights" - There's A Reason This Is The Only Movie Eddie Murphy Ever Directed
Source: Paramount Pictures
"Harlem Nights" is a Prohibition-era comedy. tries to be a crime drama set in Harlem's golden age. It's a tough tone to handle for a first-time writer-director. When it debuted on screens, Murphy's first film received harsh criticism, because it didn't succeed as a "comedy-drama."
Despite mixed reviews, "Harlem Nights" performed well at the box office. The film has gained great popularity over time. After this movie, Murphy never went back to his difficult experience working behind the camera. Murphy reflected on "Harlem Nights" in 2016 and said: "That movie was a blur. It was Richard [Pryor], Robin Harris - all comedians. I remember Richard and Redd Foxx laughing offstage during the whole movie. The funniest sh*t was off camera, we’re all just crying. Redd was a really funny dude, he would have the set screaming all the time. But afterwards it was like, "Whoa, that’s a lot of work." I was really young when I did it. I had one foot in the club, and one foot on the set, a lot of sh*t going on. It’s amazing it came together."
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