- 3 weeks ago
Sometimes the biggest victories come from the most unexpected places. Join us as we count down our picks for the movies that were expected to crash and burn, but ultimately silenced every last doubter once they hit the big screen! Which underdog movie do you think overcame the biggest odds? Let us know in the comments below!
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for movies that were expected
00:05to fail for one reason or another, but ended up proving naysayers wrong after being released.
00:1310. Coyote vs. Acme
00:15The premise of Looney Tunes' Wile E. Coyote suing the fictional company Acme over his
00:19difficulties catching the elusive Roadrunner is irresistible.
00:27And this comedy was slated for a 2023 release.
00:30Have you ever sat a big stack of TNT on the road, hoping to blow up your nemesis, but
00:35the detonator itself explodes?
00:37That is, until Warner Bros. Discovery revealed they'd be shelving it for a tax write-off instead.
00:41The backlash was severe, including from industry insiders, leading to the choice being rescinded
00:45and Ketchup Entertainment securing the rights in 2025.
00:48They're suing us for every Acme product.
00:51Warner Bros. Discovery's initial skepticism proved to be a blunder on their end. It was
00:55a critical darling and was a hit in its first weekend, only being bested by Spider-Man brand
00:59new day. After years of being dropped off cliffs, Wile E. Coyote finally defeated his
01:03greatest enemy, production hell.
01:079. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
01:09Don't let the fanbase it has now fool you. When this was released, it flopped so hard
01:12that even its stars were certain it failed.
01:14Come up to the lab and see what's on the slab.
01:19I see you shiver with anticipation.
01:27When the Rocky Horror Picture Show was first released in 1975, it didn't make much of a
01:31splash. While it did well in Los Angeles, it failed in others, leading to it being pulled
01:34nationwide and losing a coveted Halloween release in New York City.
01:43Beyond its financial woes, its story was branded as pointless by some reviewers. By the end
01:47of the year, it had barely scraped together a million dollars. Things turned around in
01:511976 when the Big Apple finally gave it a chance as a midnight movie.
02:01It soon gained a cult following who then converted it into an interactive experience complete
02:06with costumes and shouting at the screen.
02:08You can't describe any words. You really have to see it to really appreciate it.
02:12It has since made over a hundred million dollars worldwide. When you see massive conventions
02:16honoring the piece and fans going back to see it weekly, it's hard to believe that it was
02:20initially written off by the world at large.
02:268. Paranormal Activity
02:27Even if a film is picked up, there's no promise that a production company won't alter it.
02:31Oren Peli learned that the hard way.
02:33I can tell the difference between you saying Katie from over there on the bed and something
02:37right here whispering distinctly in my ear.
02:41They originally made Paranormal Activity on a shoestring budget of $15,000, which perfectly
02:46conveyed the vibe of the at-home documentary created by the haunted couple, Katie and Mika.
02:50Well, basically it could be two things. It could be a ghost or it could be a demon.
02:58Dr. Frederick said that it wasn't a ghost.
03:00I'm going by the evidence and I'm doing my research and I'm going to find out what it is.
03:05After doing well at festivals, it was bought by DreamWorks who had some suggestions.
03:08In the original iteration, the story ended with Mika perishing and Katie being fatally shot
03:12by a cop. DreamWorks scrapped that and poured another $200,000 into reshooting it.
03:17I feel it. I feel it breathing on me.
03:20Their version included Katie slaying Mika and giving the audience one last jump scare.
03:25Peli fought against it, but he was overridden. It became a genuine phenomenon and turned
03:28a massive profit of nearly $80 million and generated a new horror franchise.
03:367. Coda
03:37No matter what naysayers may say, authenticity is a way of coming out on top every time.
03:47What's rude is how noisy you guys are.
03:50That was certainly the case for Coda, a film about a girl navigating life and her own future
03:53while being the only hearing member of her family. Marlee Matlin immediately got a call
03:57to star as the mother and she was shocked to learn that those funding it wanted to stop
04:01there. They originally planned to hire non-deaf actors to play Ruby's father and brother,
04:13a move that would have undercut their intended message. Matlin wasn't avidant. Not only
04:17did she advocate for the arts to go to those hard of hearing, she even threatened to walk
04:20away entirely.
