Chris Pine’s directorial debut, POOLMAN, seems to be causing havoc, potentially sinking his still-nascent career behind the camera. This comes on the heels of Pine’s starring role in one of the year’s most astonishing successes, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and just ahead of his participation in Disney’s 100th-anniversary festivities with Wish. Unfortunately, it appears that Pine has hit a significant stumbling block with his maiden directorial effort.
In this film, which Pine not only directed but also penned and produced, we delve into the tale of Darren Barrenman, a pool cleaner who stumbles upon a shadowy conspiracy and embarks on a mission to rescue his city. The ensemble cast boasts stellar names like Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Ariana DeBose, Jennifer Jason Leigh, DeWanda Wise, Ray Wise, Juliet Mills, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Clancy Brown.
Chris Pine’s Directorial Debut Hit With Bad Reviews
Chris Pine’s debut as a director is generating such overwhelmingly negative reviews that it allegedly led to “walkouts” during its premiere, marking a rather tumultuous start to his directorial journey. Following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, POOLMAN made its debut on Rotten Tomatoes with a lackluster score of 25% based on a mere dozen reviews.
While there’s still room for improvement as more reviews roll in, including audience feedback once the film hits theaters, it’s safe to say that Chris Pine’s directorial career isn’t off to the most auspicious start. Now, the film stands at 20% with 20 reviews.
Not everyone can have their bradley cooper moment
— kyles (@kyliejenIove) September 23, 2023
So it’s a directorial debut disaster
— VINEETH𓃵🦖 (@sololoveee) September 24, 2023
It doesn’t get much worse than that
— Emmy (@Emmmyalluu) September 23, 2023
When it comes to the initial reviews of any film, there’s always a glimmer of hope that the majority will offer some positive words, providing the movie with a fighting chance among audiences. However, for Chris Pine’s POOLMAN, the start couldn’t have been more challenging.
While Chris Pine basked in the success of his role in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, it appears that his directorial venture, POOLMAN, won’t be making a splash at the box office. Instead, it might find itself sinking to the depths. Previously, Pine revealed that the concept for the film struck him during his involvement in Wonder Woman 1984, which hit theaters in 2020.
Chris Pine Badly Wants To Return To This Franchise
Chris Pine shot to stardom when he graced the screen as Lord Nicholas Devereaux in the 2004 film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. The actor is all set to make a comeback in the upcoming third installment of the series. When asked by Entertainment Tonight about his interest in returning to the franchise, Pine expressed his excitement.
Pine told Entertainment Tonight:
“Yeah. I’m here. I’m here for it. Give me a phone call or an e-mail.”
Initially, Pine’s character started out as a rival to Mia Thermopolis, but as the story unfolded, he evolved into a romantic interest. The forthcoming movie will be a continuation of the story rather than a fresh start or reboot.
POOLMAN was released on 11th September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Source: Twitter, Entertainment Tonight
