These 7 Movies Were So Bad They Were Disowned by Their Directors
Films that their creators deemed so disastrous that they wished they had never been made.
Everyone makes mistakes, even famous directors who make blockbusters with huge budgets. Some admit their failures, while others blame the producers and studio.
Here are seven cases of famous filmmakers harshly criticizing and even disowning their own movies.
1. 'Dying of the Light', 2014
IMDb Score: 4.5/10
Even Nicolas Cage was horrified by the thriller Dying of the Light, in which he played the lead role. The movie tells the story of a CIA agent with dementia and was radically reworked by the studio.
Its release was criticized by everyone involved – director Paul Schrader, producer Nicolas Winding Refn, and Nicolas Cage himself. The latter publicly stated that he doesn't think that the film is worth watching.
2. 'Hellboy', 2019
IMDb Score: 5.3/10
The reboot of the popular comic book film franchise, directed by Neil Marshall, was not a success.
Guillermo del Toro's replacement, Neil Marshall, was once considered one of the most promising filmmakers – he directed The Descent and Centurion. However, he has not made a truly outstanding project in a long time.
Hellboy was not a great return, and Marshall publicly disowned the project. The director believes that this was the worst shooting process of his career due to the many conflicts that occurred during production.
3. 'Alien 3', 1992
IMDb Score: 6.4/10
David Fincher was only 28 years old when the producers of Alien decided to involve him in creating the third sequel in the horror franchise. The young director was given only five weeks to prepare and an unfinished script.
Furthermore, he could not influence the studio's decisions. Work on the third Alien movie lasted almost two years, during which Fincher was fired several times.
Ultimately, Fincher decided to leave the project after filming was completed and refused to do the final editing. Fincher was subsequently offered the opportunity to release his own version of the film, but he refused, stating that he didn't want to have anything to do with it.
4. 'Fear and Desire', 1952
IMDb Score: 5.3/10
Not every director can boast an impeccable filmography. The man who came closest to being the "perfect director," Stanley Kubrick believed his debut movie, the war drama Fear and Desire, was not worthy of being considered a good work.
As his authority as a director grew, Kubrick – a victim of his own perfectionism – became increasingly disappointed in the film, considering it a stain on his reputation.
Ultimately, Kubrick did everything in his power to destroy all surviving copies of Fear and Desire, ensuring that it would never be seen again.
5. 'Dune', 1984
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
Following the triumphant success of The Elephant Man, David Lynch had the means to do a lot. Ultimately, he turned down the opportunity to direct Return of the Jedi, choosing to adapt Frank Herbert's monumental book series instead.
While working on the script, the filmmaker wrote five different drafts, striving for perfection. However, he was not satisfied with the final result. What's even worse, it also failed to satisfy the numerous fans of Herbert's novel.
Ultimately, the director demanded that his name be removed from the credits. Dune is now the most famous example of a director despising his own work.
6. 'Batman & Robin', 1997
IMDb Score: 3.8/10
Everyone connected to Batman & Robin seems to be trying hard to disown it. George Clooney, who played Bruce Wayne, publicly apologized for his costume. Director Joel Schumacher has also repeatedly expressed his guilt to the loyal fans of the Dark Knight.
After the premiere of Batman & Robin, Schumacher became virtually persona non grata in the industry – many viewers and critics were outraged by his version of the superhero story.
7. 'American History X', 1998
IMDb Score: 8.5/10
Tony Kaye's debut movie remains the most controversial of his career. There were constant conflicts between the filmmaker and New Line Cinema during the making of American History X.
Initially, the producers approved Edward Norton for the lead role, but the filmmaker disliked him immediately. Then, Norton began interfering in the production process, irritating Kaye.
The studio was satisfied with the initial two-hour version of American History X, but the director insisted on cutting the film to 87 minutes.
In response, New Line gave Norton the final editing rights, which angered Kaye, who demanded that his name be removed from the credits.
