Buzz
In a particularly shrewd maneuver within the film industry, large companies occasionally fund their own movies or leverage their considerable influence behind the scenes of major studio productions, essentially turning films into extended commercials.
However, creating a movie designed to sell more than just tickets often results in catastrophe. Whether due to dismal box office performance, scathing reviews, or a twist of fate that disrupts the production, these thinly disguised ads become forgotten blunders in cinematic history.
10. The Internship - Google
While Google didn’t explicitly instruct the creators of The Internship to craft a narrative that distracts from their data mining practices, their heavy involvement in the film’s production made it feel as though they were co-directors.
During the filmmaking process, Kyle Ewing, Google’s global staffing lead, provided insights into the operations of the massive Internet company. Google staff contributed to the movie’s end credits and even inserted specific lines of dialogue. Additionally, the production team was granted permission to shoot scenes at Google’s headquarters without incurring any licensing or location costs.
Google’s leadership had the opportunity to review the script and the final version of the film before its release. They even managed to have a scene—featuring Google’s self-driving car crashing—cut from the final edit.
Google also reportedly influenced the film’s marketing strategy, which likely explains why the movie’s poster resembled a Google homepage altered by enthusiastic fans of Wedding Crashers.
In fact, The Internship attempted to capitalize on the enduring popularity of Wedding Crashers, a risqué comedy starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. However, Google declined to associate its brand with an R-rated comedy, resulting in the film being toned down to a PG-13 rating.
An R-rated version was later released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it was too late. The Internship performed poorly at the box office, proving that audiences weren’t willing to pay to watch a two-hour advertisement for Google.
9. Leonard Part 6 - The Coca-Cola Company
Before Bill Cosby’s offscreen misconduct came to light, he was adored as the quintessential TV father. His sitcom, The Cosby Show, is hailed as the most popular TV series of the 1980s, credited with opening doors for other African American-centered shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and In Living Color.
At the peak of his career, Cosby’s charming, paternal humor should have translated seamlessly into film success. However, his 1987 movie, Leonard Part 6, turned into a catastrophe, much like a Chinese cameraman trying to keep up with Usain Bolt.
Leonard Part 6 was distributed by Columbia Pictures, which was owned by The Coca-Cola Company at the time. The 1970s were challenging for the beverage giant, and its purchase of Columbia Pictures aimed to diversify its marketing strategies.
A film featuring Cosby, who had starred in several 1980s Coke ads, seemed like an ideal project for Coca-Cola. Had he only acted in the film instead of co-writing and producing this disastrous project, it might have been just another forgettable 1980s movie rather than being labeled one of the worst films in history.
The story revolves around a retired spy (Cosby) who is called back into action to save the world once more. The title, Leonard Part 6, is a nod to the fictional parts 1–5, which are supposedly too classified to be revealed. This likely explains why the movie remains obscure.
Amid the cringe-worthy humor, the Coca-Cola logo is prominently displayed throughout the film. Following the failure of Ishtar, another notorious Columbia Pictures disaster, Coca-Cola sold the studio to Sony in 1989. Cosby, meanwhile, shifted his focus back to television for the rest of the decade.
8. Mac And Me - McDonald’s
Mac And Me epitomizes uninspired filmmaking at its worst. Similar to Leonard Part 6, this blatant imitation of ET is often cited as one of the most terrible films in cinematic history.
Mac and Me was entirely bankrolled by McDonald’s, and the fast-food giant made no effort to conceal its involvement. Ronald McDonald introduces the trailer with an unsettlingly cheerful demeanor.
The story revolves around an alien named Mac, who crash-lands on Earth with his family. After being separated from his parents, Mac befriends a boy named Eric, sparking a journey filled with blatant product placements. McDonald’s branding is prominently featured, and the film also promotes other brands like Coke and Skittles, which are the only items Mac consumes.
Beyond its shameless marketing efforts, Mac and Me failed both financially and critically for numerous reasons. The alien designs—featuring bulging eyes and puckered lips—are unappealing, and the plot is disjointed and uninspired. Scenes like Ronald McDonald dancing with children in a McDonald’s restaurant further cemented the film’s fate as a disaster.
