John Wick and 4 Other Cult Movies That Flopped in Test Screenings
Who would have thought?
Test screenings are an integral, but only a small part of a long, large-scale movie production. Sometimes, however, they can be crucial.
Some directors completely re-shoot the endings of their films and change the storylines, sometimes the movie benefits from this. But sometimes the opposite happens – the creators stand their ground, despite the criticism of the test group, and then receive worldwide recognition.
1. A Quiet Place, 2018
A Quiet Place was John Krasinski's directorial debut and one of the most intense horror films with an original plot. Alien monsters that react to sound come to Earth and destroy half of humanity. The plot centers on a family trying to survive in a world where any mistake can cost them their lives.
Test screenings of movies with unfinished visual effects are always a risky move, and A Quiet Place was no exception. The first audiences saw John Krasinski in a gray motion-capture suit instead of scary monsters, causing more laughter than fear.
Realizing the mistake, the team decided to finish the movie before showing it again. Fans still ask Krasinski to show the same version with monsters in his form, but the director says that will definitely not happen.
2. John Wick, 2014
Chad Stahelski not only gave Keanu Reeves a new wave of success, he also created one of the most iconic franchises of our time. John Wick tells the story of a former assassin who takes up arms again to avenge the death of his dog.
Surprisingly, test screenings of the film organized for the most loyal audience – friends, family and loved ones of the creators – turned out to be a failure. The first viewers could not get into the story of the main character and also complained about the excessive abundance of action.
But Stahelski and his team refused to compromise and released the movie in its original form. The rest is history that has spawned several high-profile sequels.
3. Blade Runner, 1982
Blade Runner is considered one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. Former Replicant hunter Rick Deckard sets out to stop a gang of androids who have escaped from a space colony to Earth. In the process, everything he knew before is called into question.
It turns out that the test group criticized the movie for being too slow, the ending was confusing and the plot was chaotic. In response, the director added a voiceover from Deckard's point of view and changed the ending to a more optimistic one.
As a result, several versions of the movie exist today, including the director's version, each telling the story in its own way.
4. Se7en, 1995
David Fincher has had many successes in his career, but the movie Se7en, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, stands out from the rest.
The plot follows two detectives on the hunt for one of the most dangerous serial killers in history. The movie has many unexpected twists, including one of the most shocking in movie history.
The test screenings were not without criticism of such a brutal ending. Audiences demanded something softer and lighter, but fortunately Pitt and Fincher ignored the request – as it turned out, the actor agreed to the role precisely because of the final scene.
5. Goodfellas, 1990
The film tells the story of the rise of gangster Henry Hill, who, along with his accomplices Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, commits robberies and murders.
An impressive cast, including Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and a meticulous look at the world of gangsters make the movie truly vivid. However, not all viewers were ready for such frankness.
During the famous scene with Billy Batts, test audiences left the theater one by one, shocked by the level of violence. Despite the producers' concerns, Scorsese compromised and softened some moments. The result was six Oscar nominations and the status of a classic of world cinema.