August
27
Babylon A.D.: Kassovitz on Warpath Against Fox
No matter how bad Babylon A.D is (here's Variety's pan of the full-length European version), it's usually not a good idea for a director to go negative on his own movie, especially when the studio's actually spending marketing bucks to support it. Suppose the movie does some business? Then you are really high and dry, without being able to claim credit for a hit.
Kassovitz is not only protesting Fox's trimmed version, which opens August 29 stateside, shorter by ten minutes. (Here's Variety's report.) He insists that Fox, which co-financed the picture with Studio Canal, interfered with production throughout. This was a personal project for him, pursued for five years.
Fox never makes it easy for filmmakers; the studio is notoriously hands-on, particularly with mainstream action fare like this. What did Kassovitz expect from a big-budget sci-fi actioner starring Vin Diesel? While I have some sympathy for Kassovitz, unless you are James Cameron or Steven Spielberg, when a movie climbs over $100 million, you give away a lot of control. "They don't give a shit," Kassovitz told amctv.com.
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If I spent 5 years trying to get a movie made, then the studio interfered, re-cut it and turned it into crap that's rating a 00% at Rotten Tomatoes...
...I'd disown it too.
Posted by: Mr. Milich | August 27, 2008 at 10:46 AM
I wouldn't say that Fox is "spending marketing bucks to support it". I can't recall seeing a single one sheet or promos for the film in print or on TV so date
Posted by: Sergio | August 27, 2008 at 03:17 PM