Retired actor, Bruce Willis has given chartbuster performances in several projects, thus becoming a household name in the entertainment world. Rising as a leading man in the Moonlighting series, he gained wider acclaim, emerging as an action hero through his association with the Die Hard franchise among others.
However, his glamorous career also has projects that he surely dislikes. The movie in question is none other than The Bonfire of the Vanities where he starred alongside another veteran actor, Tom Hanks.
Bruce Willis Felt The Bonfire of the Vanities Was Dead Even Before Its Release
Adapted from Tom Wolfe’s bestselling 1987 novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities starred a notable cast including Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman. However, it was ruthlessly scrutinized by the media and public with the Surrogates actor stating,
“It was stillborn, dead before it ever got out of the box. It was another film that was reviewed before it hit the screen. The critical media didn’t want to see a movie that cast the literary world in a shady light.”
He went as far as to claim that he would not work in it again, expressing his dislike of the movie.
“The only movie I would not do again, given the opportunity, is Bonfire of the Vanities.”
Not just that, he also went on to address that casting choice was one of the major issues that played a prevalent role in film criticism.
Bruce Willis Admitted He Was ‘Miscast’ in The Bonfire of the Vanities
Brian DePalma’s disastrous film ended up making the wrong impressions in everyone’s mind and much blame was put on the cast, especially the lead duo. It seemed like Willis was in total support of that notion. He continued to share that many pointed out the casting issue and even threw suggestions for his role.
“In the reviews, they were recasting the film. They were saying, ‘If we were doing this film, we would cast William Hurt instead of Tom Hanks,’ or whatever. Well, if you were doing the film, then that might mean you had some f–king talent and knew how to tell a story instead of writing about what other people are trying to do.”
Furthermore, he admitted that he was miscast and added that his co-stars also resonated with his thoughts.
“But they were right. I was miscast. I know that Tom Hanks thinks he was, too. The movie was based on a great book. But one problem with the story, when it came to the film, was that there was no one in it you could root for. In most successful movies, there’s someone to cheer on.”
The film was an utter disappointment, becoming a box-office bomb with an earning of just $15 million against its $47 million budget.
The Bonfire of the Vanities is available to stream on the Roku Channel.
Source: DavidSheff
