Movies / Features
This Expensive Sci-fi Film Was Supposed To Kick Off A Franchise, But It Ended Up Failing Miserably
The Wachowskis are known for their iconic contribution to cinema with the beloved 'Matrix' films, but this particular project in 2015 failed to impress audiences and critics alike.
Hollywood studios often invest heavily in a film that is meant to launch a new franchise. It frequently happens that grand plans go completely off the rails when the 'first' movie simply fails to succeed. A good example of this is Jupiter Ascending from Lilly and Lana Wachowski, the sisters behind The Matrix.
The Wachowskis released the bold sci-fi films Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas after the The Matrix trilogy. Jupiter Ascending was also very ambitious, but the duo was unable to deliver a successful end product.
Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born believing that she would accomplish great things in her future, but her reality consists of cleaning other people's houses and endless setbacks.
Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered alien hunter, arrives on Earth to find her, making Jupiter finally aware of the grand destiny awaiting her. Jupiter's genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
Jupiter Ascending was seen as the launch point for a multi-part sci-fi epic for Warner Brothers. The world was described as a fusion of Star Wars and The Matrix, in which themes like greed and consumption played a significant role.
Warner Bros. seemed to have great confidence in the Wachowskis' vision. The film had a production budget between $176 and $210 million. Unfortunately, all future plans crumbled after the film's release.
Sometimes it seems almost impossible for a film to be bad, yet there is always a chance that the respective movie fails, regardless of how talented the directors, actors, or writers are. This happened with Jupiter Ascending. The film only scored 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $184 million at the global box office.
With this revenue, the production budget was not even recouped. In addition to the production budget, there were also exorbitant marketing costs. What began as a launch point for a sci-fi franchise ended up being one of the biggest flops of the last ten years.
The Wachowskis released the bold sci-fi films Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas after the The Matrix trilogy. Jupiter Ascending was also very ambitious, but the duo was unable to deliver a successful end product.
Story
Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born believing that she would accomplish great things in her future, but her reality consists of cleaning other people's houses and endless setbacks.
Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered alien hunter, arrives on Earth to find her, making Jupiter finally aware of the grand destiny awaiting her. Jupiter's genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
Beginning Of An Epic
Jupiter Ascending was seen as the launch point for a multi-part sci-fi epic for Warner Brothers. The world was described as a fusion of Star Wars and The Matrix, in which themes like greed and consumption played a significant role.
Warner Bros. seemed to have great confidence in the Wachowskis' vision. The film had a production budget between $176 and $210 million. Unfortunately, all future plans crumbled after the film's release.
Flop
Sometimes it seems almost impossible for a film to be bad, yet there is always a chance that the respective movie fails, regardless of how talented the directors, actors, or writers are. This happened with Jupiter Ascending. The film only scored 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $184 million at the global box office.
With this revenue, the production budget was not even recouped. In addition to the production budget, there were also exorbitant marketing costs. What began as a launch point for a sci-fi franchise ended up being one of the biggest flops of the last ten years.
