10 Great Movies That Had AWFUL Test Screenings

10. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy may be one of the most beloved comedies of the last 20 years, but its journey to the big screen was fraught to say the least.

Its first test screening was nothing short of disastrous, with Will Ferrell recently confirming that Anchorman initially scored a terrible 50/100, with many audience members disliking the original finale in which Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) is abducted by a vigilante group.

Ferrell said that this subplot "lost the audience," and so the studio subsequently allowed director Adam McKay to shoot a new finale which revolved around a panda giving birth at San Diego Zoo.

This new plot was filmed in just five days and basically ended up saving the movie from commercial oblivion, as Anchorman went on to gross over $90 million worldwide.

However, the original subplot was ultimately included in the counterpart film Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, which was released on DVD the very same year and was comprised of both deleted scenes and outtakes from the original shoot.