It just seems easy until it’s not. Trouble brews in every corner of filmmaking, and here are real-life examples. Even if making movies is a labor of passion, there are still times when a filmmaker, who is undoubtedly the one who works on a movie the most, doesn’t like the outcome or is banned from it.
Bryan Singer – Bohemian Rhapsody
Director Bryan Singer stirred the pot of trouble over his film, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ Witnesses claim that Singer was acting violently from the start of the shoot, arguing with Mercury’s actor, Rami Malek, and hurling objects at him in an attempt to harm him. Malek took great care to depict Mercury’s body. According to the insider, Singer’s quick filmmaking technique frequently prevented Malek from getting as many takes as he would require in a particular scene. This ardent commitment to detail put him in a clutch with Singer. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ follows Freddie Mercury and his rock group, Queen, who became superstars because of his flawless voice. But despite his enormous success, he struggles with his sexuality, ego, and a deadly illness.
The Island of Doctor Moreau – Richard Stanley
Richard Stanley got Brando and Willis for his project, but things started to go South. Val Kilmer filled in for Willis, although he was recast in a reduced role after he decided he didn’t want to stay on site for too long. In the meantime, Stanley was losing the trust of the studio executives. Things only got worse once they were on location. A hurricane hit the project on the first day of filming. Given that Cairns is the rainiest location on the continent, it was a bad choice for filming because it flooded throughout the whole shoot. Val Kilmer took charge of the set. Stanley and he disagreed on many points. “Directors stand behind the camera, actors stand in front of it,” Kilmer yelled at Stanley at one point. It was too late to rescue the production. After being sacked, Richard Stanley was escorted off the set with stern instructions to leave the country, but he chose not to do so. Rather, he was camped close to the set after sneaking back into the bush. He went to investigate after hearing shouting in the bush one evening. It was a group of inebriated production staff workers. The crew promised to bring Stanley back to the set in disguise because he was always well-liked by them. He arrived at the scene every day as an extra, costumed as a terrifying man-dog. He was never apprehended.
David Fincher – Alien 3
David Fincher was so disturbed by Alien 3 that he contemplated leaving Hollywood. Fincher struggled with the movie since he had only five weeks to prepare, an incomplete script, and no real influence behind his name. Around the time Se7en debuted on the big screen, Fincher was particularly candid about his feelings about Alien 3 in an interview with Sight & Sound. To put it succinctly, he had no intention of shooting another movie at the time: “I didn’t read a script for a year and a half after that, I thought I’d rather die of colon cancer than do another movie.” After that, he returned to making music videos, directing Madonna’s “Bad Girl” and collaborating with other well-known performers.
Tony Kaye – American History X
The searing drama American History X has become a beloved film, with fans fervently supporting both Norton’s Oscar-nominated performance and Kaye’s daring and explicit directing choices.
So what went wrong? Well, a revised version of the new cut that only Norton had altered was test-screened by the studio. The studio loved the cut and attempted to persuade Kaye to release it, but he wasn’t too pleased because he thought the new version was very different from his and objected to the eighteen more minutes. The filmmaker was so frustrated that the studio gave him an additional eight weeks to deliver a revised cut. However, he grew very dissatisfied with the way American History X had been recut by the studio, New Line. The trade press released several open letters written by the filmmaker advising people to stay away from the finished product. He even got the movie withdrawn by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Richard Donner – Superman 2 (1980)
Before he could complete filming the movie, Donner was fired. The Salkinds created Superman 1. In essence, they made the character using their own investors and a Warner Bros. license, with Warner Bros. providing some financing. Donner’s recent success with The Omen convinced them to recruit him. There was stress throughout the production. Donner’s spending did not sit well with the producers. He was a perfectionist who repeatedly rejected substandard special effects shots. He claimed that in recent years, they never offered him a budget, and he was angry that they would cancel things he purchased and arranged without informing him to save money. They were upset since they had to finally ask WB for more money to fund the production, reducing the percentage of earnings they could keep. There was some speculation that he might be sacked before Superman 1 was completed. Donner was already refusing to speak with them, so they engaged Richard Lester as a producer to serve as a liaison between them and Donner.
David O Russell – Accidental Love
David O Russell envisioned the picture as a romantic comedy with political implications, cast Jessica Biel and Jake Gyllenhaal in main parts, and was given $2 million (£2 million) to create it – but the whole filming process was a disaster. The set was shut down a total of 14 times after the actors and crew protested about not being paid. After essential scenes failed to be filmed during production, the entire project was scrapped. After Russell had Oscar buzz for The Fighter and American Hustle, the studio intended to release Nailed in theaters; work on the film continued without Russell’s input. Critics, naturally, despised the outcome. The film was renamed Accidental Love and distributed in theaters, with the director’s identity changed to Stephen Green.
