In 1997, Kevin Costner’s The Postman flopped onerous. An $80M gamble, it pulled in simply $20M, leaving Costner and Warner Bros. nursing a field workplace wound no plot twist may heal.
The Postman was set in a world ravaged by the collapse of civilization. Costner performed a drifter who stumbles upon a skeleton in a mail truck, takes up the mailman’s mantle, and begins delivering letters for a “new authorities” he simply made up. It’s a basic case of the lie turning into actuality, with folks believing that Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera was nonetheless displaying in post-apocalyptic New York whereas they scrounged for meals in a “three-year winter.” What may presumably go fallacious? Nicely, the whole lot.
The movie’s lackluster field workplace efficiency wasn’t the one downside. There have been big leaps in time that may’ve made any viewer scratch their head. Costner would arrive in a city, after which—shock!—weeks or months had handed, however the narrative didn’t really feel proper. By the ultimate battle, Basic Bethlehem doesn’t even acknowledge the hero—an excessive amount of time confusion and a boring, dragging storyline.
And but, there was Waterworld, Costner’s earlier high-budget catastrophe, ready within the shadows. Waterworld price a jaw-dropping $175M, a quantity that made the GDP of some international locations look tiny. Regardless of incomes $264 million worldwide, it was thought of a missed alternative. However the actual punch to Costner’s profession got here when The Postman flopped even tougher, this time with a a lot smaller funds. It turned out to be a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions.
A lot has been made about Costner placing his money into The Postman. After the failure of Waterworld, he believed within the movie sufficient to speculate a few of his personal cash to finish the manufacturing. However as a substitute of reaping the rewards like he did with Dances with Wolves—which made $424 million on a $22 million funds—The Postman delivered an epic fail.
For context, Costner additionally poured tens of millions into smaller initiatives, like Black or White, which doubled its funding. However The Postman was a special beast, turning into a monetary black gap.
The movie’s catastrophe wasn’t simply monetary; it was cultural. It was a uncommon time when administrators nonetheless had leeway to make big-budget dangers, and studios didn’t totally perceive how a lot oversight was required. The Postman got here out post-Waterworld, so Warner Bros. wouldn’t quickly hand out Dune-like budgets for the same style. This was a film with no online game, motion determine line, or comedian collection to assist it survive within the broader media panorama.
Ultimately, Costner’s The Postman couldn’t compete with tighter, extra profitable blockbusters of the time. The film was a sluggish, disjointed mess—a product of the ’90s Hollywood gamble tradition the place massive names may push massive budgets even after failure.
Observe: Field workplace numbers are primarily based on estimates and varied sources. Numbers haven’t been independently verified by Koimoi.
For extra such tales, try Hollywood Information
Should Learn: Jake Gyllenhaal’s Hilariously Awkward ‘Lord of the Rings’ Audition That Made Peter Jackson Facepalm—Right here’s Why
Comply with Us: Fb | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Google Information