Top 10 Movies Ruined by Actor Controversies
#10: “Blade: Trinity” (2004)
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The third and final “Blade” film was ruined by none other than the leading man himself, Wesley Snipes. Many horror stories have been told regarding his behavior on set. He was allegedly very difficult to work with, wouldn’t speak to his co-stars much, and used a pejorative term against Ryan Reynolds. Patton Oswalt also said that he tried to strangle writer-director David S. Goyer, a claim which Snipes has denied. Goyer has been rather public about his difficulties with the production, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I don’t think anybody involved with that film is happy with the results.” We’d go even further and say that very few people - from critics to fans - were happy with the final product.
#9: “Aloha” (2015)
This movie was dead on arrival for more than one reason. “Aloha” is easily one of Cameron Crowe’s worst films, plagued by sloppy writing and incoherent editing. But it was also largely overshadowed by a whitewashing controversy. Caucasian actress Emma Stone played a one-quarter Chinese, one-quarter Hawaiian woman named Allison Ng. A major part of the character was that her look didn’t reflect her heritage, but the decision still generated intense criticism. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans called out the production’s casting choices, and both Crowe and Stone ultimately apologized. This combination of controversy and poor quality resulted in “Aloha” bombing at the box office, grossing just a litle over $25 million worldwide.
#8: “1905”
This was going to be a Japanese film starring popular Hong Kong star Tony Leung. He was reportedly slated to play a Chinese loan shark named Yan Yunlong who travels to Japan during the late years of the Qing dynasty. Unfortunately, Leung’s involvement in the film caused considerable backlash in China. This controversy was made even worse by the tensions between the latter country and Japan. The actor eventually backed out of the project, and the political turmoil apparently also caused issues with the movie’s financing. The production company’s eventual bankruptcy, combined with the lead’s departure, resulted in the film being completely abandoned.
#7: “Cold Pursuit” (2019)
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Based on a Norwegian thriller, “Cold Pursuit” stars Liam Neeson as a vengeful snowplow driver named Nels Coxman. Unfortunately, this movie was plagued by controversies from the outset. Parks Canada didn’t allow production to shoot in the country’s national parks, citing concerns over Tom Jackson’s native character White Bull Legrew. And shortly before the movie was released, Neeson made a public comment about wishing to exert lethal force on a Black person years prior. As a result of the backlash, the red carpet for “Cold Pursuit” was canceled. The controversy had considerable negative effects, and the movie grossed approximately $76 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.
#6: “Billionaire Boys Club” (2018)
Essentially a worse “Wolf of Wall Street,” “Billionaire Boys Club” is a biographical movie about the titular group. Back in the ‘80s, this club conned people with get rich quick schemes, and its founder, Joseph Hunt, was later arrested for killing two people. Hunt is played by Ansel Elgort, and one his victims by Kevin Spacey. You see where this is going. This movie was released shortly after misconduct allegations against the latter actor came to light, which understandably significantly hindered its marketing. The result was a movie that nobody has even really heard of, one that grossed a laughable $618 during its opening weekend.
#5: “I Love You, Daddy” (2017)
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Initially scheduled for wide release in November of 2017, this film was permanently tarnished by the misconduct allegations made against Louis C.K. The famous comedian was the main creative force behind “I Love You, Daddy,” having written, directed, co-produced, and starred in it. The allegations against him were made public on the month of the release, and distributors - both American and international - dropped the movie from their schedules. C.K. was then said to be purchasing the rights himself, but the movie quickly spread through torrent sites, having been ripped from DVD screeners. Stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Rose Byrne have publicly stood by the distributor’s decision, claiming that the film shouldn’t be seen in today’s socio-political landscape.
#4: “The Birth of a Nation” (2016)
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No, we’re not talking about that “Birth of a Nation.” This Nate Parker film was about Nat Turner’s slave rebellion, which occurred in 1831 and resulted in the deaths of many people - including Turner. The movie was a huge success at Sundance, earning a $17.5 million distribution deal from Fox and winning the Grand Jury Prize. However, it was then revealed that Parker and his co-writer, Jean McGianni Celestin, were embroiled in a sexual assault back in the late ‘90s. Parker was acquitted, and Celestin’s conviction was overturned on appeal. The controversy surrounding the story completely ruined the movie’s marketing campaign and shattered its Oscar chances.
#3: “Rub & Tug”
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Back in 2018, it was announced that Scarlett Johansson would be playing the historic gangster Tex Gill. He was a transgender man who ran a prostitution ring through illicit massage parlors. However, the casting of Johansson was enormously controversial, as many believed that a cisgendered woman shouldn’t be playing a trans man. She initially mishandled the situation by naming other examples of such casting choices, including Jared Leto and Felicity Huffman, before eventually exiting the project. The entire thing was scrapped and is being re-worked as a television series, with the pilot being written by trans artist Our Lady J.
#2: “Music” (2021)
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Ironically swapping music for filmmaking, global megastar Sia co-wrote, co-produced, and directed “Music,” a drama about a nonverbal teenager on the autism spectrum. Good intentions aside, the film was viciously condemned for its depiction of autism. Its portrayal of restraints was deemed problematic, as was the casting of the non-autistic Maddie Ziegler. Ziegler and Sia received criticism both from the mainstream media and from those within the autistic community. The film was also panned by critics, who called it “offensive”, among many other things. “Music” was a flop all around, and reportedly grossed just about $645,000 despite its $16 million budget.
#1: “Rust”
Even if this movie is eventually finished and released, it will forever remain overshadowed by the tragic shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. On October 21st, 2021, the cinematographer was killed in a horrible on-set accident. Star Alec Baldwin was getting ready for a scene when his prop revolver shot off a live round, which proceeded to hit Hutchins. She was rushed to a hospital, but sadly succumbed to her injuries. The resulting fallout was aimed at numerous people, with many criticizing the shoddy safety standards on display. Multiple lawsuits were launched, and the movie’s production has been indefinitely delayed. It’ll likely never see the light of day.