The notoriety of Mac and Me persists, partly due to its recurring mention on the American talk show Conan. A running joke involves Paul Rudd repeatedly showing the same clip from the movie during his appearances, a fitting tribute to this cynical attempt at commercial filmmaking.
7. Somers Town - Eurostar
As Hollywood studios increasingly rely on product placements and corporate partnerships to offset rising production costs, independent films might appear to uphold artistic integrity. However, even indie cinema isn’t immune to corporate influence, as demonstrated by the 2008 film Somers Town.
Somers Town was born in a Eurostar boardroom. The train company spearheaded the project to promote their new high-speed route connecting Paris and London.
Initially planned as a 20-minute short, Somers Town expanded into a full-length feature after Shane Meadows, the renowned director of This Is England, lent his indie credibility to Eurostar. Unlike many films on this list, it received critical acclaim and became an awards favorite.
Thomas Turgoose, one of the lead actors, earned multiple best actor awards. At the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the film won the Michael Powell Award for best new British feature, the festival’s top honor.
Despite its accolades, Somers Town failed to gain traction. It had a minimal release, with only one screen in the U.S., which couldn’t recoup the film’s £500,000 budget. In the UK, it earned just £121,500 during its opening weekend.
Somers Town found its niche as a film festival favorite but struggled to reach a broader audience. Its primary viewers were festival-goers—wealthy individuals more familiar with air travel than train journeys.
6. Foodfight! - Various Food And Kitchen Products
Originally set for a 2002 release, Threshold Entertainment’s Foodfight! aimed to be the next Toy Story, with CEO Larry Kasanoff boldly claiming the company would become “the next-generation Pixar.” Needless to say, that vision never materialized.
The screenplay for Foodfight! drew inspiration from Toy Story, but instead of toys, it featured food and kitchen product mascots like Mr. Clean and Twinkie the Kid coming to life. After all, children adore cleaning product mascots just as much as their toys, right?
Kasanoff was convinced of this. After securing a $50 million production budget, Threshold Entertainment approached several prominent kitchen brands. By promising extensive advertising, they persuaded these brands to contribute $100 million for the film’s promotional campaign.
Two years of negotiations were spent deciding what the brand mascots could do on-screen. For instance, McKee Foods vetoed a scene where a Threshold-created character catcalled Little Debbie, one of their mascots.
Foodfight! missed its 2002 release due to an alleged theft at Threshold Entertainment’s Santa Monica office, where hard drives containing all the film’s data were stolen. Production resumed after securing an additional $20 million, and a new release date was set for 2005. However, Threshold failed to meet release deadlines for the next three years.
The film featured an early 2000s all-star cast, including Charlie Sheen, Eva Longoria, and Hilary Duff, who had already recorded their lines. It even received a PG rating, confirming that a version of the movie existed. So, what caused the repeated delays?
Much of the blame lies with Kasanoff. Despite having no directing experience, he took on the role himself. After the alleged theft, he switched the animation style from traditional squash and stretch to motion capture, creating tension with the animators. His vague directions, like “more awesome” and “30 percent better,” only worsened the situation.
Threshold Entertainment eventually defaulted on a loan, prompting their insurance company to step in and complete the film as quickly and cheaply as possible. In 2012, Foodfight! finally limped onto DVD with animation that looked outdated even for early PlayStation standards.
5. Green Lantern - Mattel
It’s no shock that toy companies get involved in comic book movies. Superhero films, which depict larger-than-life heroes, naturally appeal to children who fuel toy sales. Yet, few companies have exploited this connection as blatantly as Mattel did with the 2011 film Green Lantern.
From the outset of Green Lantern’s production, Mattel’s designers collaborated with the film’s team to create gadgets and vehicles that could seamlessly transition from the big screen to toy stores. One scene, where the Green Lantern constructs a luminous energy path to save a crashing helicopter, feels like a Hot Wheels commercial.
Mattel, which owns Hot Wheels, released a Green Lantern-themed Hot Wheels toy a year before the movie hit theaters. The company boldly incorporated the film’s sequence into the toy’s ad campaign, ensuring the connection between the movie and the toy was unmistakable.
However, Green Lantern failed miserably, resulting in an estimated $90 million loss for Warner Brothers. The film’s poor performance also delayed the launch of the DC movie universe, which was intended to begin with Green Lantern.
