Everyone knows that making a movie is hard. But sometimes, a movie slips through the cracks, that, even by those standards, went through hell and back to get off the ground, made, and released.
Let’s talk about a few of those, and how they overcame the challenges presented to them.
Deadpool
'Deadpool' Credit: Walt Disney Studios
It may seem hard to realize now, considering how massive of a character and a property that Deadpool has become, especially in the MCU, but twelve-ish years ago, the idea of having an R-rated blockbuster superhero movie, particularly starring Deadpool, was one that was difficult to overcome.
After the infamous portrayal of the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds seemingly made it his personal mission to get a faithful adaptation of the character on the ground. But given the obvious R rating that would come from it, studios were more than hesitant to give it the green light.
Test footage of Reynolds playing the character in the iconic red suit sat unreleased for years until it was leaked to the public. According to Reynolds, the public response to that footage was so overwhelming that the green light to make the movie after that was almost instant. But it took an insane amount of time for everything to build to that moment. Obviously, they made the right call, as the film remains to this day one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time.
Alien 3
'Alien 3' Credit: Fox
Director David Fincher is today known for his Kubrick-like intensity and attention to detail, with his reputation being one that almost strikes a respectful sense of fear into all who work with him. However, the clout he has now certainly wasn’t around when he was brought on to helm the third film in the Alien franchise as his debut film.
He has been more than vocal in the years following production that his vision was not trusted by the powers that be, and that the cut of the film that wound up being released is not one that he believed in. He has publicly abandoned the film, taking it upon himself to essentially remove it from his canon. The famous Assembly Cut of the film is said to be the most similar to his originally intended vision, but it’s still not a movie that Fincher is likely to ride home about any time soon.
American History X
‘American History X’Credit: New Line Cinema
This devastating 1998 classic has one of the most long-lasting, passionate feuds between an actor and a director that you’ll find in the modern landscape.
According to director Tony Kaye, he and Edward Norton clashed venomously throughout the process, and most notably in the post-production phase. Kaye was a first-time director, and Norton, at this time, was already a seasoned performer. As a result, their visions in the post-production phase came to a head when Norton seized control and recut the film to include his role in a more significant manner.
In response, Tony Kaye took out over 100,000 dollars worth of ads condemning Edward Norton, attempted to get the film pulled from festivals, and even attempted to get his own name in the credits changed to “Humpty Dumpty”. Despite the film’s near-universal acclaim today, Kaye still publicly denounces it, with his new documentary, Humpty Dumpty, about his experiences having just premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Justice League
'Justice League' Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
One of the most infamous blockbusters of the 21st century, the original cut of Justice League, as well as the four-hour-long Zack Snyder extended cut, both had some of the most tumultuous making-of and release processes of the past twenty years.
Technically, Snyder was attached from the start, but had to step down from the project due to a family tragedy, resulting in Joss Whedon taking over in the post-production stage. These two filmmakers could not be more different aesthetically or tonally, and Whedon’s recut of the film in post is astronomically different in every regard from the more definitive “Snyder Cut”.
Said Snyder Cut also took nearly four more years before it was released on HBO Max after one of the most vocal online fan campaigns in movie history. It remains an exhausting period of time to discuss, considering how volatile the interactions often got amongst fans, but now that we’re far enough removed from it, it is fascinating to look back on.
The Abyss
‘The Abyss’Credit: Walt Disney Studios
The Abyss is likely James Cameron’s most underrated movie. When you’re watching it, it feels almost impossibly put together simply from a safety perspective. And that’s because it kind of was.
Cameron is often known for pushing technological boundaries, but, in the thirty-seven years since the release of the film, thankfully, it has gotten much safer to do the things that he put his cast and crew through on this film.
On top of the reported 70-hour-long work weeks that were rumored to have occurred, the intense underwater, pressurized photography posed even more obvious dangers with Ed Harris even having his helmet flooded with water during a take, and Mary Elizbeth Mastrantonio suffering an emotional breakdown during production. Cameron himself has even come out and said that while he knew that it would be a tough film to complete, he never intends to make a set that difficult ever again.
