10 Actors Who Knew The Movie Was Doomed On Day 1

Matt Damon knew The Great Wall was a big ol' dud while he was filming it.

WTF DAMON
Universal Pictures

It's easy to forget that acting is a job first and foremost, and few actors are blessed with the luxury of only appearing in movies which speak to them on a personally and creatively fulfilling level.

Given the many variables that go into a movie's creation, actors aren't always aware of quite the caliber project they're starring in, whether good or bad.

But sometimes a script hits one of the two extremes so ferociously that they know precisely what they're in for from the jump.

And while it's hardly news if an actor says they knew a great movie would be great from the moment they read the script, it's far more interesting to hear actors admit they knew movies would suck from day one.

These 10 actors got brutally honest by confessing that they knew these films were going to suffer either critical or commercial scorn - if not both - as the shoot was getting underway.

Whether it was the script or the roughshod nature of the production, the writing was on the wall that these movies would fail, and so the actors just had to grit their teeth and try to do it justice regardless...

10. Channing Tatum - Jupiter Ascending

WTF DAMON
Warner Bros.

The Wachowskis' 2015 sci-fi blockbuster Jupiter Ascending was certainly an ambitious attempt at kickstarting a major new tentpole universe, albeit one that failed to strike much of a chord with critics or general audiences.

Despite praise for the visual effects and the memorable Chicago chase sequence, the script and Eddie Redmayne's Razzie-winning performance were largely panned, and it failed to recoup its $210 million at the box office.

Co-star Channing Tatum, who has never been one to mince words about his career disappointments, spoke out recently about the exhausting experience of shooting the film, which he knew wasn't coming together as soon as he started working on it. He said in an interview with Variety:

"Jupiter Ascending was a nightmare from the jump... It was a sideways movie. All of us were there for seven months, busting our hump. It was just tough."

Tatum also went on to criticise his own performance in the film, feeling that his work suffered from a lack of energy due to shooting four movies back-to-back without any time off.

That said, Tatum's performance in Jupiter Ascending is far from the worst thing about it.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.