Thanks to the increased attention film productions receive from online outlets, cinephiles have more access to information about “nightmare shoots” than ever before. Notorious box office disasters like Fant4stic, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Justice League, or this year’s Elio debuted after months of articles centered around dreaded “creative differences” between filmmakers and studios.
Although there was certainly journalism centered on the legendary failure of Heaven’s Gate, which infamously bankrupted United Artists in 1980, mismanaged expectations had never been as public as during the release of science fiction adventure epic Waterworld, which washed into theaters 30 years ago today. Once the most expensive film ever made, Waterworld debuted at the height of ‘90s blockbuster mania, in which all-consuming spectacle events like Jurassic Park and Terminator 2: Judgment Day dominated pop culture. While it became an easy target for critics, Waterworld didn’t spark nearly enough interest from moviegoers to turn a profit.
