For all of the romanticism that surrounds vital tales and the inventive endeavors of filmmaking, Hollywood is in the end a enterprise like some other, which signifies that cash is normally value rather more than good intentions. This stark truth has seen quite a lot of actors put their very own cash into making a movie they’re obsessed with.
Whereas this typically ends in nice success, with the actor making thousands and thousands of {dollars} in revenue, it simply as usually backfires with disastrous penalties. From ardour tasks that audiences weren’t all that into to hotshots that made large bets on themselves and misplaced, there have been loads of actors who helped finance their movies and by no means noticed their cash once more.
1 John Wayne – “The Alamo” (1960)
like John Waynehis ardour undertaking, Alamo it was conceived as early as 1945, but it surely took years to get off the bottom in the best way Wayne envisioned. He later concluded that he would direct the movie himself and produce it by his manufacturing firm, Batjac Productions, however was adamant that he wouldn’t seem in it.
As Wayne tried to get monetary backing, nevertheless, it grew to become clear that he would solely get the cash he wanted if he starred within the image. Wayne finally struck a take care of United Artists during which he contributed $1.5 million out of pocket to the making of the movie. till Alamo made sufficient for United Artists to be reimbursed, Wayne’s funding did not reap monetary rewards.
2 Kevin Costner – ‘The Postman’ (1997)
Kevin Costner isn’t any stranger to financing his movies. It was a deal with when he pocketed $3 million Dances with Wolves which earned virtually twenty instances its price range, and he managed to stroll away from monetary catastrophe water World because of her post-theatrical earnings, however he was not so fortunate Mailer.
Costner directed, starred in and produced the three-hour post-apocalyptic epic with a whopping $80 million price range. No matter luck he began the last decade with, although it was clearly dry Mailer grossed simply $20.8 million after being damage by a horrible opening weekend and disastrous vital reception.
3 John Travolta – “Battlefield Land” (2000)
Broadly thought to be one of many worst movies ever made, The land of the battlefield – primarily based on the novel Battlefield Earth: A Yr 3000 Saga by Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard – it was finished John Travoltahis ardour undertaking throughout the Nineties. Hollywood.
Whereas he struggled to realize studio curiosity resulting from his ties to Scientology, the movie was finally picked up with Travolta contributing thousands and thousands of {dollars} of his personal cash and sacrificing a good portion of his wage to make the movie. Towards a price range of 73 million {dollars}, The land of the battlefield grossed a paltry $29.7 million, and the deliberate sequel by no means materialized.
4 Tommy Wiseau – “The Room” (2003)
So far as cult films go, room is a monumental hit as a celebrated champion of so-bad-it’s-good cinema. Sadly for Tommy Wiseauindividuals did not think about him a pop-culture phenomenon after his theatrical launch with the movie grossing solely $1,900 towards a $6 million price range.
Whereas the precise nature of how he acquired his fingers on such a sum of cash stays considerably of a thriller, Wiseau contributed all the price range to keep up inventive management. Regardless of its disastrous preliminary run, the popular culture affect has seen the movie’s earnings rise to $4.9 million, so who is aware of, it might nonetheless transform a revenue.
5 Matthew McConaughey – ‘Sahara’ (2005)
Some of the infamous and controversial manufacturing processes, SaharaIts price range began at a modest $80 million, however grew past $160 million by the point filming closed, with an extra $61 million associated to distribution prices. Based mostly on Clive CusslerIn Dirk Pitt’s novels, the action-adventure movie was deliberate as the primary in a sequence.
This clearly by no means got here to cross, because the movie’s $119 million gross accounted for simply over half of its total price range. Matthew McConaughey had even blogged a few promotional highway journey in an try to market the movie he had invested his cash in, but it surely proved futile.
6 Brad Pitt – “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007)
Sturdy proof that not all actor-funded blockbusters are dangerous films, The assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford star and producer Brad Pitt admitted that working within the movie price him cash. A revisionist Western epic depicting Jesse James (Pitt) and the breakup of his gang, the movie received reward from followers and critics for its performances, depiction of Eighteen Eighties America, and Roger Deakins‘ the cinematography is breathtaking.
Nevertheless, the movie flopped, changing into a field workplace bomb even with its restrictive $30 million price range. Incomes lower than $4 million by its theatrical run, it has grown that determine to $15 million by DVD gross sales and has amassed an enormous fan following.
7 George Clooney – ‘Leatherheads’ (2008)
After hanging gold in 2005 Good night time and good luckduring which George Clooney mortgaged his home to assist finance the $7 million price range (the movie grossed $54.6 million), Clooney tried to repeat his success with Leather-based head. A sports activities comedy with a free foundation in historical past, it was removed from a horrible movie, but it surely didn’t carry out properly on the field workplace.
Clooney was clearly passionate concerning the movie, serving as author, director, star, and produced it by his manufacturing home, Smokehouse Productions. Nevertheless, it proved to be a expensive gamble Leather-based head grossed simply $41.3 million, failing to interrupt even by a margin.
8 Mel Gibson – “Get the Gringo” (2012)
Till 2012, Mel Gibson had an incredible report when it got here to creating monetary contributions to the movies he was concerned with. It helped finance his directorial efforts The sufferings of Christ AND Apocalypto with nice monetary success, however the properly ran dry when he produced and starred in it Take Gringo.
Whereas the 2012 motion movie did properly with critics, it was launched at a time when Gibson was criticized for anti-Semitic feedback. Made on a $20 million price range, it additionally suffered from a video-on-demand launch technique and ended up grossing solely $8.8 million.
9 Will Smith – “After Earth” (2013)
With ambitions to be a terrific sci-fi journey spectacle, After Earth with out Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith Share the display screen as a father-son duo crashing on Earth a millennium after humanity was compelled off the planet. The movie grossed $243.8 million by its impressive-sounding theatrical run, however towards a $150 million price range and an extra $100 million poured into the advertising and marketing marketing campaign, it fell wanting expectations.
Whereas Will Smith himself didn’t contribute cash to the substantial manufacturing of the movie, his manufacturing firm, Overbrook Leisure, did. Finally the movie’s vital and industrial failure, Smith described After Earth as “essentially the most painful failure of [his] profession” in an interview with Esquire and expressed his remorse for main his son on the undertaking.
10 Tina Fey – ‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ (2016)
A daring try to combine comedy with battle drama, Tango Foxtrot Whiskey it couldn’t have been dealt with by anybody who lacked delicate poise and comedian skill Tina Fey. Based mostly on Kim Barkerhis reminiscences The Taliban Shuffle: Unusual Days in Afghanistan and Pakistanthe comedy star set the pre-production course of in movement in 2014 along with her manufacturing firm, Little Stranger, on the helm.
With a price range of 35 million {dollars} and Margot Robbie AND Martin Freeman among the many movie’s foremost solid members, it seemed like it will simply surpass that determine. Regardless of optimistic critiques, it was hampered by a weak opening weekend and by no means recovered, incomes simply $25.4 million.