Taika Waititi has a strong resume of films under his belt, but the acclaimed director’s most recent project, Thor: Love and Thunder, has garnered far worse reviews than many were expecting. There’s little doubt that Waititi will bounce back and move on, but not all directors are so lucky.
While projects often need stars to get the film going, the film industry is equally famous for big-name directors that seem to make anything they touch work. However, while fans can often forgive a bad project, some directors have their career almost ruined by a poorly received film.
11 Michael Powell- Peeping Tom (1960)
In his day, Michael Powell was one of the most celebrated British film directors in the industry. He directed classics such as Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes and influence numerous movies that came after him. That being the case, it may come as a surprise that his classic slasher, Peeping Tom, was so vilified when it came out that it damaged his reputation across the world.
A sense deleted Reddit account points out what happened, saying, “Critics tore it a new one, but thankfully time has treated the film, and all his work really well. But, yeah, he barely worked after making that movie.” The film is now considered one of the best horror films of the 60s.
10 Michael Cimino- Heavens Gate (1980)
Another deleted Reddit account pointed to one huge example of a film ruining a director’s career, expressing the opinion that “The ultimate example is Michael Cimino and Heaven’s Gate.” Cimino was riding high after two hit films in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and one of the greatest war films ever made in The Deer Hunter.
As a result, United Artist gave him a huge budget and full creative control for his next film, Heavens Gate. It bombed, costing the studio over 30 million and putting them into bankrupcy, and although the film is more fondly regarded now, Cimino’s career and reputation never recovered.
9 Martin Brest- Gigli (2003)
Before directing a film considered one of the worst ever made, Brest was a very well-received director. Directing such films as Beverly Hills Cop and Scent of a Woman, Brest showed that he had the ability to direct films in multiple genres and still have them come out great. After Gigli, Brest fell off the map, never making another movie.
A deleted Reddit account pointed out how underrated Brest was and how upset they are this film ruined his career and made him leave Hollywood, noting that “he hasn’t even attended any Q&A’s or anniversary gatherings for his films either. He just dropped off the face of the Earth.”
8 Martin Campbell- Green Lantern (2011)
Campbell helped establish not one but two James Bond actors with their debuts. He directed Pierce Bronson in Goldeneye and directed Craig in his debut Casino Royale. With an impressive resume like that, it is quite shocking to hear that he also directed Ryan Reynolds’ misguided adaptation of the Green Lantern, a film that was not well received by audiences or critics.
Reddit user Averagejoe1990 had this to say about this film and 2010s Edge of Darkness: “Unfortunately, Green Lantern and Edge of Darkness suffered from the worst sin of action filmmaking. They were dull and boring.” Campbell has still found work but has not been able to reach those Bond-level heights since.
7 Kevin Costner- The Postman (1997)
The 90s was a great time to be Kevin Costner. Not only was he one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but he also successfully transitioned into directing. Dances With Wolves, one of the best actor directorial debuts, became one of the biggest critical and commercial successes of its time and set Costner’s career to new heights.
His second time behind the camera was not nearly as successful. User MrBrianWeldon pointed out that it was this, not Waterworld, a film he starred in two years previously, “that killed Costner’s career.” Costner has only directed one movie sense, something unthinkable when he won all those Oscars for his debut.
6 John Singleton- Abduction (2011)
The late John Singleton may have been one of the most important voices in cinema during his life. He was responsible for movies such as Boyz In The Hood and Poetic Justice, often using his own experiences as fuel to make deeply personal and moving movies. So it may be weird to know his last film was a poorly received film starring Twilight‘s Taylor Lautner.
The poorly received film, which did not match the audiences of either the director or star, hurt both men’s careers. Sirjackiechiles simply stated, “Abduction killed John Singleton (RIP) and Taylor Lautner’s careers.” Singleton passed away in 2019 at the age of 51.
5 Josh Trank- Fantastic Four (2014)
Trank made Chronicle, a very interesting and original found footage superhero film that very quickly made him a promising up-and-coming director. Due to this, he was given one of the most famous superhero groups of all time, the Fantastic Four, and was asked to make a new film for the storied franchise. Whether it was due to the studio or Trank himself, the film bombed, and Trank quickly got fired from an eventually unproduced Boba Fett film.
Reddit user Shadesmctuba blames the studio but acknowledges that the film absolutely hurt Trank’s career, expressing that, “Now he doesn’t really do anything, which is sad. Such potential ruined by execs with zero creativity thinking they know better.” Trank’s career in the superhero movie field certainly wasn’t helped by his strange, now-deleted Twitter tirades against the MCU, either.
4 Richard Kelly- Southland Tales (2006)
Although more well-received now, Southland Tales was a career killer at the time for Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly. A film with too much ambition for its own good, it bombed commercially and critically when it was originally released.
A since-deleted account said that while Southland Tales had potential, Kelly got into his own way with the picture. They think there was probably a good movie in there somewhere and that “… Southland Tales has so many elements that I think could have been so cool in more competent hands.”
3 Rob Reiner- North (1994)
There are few directors that had as much range as Rob Reiner. From comedies like When Harry Met Sally, to fantasy like The Princess Bride, to horror like Misery, Reiner could do it all and directed some great movies in his top 10. However, 1994’s North spelled the beginning of the end when it came to Reiner’s classics.
User Aqquila89 points out that while Reiner still had some good films, like The American President, he has not reached the heights of his initial films. They think it’s largely deserved, too, as “All of Reiner’s following films have been forgettable, while before he made almost nothing but classics.”
2 Ron Underwood- The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
Eddie Murphy made some questionable career choices in the 2000s, none more so than The Adventures of Pluto Nash, a film that grossed 7 million dollars on a budget of 100 million (per Box Office Mojo). It was directed by Ron Underwood, who had previously directed films like Tremors and City Slickers.
A Reddit user by the name of Givemeyourfingernails pointed out how this film completely upended Underwood’s career, saying, “Pluto Nash happened and he hasn’t made a feature film since. Plenty of TV work but I doubt that’s where he saw his career going.” While Pluto Nash may have disappointed, it’s sad that such an accomplished director hasn’t been able to take another crack at a big-budget project.
1 Frank Capra- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
One of Hollywood’s greatest had his film career hurt by his greatest achievement. When it first came out, It’s A Wonderful Life bombed, hurting the careers of both Capra and Jimmy Stewart. The heartwarming film‘s eventual popularity did no favors for either, and Capra ‘s career never really recovered.
Reddit user Neurotic_Marauder said this when talking about the film’s impact on Capra’s career: “It was a financial failure when it was released and Capra himself said it was “fatal” to his career. Capra would only direct low-budget or TV movies following Wonderful Life’s release and he never directed another big-budget. movie again.” It’s hard to imaging that a movie considered a Christmas classic was so actively detrimental to the career of the man that made it.