04:42That more than did the trick. Troy Kotzer and Daniel Durant were cast as Frank and Leah,
04:46which perfectly rounded out the dynamic they were hoping to achieve. The film went on to
04:50win the Oscar for best picture, and Kotzer became the first deaf male acting winner.
05:02Want even more behind the scenes looks at some of your favorite underdog flicks? Watch Mojo's
05:0624-7 live stream as an endless amount of cinematic fun facts and pop culture fun. Scan the QR code
05:11on screen to join.
05:176. The Full Monty
05:18To be fair, a film about a group of friends becoming exotic dancers for cash doesn't sound
05:22like the biggest draw on paper.
05:31However, director Peter Cattaneo had to clear several hurdles before The Full Monty came
05:36to life, starting with Channel 4 refusing to invest any more beyond the cost of the screenplay.
05:43They ran into more roadblocks from confusion surrounding the title to American executives
05:46not understanding British slang. Its woes didn't end once it was picked up. Robert Carlyle, who
05:51played Gaz, hated it so much that even he predicted it would fail.
05:59Fox searchlights seemed to agree as they planned to send it straight to video. Everyone's tune
06:03changed once it hit theaters. Not only was it beloved by viewers and critics, it made nearly
06:07$258 million against a $3.5 million budget. It even went up against Titanic for best picture
06:12at that year's Oscars, showing everyone who doubted it just how wrong they were.
06:215. Clerks
06:22Director and Silent Bob actor Kevin Smith was so committed to realizing his vision that
06:26he made the entire thing on his own.
06:34Unfortunately, the only way to do this was by signing up for, and maxing out, several
06:38credit cards, along with hiring his friends and filming at stores he used to work for.
06:41All of that time, money, and effort amounted to an empty screening at the independent feature
06:45film market. Just when it seemed Clerks was a goner, producer Bob Hawke helped get it to
06:49Sundance, where it was acquired by Miramax.
06:51Everyone laughed loud and long, at all the right times and all the right places. Lines
06:56were lost in the laughter. It felt great. It felt that even if we never got picked up,
07:01the $27,000 was worth it alone. All in all, an excellent day.
07:05With proper backing and a huge name in Hollywood co-signing them, it ended up grossing over
07:09$4 million globally.
07:11Oh, what? What's with you, man? You haven't said anything for like 20 minutes. What the
07:14hell's your problem?
07:16This life.
07:17This life?
07:18Why do I have this life?
07:19It also amassed a notable cult following and became so popular that it spawned an unlikely
07:23franchise and cinematic universe featuring characters from the original.
07:27It's not even supposed to be here today.
07:29Number 4. Halloween.
07:30Unfortunately, scary movies seem to have higher hurdles to clear while getting made.
07:34Take Saw, for example. Despite becoming one of the most lucrative horror sagas of the 21st
07:37century, it was initially passed up by Australian studios for two years before being picked up
07:41in the United States. Decades beforehand, Halloween experienced pitfalls of its own.
07:45That's right. Michael Myers' origin story was only given about $300,000,
07:49a remarkably low budget for the era.
07:51I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked
07:56up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply
08:01evil.
08:02The financial constraints made it difficult to cast and shoot, with several actors receiving
08:06low pay and props being created from pre-owned or cheap items. There were also fears that
08:10director John Carpenter, then new to the craft, would fail. Those fears evaporated once it became a hit,
08:15both financially and culturally.
08:16This taught me a great deal about the power of word of mouth because we had very little
08:22money to spend on advertising, and nobody knew who this picture was.
08:25It made an astounding $70 million opening worldwide, becoming the most successful independent film of
08:30its time. It also left an impact on the genre, with it popularizing slasher flicks and creating
08:34tropes that are still seen today. Not to mention it has its own huge series that spanned over 40 years.
08:39What's the boogeyman?
08:46As a matter of fact, it was.
08:49Number 3. El Mariachi
08:51Although Robert Rodriguez had plenty of hits in his catalog now, there was once a time where his
08:55projects didn't even bat an eye. Take his debut, 1992's El Mariachi. It follows Azul, a man struggling
09:01with a case of mistaken identity gone terribly wrong.
