A box office apocalypse? Brad Pitt's $400m World War Z could become the most expensive flop..

UK Daily Mail ^ | May 23, 2013 | Hanna Flint

[C19fan]

World War Z could be the most expensive flop in cinematic history. Brad Pitt's zombie action flick has been mired by negative publicity concerning rewrites, re-shoots and an inexperienced creative team that has caused the film's budget to increase from $170million to a reported $400million. Based upon Max Brooks's science fiction novel, the film now has the biggest budget ever recorded.

[C19fan]

The original script was written by JM Straczynski who was the man behind Babylon 5.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Gee!...Who cares? His movie is the Pitts.

[NonValueAdded]

"You used Max Brooks??? I told you to use Mel Brooks!"

[UCANSEE2]

film's budget to increase from $170million to a reported $400million.

So who put up the money ?

[MrB]

Too bad it was done by Pitt...

It was a good book.

[cuban leaf]

Waterworld
Ishtar
The Postman...

[stuartcr]

Gigli

[Vendome]

I’ve heard from a few in Hollywood that this movie is a bigger turd than Tom Cruise’s latest dog with range attempt at entertaining

[Tijeras_Slim]

Battlefield Earth

[molson209]

YAWN , oh my more Zombies ,BRAINS BRAINS

[wiggen]

Waterworld and The Postman (award winning book) were sci fi as this this new one is. Ishtar maybe belongs with one you missed, Heavens Gate?

[cuban leaf]

Battlefield Earth

---

Even though I am a huge science fiction fan, hearing this one was “really” bad, I avoided it until a couple years ago. I forced myself to sit through it. I could not believe just how bad it was. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hit that “so bad it’s good” sweet spot that Plan 9 From Outer Space did.

No other remotely big budget film that I can think of comes remotely close to this one in sheer badness. I did have a couple of LOL moments though and, yess, I mean laughing AT it.

[cuban leaf]

I’ve heard from a few in Hollywood that this movie is a bigger turd than Tom Cruise’s latest dog with range attempt at entertaining

---

Not having TV, I miss the release of a lot of movies. What movie are you talking about?

[cuban leaf]

Well, I never saw Heaven’s gate. I just read a review. Looks like I did myself a huge favor. :-)

[a fool in paradise]

It’s the end of Z World!!!

[BipolarBob]

Heavens’s Gate - which destroyed United Artists.

[a fool in paradise]

>>film's budget to increase from $170million to a reported $400million.

So who put up the money ?

Knowing Hollywood, there is probably some "Obama money" in there someplace.

[BipolarBob]

darn you beat me. I didn’t see your post but I immediately thought of Heaven’s Gate.

[EEGator]

I would assume Oblivion.

[cuban leaf]

Heavens’s Gate - which destroyed United Artists.

---

Seriously? That is amazing. After reading the review, It reminded me of one of those project that had no management or tracking. Only in the end do you find out you have been wasting yhour time for months because nobody had the guts to raise red flags along the way.

I’m still reminded of that scene in the Howard Hughs movie where Hughs goes into a hanger where his mechanic/engineer/inventor is refining the steam powered car. Hugh’s said he’s cancelling the project and the guy says, “but we’re almost there! I’ve put condensers in the doors, trunk, etc. and we think it will work.

At which point Hughs grabs this huge wrench and says, “this is a buick” and proceeds to throw it at the running steam car in the room. Steam everywhere. “We just cooked the passengers. The project is cancelled.”

That movie needed a Hughs.

Note: All my quotes are strictly from decades old memory.