Close Menu
NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Subscribe
    NERDBOT
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Movies & TV
    • Comics
    • Gaming
    • Collectibles
    • Science & Tech
    • Culture
    • Nerd Voices
    • About Us
      • Join the Team at Nerdbot
    NERDBOT
    Home»Movies»‘Dark Phoenix’ Director Blames Himself For Film’s Weak Performance
    Movies

    ‘Dark Phoenix’ Director Blames Himself For Film’s Weak Performance

    Rick CeballosBy Rick CeballosJune 16, 20193 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    Few movie franchises have had as many ups and downs as Fox’s X-Men series. The first film helped jumpstart the superhero crazy all the way back in 2000. Since then, there have been just as many good sequels (X2, First Class, Logan) as bad ones (Wolverine: Origins, Apocalypse). The latest film in the series Dark Phoenix ended up being something of a swan song for the series now that Fox has been bought up by Disney.

    Now that Marvel/Disney has control of the characters again, they are free to completely ignore what came before and forge a new version that fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since Dark Phoenix was being made in the middle of this transition, there was a lot of speculation whether audiences would care about another film in a series that was pretty clearly ending abruptly. Especially since the movie is essentially a remake of X3: The Last Stand which is roundly seen as one of the worst X-Men movies. Turns out, people didn’t care and largely skipped Dark Phoenix where it debuted with the lowest box office in the entire franchise.

    While the reaction is disappointing, it is rare for anyone involved with the movie to talk about the reaction so soon after release. However, writer/director Simon Kinberg did just that when interviewed by The Business podcast for radio station KCRW by putting all the blame on himself. Kinberg has been associated with the X-Men films for a long time, having been a writer and producer for the series since X3. In the interview, Kinberg said that as the director, he is the final word on how the movie turns out and is solely responsible if people don’t like it.

    While that is a noble position, it also downplays what Deadline reported as a labored production for Dark Phoenix, which had multiple release date push backs and rewrites during production. Since Fox was in the middle of being bought out by Disney, there were many different executives and marketing people involved who had different ideas one what the movie should be. Apparently, the film was supposed to actually be two films but was then condensed into one, which shows how much had to be crammed into this movie.

    All in all, the biggest problem for Dark Phoenix is that it left many people thinking “who cares?”. Everyone knows that Marvel is going to come out with their own version of the X-Men in the coming years. This movie just felt like a rehash of ideas that have already been seen and mattered little given that a remake is assuredly going to happen. The saddest part is that we still have one more movie in the franchise that is going to suffer a similar fate. New Mutants is still sitting around after having been finished last year and may not even get a theatrical release date. The whole thing deflates the legacy that X-Men should rightly hold as the franchise that got general audiences to care about superhero movies. It certainly wasn’t the first, or the best, but our franchise obsessed culture owes a ton to X-Men and it is a damn shame it ended the way it did.

    Do You Want to Know More?

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleJason Momoa Gives Us All a Father’s Day Gift in the Form of a Short Video
    Next Article “Field of Dreams” Returns to Theaters in Special Showings
    Rick Ceballos
    • X (Twitter)

    Related Posts

    Tom Cruise on top of London’s BFI Imax cinema

    Tom Cruise Spotted on Roof of London’s BFI IMAX

    May 12, 2025

    Cameras to Roll on “Highlander” Reboot this September

    May 9, 2025

    Cameras are Rolling on “Godzilla X Kong: Supernova”

    May 9, 2025
    "Evil Dead Rise"

    “Evil Dead” Sequel Lands Release Date

    May 8, 2025

    “Thunderbolts*” Director Jake Schreier Being Eyed for X-Men Film

    May 8, 2025

    Francis Lawrence’s “The Long Walk” Drops its First Trailer

    May 7, 2025
    • Latest
    • News
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Reviews

    “The Story of Spinal Tap” Book Coming Ahead of Sequel Film!

    May 13, 2025

    Jessica Jones Confirmed for “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2

    May 13, 2025

    Six Sigma Green Belt Certification: Building Strong Foundations in Quality Management

    May 13, 2025

    Relapse in the Spotlight: How Celebrities Handle Public Recovery Setbacks

    May 13, 2025

    “The Story of Spinal Tap” Book Coming Ahead of Sequel Film!

    May 13, 2025

    How to Use Tetris for PTSD Recovery: A Science-Backed Guide

    May 7, 2025

    Funko Announces Price Increases Due to…Reasons

    May 6, 2025
    A Million Lives Book Festival

    Authors Lose Thousands at Failed ‘A Million Lives Book Festival’

    May 6, 2025
    Tom Cruise on top of London’s BFI Imax cinema

    Tom Cruise Spotted on Roof of London’s BFI IMAX

    May 12, 2025

    Cameras to Roll on “Highlander” Reboot this September

    May 9, 2025

    Cameras are Rolling on “Godzilla X Kong: Supernova”

    May 9, 2025
    "Evil Dead Rise"

    “Evil Dead” Sequel Lands Release Date

    May 8, 2025

    Jessica Jones Confirmed for “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2

    May 13, 2025

    “Alien: Earth” Gets New Images, August Release Date

    May 13, 2025

    “The Office” Spinoff “The Paper” Gets Fall 2025 Release

    May 12, 2025
    "Ted," 2024

    Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted” Gets Animated Series, Teaser

    May 9, 2025

    “Friendship” The Funniest Movie I Couldn’t Wait to End [review]

    May 3, 2025

    “Thunderbolts*” Surprisingly Emotional Therapy Session for Anti-Heroes

    May 3, 2025

    “Sinners” is Sexy, Boozy, Bloody, Bluesy, and Amazing [Review]

    April 18, 2025

    “The Legend of Ochi” Cute Puppets, But No Magic [Review]

    April 16, 2025
    Check Out Our Latest
      • Product Reviews
      • Reviews
      • SDCC 2021
      • SDCC 2022
    Related Posts

    None found

    NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Nerdbot is owned and operated by Nerds! If you have an idea for a story or a cool project send us a holler on [email protected]

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.