09:03Who are you?
09:05I'm a musician.
09:07What have you here?
09:09Armas?
09:10Pistolas?
09:11Navajas?
09:12My guitar.
09:13Despite the promising premise, Rodriguez only had about $9,000 to make it. This meant having
09:18to make cuts, including skipping traditional film equipment, having actors serve as the crew,
09:22and leaving mistakes in the final edit.
09:23Okay, this is how you get five shots in one take. Basically, I shoot his first line of dialogue
09:28here in the wide. Then I zoom in for his second line, which is a little more threatening.
09:33All in all, he spent $7,225. Besides his financial constraints, El Mariachi was slated to go straight
09:39to video and be limited to Mexico. Unexpectedly, higher-ups at Columbia liked it so much that
09:43they put in $200,000 to clean it up, and millions more to take it to theaters.
09:47Buenos dias. Ten esto.
09:49Their intuition was proven right. It went on to win several awards and even be selected by the Library
09:54of Congress in 2011. Considering where it started, the fact that it ended on such a high note
09:58is nothing short of a Hollywood miracle.
10:08Number 2. The Blair Witch Project.
10:10Some movies serve as proof that you don't need to be a professional to succeed.
10:14Few have proven that more than The Blair Witch Project.
10:29Considering the screenplay contained no dialogue, the main character filming had no knowledge of cameras
10:34and the ending was thought of literally days before it was shot. To say the creators were going in blind
10:38is an understatement. They also had limited funds, which ended up working in their favor due to the
10:42found footage style.
10:43You really don't have it? One of you is thought to have the map.
10:49No, I don't have the map. We gave it back to you after map check yesterday. You've always had the
10:53map.
10:54Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez clearly didn't have the high hopes that it would be a smash success,
10:59given that their biggest hope was that it would be shown on cable.
11:01The Sundance Film Festival changed everything. It was acquired by artists and entertainment.
11:05As such, their budget ballooned in size and they were able to pull off a genius online marketing strategy.
11:09I just wanted the website to just kind of be this investigative website that basically treated this case as if
11:18it were real.
11:19And I think that's what people dug in.
11:21It's shaped up to be an immense victory for the small team. It made over 4,000 times its original
11:26costs
11:26and went on to popularize the found footage format, cementing its cultural legacy for decades to come.
11:41Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
11:45All of your favorite videos in one place, 24-7. Always on, always live.
11:50Are you not entertained?
11:531. Rocky
11:54It makes sense that the ultimate underdog movie would be about a literal one.
11:57So out of total abject failure and everything I did in my life, I thought,
12:02hmm, if I could put this on the page, maybe other people identify with it.
12:06Sylvester Stallone wrote the initial script for Rocky in just a few days,
12:09and he knew right away that he had a hit on his hands.
12:11Can I ask you a question?
12:13Absolutely.
12:16Why do you want to fight?
12:17Because I can't sing or dance.
12:19Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with him.
12:21The film, which follows an amateur boxer training to fight a pro,
12:24was initially selected to air on television.
12:26However, there was a major caveat. Someone else had to write it.
12:29Stallone was appalled by this and even went so far as to give the money back in exchange for the
12:32rights.
12:33Then there was the issue of casting.
12:34Stallone planned to cast himself, a then unknown actor, as Rocky,
12:38which led to several buyers turning it down as a result.
12:40Hey, yo, Paul, who cared about me yesterday, huh? Nobody.
12:43So I just think I'm going to train myself, you know?
12:46It was eventually picked up by United Artists, who projected it would fail horribly.
12:50Nevertheless, Stallone persisted.
12:51It's a good thing he did, considering the final result.
12:53I love you!
12:55I love you!
12:55I love you!
12:56Not only did Rocky become a critical and commercial hit,
12:59it also won three Oscars and inspired a franchise that is made over a billion worldwide.
13:09Which underdog movie do you think overcame the biggest odds?
13:12Let us know in the comments below.
13:13I love you!
13:15We'll see you next time.
13:16Oh, no!
13:18Like that, we'll see you next time.
13:18We'll see you next time.
13:18Go!
13:18You're welcome!
13:18Go!
13:18Go!