Mila Kunis Reveals When The Jupiter Ascending Crew Knew That The Movie Would Bomb
Lilly and Lana Wachowski have done some incredible things in the world of cinema, producing numerous mainstream blockbusters and cult classics in their time. "The Matrix" saga, "V for Vendetta," "Speed Racer," and more came into being and found some measure of success under their direction. However, that's not to say that their collective track record is entirely spotless. Like virtually every other creator out there, the Wachowski sisters have their share of productions that turned in disappointing performances critically, financially, or, in some rare instances, both. Case in point: the 2015 flop "Jupiter Ascending."
On paper, "Jupiter Ascending" sounds like a film with potential. Mila Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones, who lives a rather mundane life until she learns of her greater significance. What ensues is an adventure through the cosmos alongside the fierce warrior Caine Wise (Channing Tatum) as Jupiter discovers her true destiny. Despite this interesting plot that quickly becomes too complicated for its own good, "Jupiter Ascending" proved nothing short of a critical and box office bomb when it reached theaters. With that, any chance the film had at becoming the next big space opera was dashed as it quickly fell into obscurity.
While some may wonder why "Jupiter Ascending" failed, the star of the film herself, Mila Kunis, as well as many others involved in the film, knew early on that things wouldn't go well for it.
Budget cuts did a number on Jupiter Ascending early on
Mila Kunis recently appeared on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast and touched on the unsavory fate of "Jupiter Ascending." Surprisingly, most involved saw the film's failure coming from a mile away, regardless of how hard they worked to make it a success. The main culprit? Budget cuts. "When did we know [the movie would flop]? Before we started production, because our production got slashed in half," Kunis said, pointing out how much of a difference that lost money would've made in the long run. Nevertheless, the studio's decision to slash the movie's allowance hurt it tremendously.
Whether you love it or hate it, it's a shame that "Jupiter Ascending" couldn't find its footing. After all, everyone involved put their best foot forward given the financial circumstances, and it's too bad their efforts didn't pay off. Although, maybe it's a good thing it didn't become a hit worthy of a sequel or two, bearing in mind just how hectic the on-set atmosphere apparently was. "'Jupiter Ascending' was a nightmare from the jump. It was a sideways movie. All of us were there for seven months, busting our hump. It was just tough," Channing Tatum told Variety in an interview.
All in all, "Jupiter Ascending" couldn't quite get it right. It showed promise, but between the budget cuts and the tumultuous production, it was fighting an uphill battle from the start.