The world of fantasy Movies is wild! Some explode onto the scene, others... not so much. Timing is EVERYTHING, and a killer movie in one year might totally bomb in another. Let's dive into some flicks that would've slayed if they'd waited a decade for their big break.
Why Timing Matters in Fantasy Films
Fantasy films rely heavily on awesome visual effects (VFX) and the right cast to pull off that magical feel. But what happens if those VFX aren’t good enough or the public just isn't into the story?
Here's the deal: in just 10 years, movie tech, and what people are into, completely changes! Plus, some movie stories hit harder in specific times.
Comebacks and Reboots:
It's super common for Movies that didn’t do so hot on release to find new fans later, sometimes even getting reboots!
Here's the catch - movies that are based on books can end up super popular in another time period when that book series suddenly explodes in popularity again. And with movie studios making tons of reboots today, these not-so-hot flicks just might get another chance to shine!
Eragon (2006):
This film is based on Christopher Paolini's epic series Inheritance Cycle. It had amazing potential and there is an upcoming Disney+ series (via Variety) in the works! The special story is all about Eragon, a farm boy who finds a dragon egg that starts him on this journey against Galbatorix (played by John Malkovitch), a super-evil king.
While Eragon was an epic flop when released, that didn’t stop the book from continuing to garner fans. Those dragons weren't that great visually for that era! What does the future hold? We’re crossing our fingers that this Disney+ reboot nails it.
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 16%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 46%
The Black Cauldron (1985):
This is a Disney classic with an interesting and dark fairytale story that might have had a second life if it'd been released later! It starred John Hurt. There were a lot of problems behind-the-scenes as Disney struggled with budgeting! This led to lots of things not working out, including having some reused animation and changing the story to a "family friendly" movie instead of a more complex narrative.
However, it has some die-hard fans because its art is pretty darned unique! In an era of stronger fantasy-driven stories it may just capture a new set of fans!
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 54%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 48%
Inkheart (2008):
This was a cool fantasy adventure starring Brendan Fraser, based on Cornelia Funke's book. In this film, characters literally come to life from reading aloud! There was a compelling storyline but didn't capture audiences! While it never exploded onto the scene its time may still come around for audiences of this age. A lot of what was unique here may be captured if a reboot would lean further into the magical world and get an upgrade in the quality of the film itself.
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 38%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 45%
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005):
Based on C.S. Lewis's amazing fantasy world. This adaptation didn't do quite as well as expected! There are plenty of reasons why this might be the case. Harry Potter books exploded into popularity right around the same time making it so that a great magical story was pushed aside.
Even with those differences this magical, whimsical story could’ve capitalized on a larger fanbase had it debuted later. What happened? Another adaptation could do something much cooler!
- Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 75%
- Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 61%
There are many more fantasy movies that have really hit hard or didn’t become successes as they didn't really click with audiences but many of these movies could have changed and captured more popularity if the movie studios waited until later to release their productions.
