4. Schindler's List (1993)
Horrible Idea At The Time Because... Holocaust Movies Did Little Business At The Box Office Before
Schindler's List, a movie often considered to be Steven Spielberg's ultimate masterpiece, the holocaust film was considered to be a subject that guaranteed box office death. That's to say, people weren't really into the idea of going to the movies to watch one of the greatest modern tragedies play out, and especially not in a movie running at over three hours and shot in black and white (of all the colours to use!). Which is why a big executive asked Spielberg if he wouldn't just prefer it if they donated money to the Holocaust Memorial Museum instead. Yes, the odds were really against him on this one, and Spielberg wasn't helping himself: he even said that
Schindler's List would be probably be a certified flop. Simply put: holocaust movies did not make a lot of money, even if the public had heard of the books that that they were based on, as was
not the case with this movie at all. And although everyone set about warning him against the idea, Spielberg pressed on, and
Schindler's List became one of the most acclaimed pictures ever made and a massive box office smash, grossing $321 million.