What 'From Justin to Kelly' Teaches Us About Movie Flops

In 2003, American Idol was the biggest thing on TV, and its first two finalists got a movie whether they wanted one or not. You'd think it'd be a guaranteed hit, with how popular the show and their songs were. The film opened June 20, 2003, on a $12 million production budget and grossed $4,928,883, per Box Office Mojo.

A few million isn't anything to scoff at, but it was low for a fairly affordable project with two bankable stars. Since it flopped, it's become a millennial cult favorite.

It's a spring break musical. College student Justin (Justin Guarini) hits Fort Lauderdale with his buddies Brandon (Greg Siff) and Eddie (Brian Dietzen), meets waitress Kelly (Kelly Clarkson), and falls for her fast, while Kelly's jealous friend Alexa (Katherine Bailess) works to keep them apart.

Clarkson emerged from the debacle virtually unscathed and now has daytime TV success. Guarini didn't go as far. Recently, as he promoted his new book Center Stage Confidence, he told Fox News Digital he considers the collapse that followed one of the best things that ever happened to him.

Today, let's look at how the movie got made, why it fell apart, and what writers, directors, and performers can take from two stars who left with very different lessons.

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The Movie Existed Before Its Stars Did

Most films start with a script or a filmmaker. This one started with a contract clause.

Clarkson learned she would have to star in the film shortly after winning Idol and was upset about it immediately. She's on record as hating the film. She told Yahoo! Entertainment:

"I mean, I cried. I tried so hard to get out of that film. When we all made the [American Idol Season 1] top 10, they informed us that whoever won the show had to do this movie musical. And I was like, 'I don't really want to be an actor.' Like, that's not a dream of mine. I came on a singing competition, and I was already worried about it. And then when it came down to the top two, Justin really wanted to do the movie and I didn't, so we were kind of hoping he'd win so I didn't have to! And then he loved it, so they were like, 'Well, why don't we just make it the two of y'all?'"

She admits she was "miserable shooting it" and worried it would ruin her career. She notes the script came from Kim Fuller, brother of Idol creator Simon Fuller, and that they shot it in about 28 days.

When a project is built to monetize a moment, the story can become an afterthought, which is never a great decision. Always focus on story first.

It Rushed Into Theaters, Then Rushed Out

The speed was kept up after the film was done. It opened at No. 11 in 2,001 theaters with $2.7 million, then dropped 77% its second weekend (per The Numbers). Then there was a distribution fight.

Fox had planned a late-July video release, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, the biggest theater chains complained it was too soon after the theatrical debut, so Fox delayed it (via TV Guide). It hit video stores August 26 (via Herald-Standard).

Guarini told Yahoo! Entertainment in 2023:

"But at the end of the day, I wanted to do it. And I loved the idea of it There were things to be desired from the script, yes. … But no matter what the box office numbers were [the film debuted at No. 11 in its opening week, and only domestically grossed about $5 million of its a $12 million budget], I'm proud to have made it."

Release strategy should always be part of your filmmaking plan.

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Clarkson's Smartest Move Was Positioning Herself

Clarkson couldn't get out of the movie. She'd already tried, through tears and lawyers. So she changed what she was negotiating for, and that was what audiences would hear from her before the movie came out. She told Yahoo that as the first Idol winner, she was already struggling to be taken seriously as a singer by an industry that wasn't sold on talent shows, and she feared a bad movie would wreck whatever chance she had.

"I was like, 'Can you at least let me have my first single, and then the movie can come out? Just let me have a chance, before this completely ruins my chances.' And he agreed for my first single, 'Miss Independent,' to come out first."

"Miss Independent" went to U.S. radio on April 10, 2003, five days before her debut album, Thankful, came out. It reached the U.S. Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart for six weeks.

You can't always control the project, but you can sometimes control the order things come out. For filmmakers, that's festival strategy, which short leads your reel, and which project you announce first.

Guarini Treated the Set Like Film School

Guarini came onto the project with a much different attitude.

He had spent years auditioning for The Lion King on Broadway, and the role finally came through right as Idol was taking off. He chose Idol. He told Yahoo! that, unlike Clarkson, he came from the theater and musicals world and was fully on board with the movie.

"I was there for the experience. When I could have been in my trailer, I was sitting in Video Village, and watching and learning, because I'd never been on a film set like that before. I learned what I needed to learn. I got what I got out of it. Yeah, it was a box office flop, but ultimately, it served me, 20-plus years later. … And so, it was this sort of bittersweet experience where I didn't have what I wanted, but I got what I needed—which was all the experience in the industry. And I'm so glad that the record flopped, that the movie flopped, because I still got to work with amazing people like Babyface. I still got to stand in Video Village in From Justin to Kelly and listen to the producers talk, listen to the directors talk. I was a sponge throughout that whole experience."

Even a doomed set teaches you things. Be the person watching, not the person hiding in the trailer.