David Schwimmer Rejected a $1 Billion Franchise for a Film That Barely Made $8 Mil

In the 90s, David Schwimmer was a huge celebrity thanks to his starring role in the record-breaking sitcom Friends, so Hollywood was eager to lure him into the world of true superstardom.

The actor himself didn't mind the offer, and he decided to try his luck with Miramax, starring in The Pallbearer with Gwyneth Paltrow and expecting a three-movie contract and a chance to direct later. That seemed like a pretty sweet deal at the time, but history proved that this decision was Schwimmer's biggest career mistake.

Infamously, The Pallbearer flopped, grossing only $8 million at the box office, but that didn't stop Miramax from allowing Schwimmer to fulfill his directing dreams and greenlight Since You've Been Gone. Schwimmer was given full control over the production of the comedy film and chose all of the actors himself.

However, during the pre-production of his movie, the actor received a rather tempting invitation to star in the upcoming blockbuster — Men In Black.

'About a month before… so we're in pre-production… about a month before production, I get the call about Men In Black. Which was a direct conflict with directing that film. I just said, "I can't. These are my closest friends in the world, this is their first shot at a movie, my first shot at directing. I can't push [the timeline of the film back] because I've gotta go back to work on Friends in the fall",' Schwimmer told The Hollywood Reporter.

And the rest is history. David Schwimmer decided not to take the opportunity to star in one of the most successful original franchises in Hollywood, instead choosing to direct a movie that no one even remembers anymore. But though this sounds like a huge lapse in the actor's judgment, we must point out that Schwimmer is still one of the richest actors out there, so he probably didn't mind telling this story as a joke, not a lament!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.