9 Movies That Studios Were Scared Of Releasing

In hindsight, it seems foolish to have ever doubted George Lucas' cultural phenomenon, but back in the 1970s, Fox had major concerns about the commercial viability of Star Wars, and the studio's executives were sure that it would fail.

It's honestly understandable that there would be a feeling of skepticism in the air: after all, Star Wars was something brand-new, and it could even be considered a little weird and silly - there was no telling how audiences would respond.

Because of this uncertainty, Fox considered the movie their "B track" release of the summer, and instead positioned The Other Side of Midnight as their top box-office contender (funnily enough, that movie ended up making just $25 million worldwide, while Star Wars made over $300 million).

One studio executive even had to convince the rest that the film would be a success. In a memo penned by Peter S. Myers - Fox's VP of Domestic Distribution at the time - he assured skittish board members that the public would be "electrified" with the film, and that Lucas had crafted something truly special. Even Lucas himself, fearful of failure, was preparing to head to Hawaii when the movie released, to remove himself from any possible negativity.

But ultimately, none of these concerns were necessary: Star Wars went on to become one of the biggest entertainment brands in history.