Following the movie’s critical and commercial failure, plans for this version of the DC universe were abandoned. Instead, the franchise was rebooted with 2013’s Man Of Steel, a film free from overt Hot Wheels product placements.
4. Act Of Valor - US Navy
The 2012 action film Act of Valor featured real Navy SEALs instead of professional actors, marking a significant step in the military’s ongoing collaboration with Hollywood. The project originated within the Pentagon, commissioned by the Navy’s Special Warfare Command as a recruitment tool designed to compete with major Hollywood productions.
Upon its release, Act of Valor faced criticism for leaning more toward propaganda than entertainment. Critics, including David L. Robb, author of Operation Hollywood, and Tricia Jenkins, author of The CIA in Hollywood, argued that the film nearly breached US laws prohibiting government agencies from engaging in publicity and propaganda.
While the film performed moderately at the box office, it was harshly criticized for its implausible storyline and the stiff performances of the Navy SEALs. Even as a recruitment effort, it may have missed the mark. Time magazine noted that the most impactful scene was the funeral of a SEAL killed in action—likely not the image the Navy wanted audiences to take away.
3. United Passions - FIFA
United Passions—initially intended as a vanity project for FIFA—turned into a disaster for the scandal-plagued football organization. The film chronicles the journey of Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s 2015 president, and his predecessors as they navigated the organization through the challenges of the late 20th century.
As the primary financier of United Passions, FIFA covered 80 percent of the film’s $30 million budget. The production process was marked by clashes between director Frederic Auburtin and FIFA executives, including Blatter.
Auburtin accused FIFA of undermining his creative vision. The director claimed FIFA imposed a tight four-month deadline for the script and restricted certain narrative elements. A subplot involving a corruption probe was allegedly removed, and FIFA made final edits before the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Ironically, United Passions—a film celebrating the integrity of FIFA leaders—debuted in the US just days after seven FIFA officials were arrested on corruption charges, giving Americans yet another reason to ignore a soccer-themed movie.
United Passions became the lowest-grossing film in US history, earning a mere $918 at the box office. Overall, the film reportedly lost $26.8 million and was universally panned by critics, holding a 0 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
As for Sepp Blatter, he is currently under investigation by Swiss authorities for alleged criminal mismanagement of FIFA.
2. Need For Speed - Electronic Arts
Similar to toy companies, video game developer Electronic Arts (EA) grew frustrated with poorly executed film adaptations of their games. Instead of licensing Need for Speed, one of their most popular franchises, EA collaborated with director John Gatins to develop a movie based on the racing simulator.
Gatins took on the directing role and worked closely with EA to craft the film’s script. Unsurprisingly, critics lambasted Need for Speed for its one-dimensional characters and implausible storyline. The film’s lukewarm reception in the US led to its underperformance during the opening weekend.
However, the movie fared much better internationally, especially in China, where it fully recovered its $66 million budget. The disparity between its US failure and overseas success could spell trouble for American audiences. The planned sequel, developed with a Chinese film company, reflects a growing trend of Hollywood films tailored for international markets.
This emerging business approach may pose challenges for specific film genres, particularly comedy. American humor often fails to resonate in Asian markets. In recent years, comedies made up only 13 percent of releases from the four major studios, a significant decline from 2010, when the comedy genre represented one-third of studio output.
1. Battleship - Hasbro
Inspired by the massive success of the Transformers franchise—based on Hasbro’s line of plastic robots—Hasbro aimed to replicate this achievement with another of their licensed properties. As part of their agreement with Universal Studios, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner selected the game Battleship as the next property to be turned into a feature film.
Unlike Transformers, which had an established backstory, Battleship was based on a board game with no inherent narrative or characters. Undeterred, director Peter Berg transformed the game into a naval warfare film he had long envisioned. To align the game with Berg’s vision, Goldner arranged meetings between the director and game psychologists to clarify the “hook” of Battleship.
Once production began, Hasbro positioned themselves as the film’s producers. They even highlighted their involvement by featuring the company’s name in the Battleship trailer, referencing their previous cinematic triumphs. A new Battleship toy was also developed to coincide with the movie’s release.
Despite its explosive action sequences and state-of-the-art CGI, Battleship failed to make waves at the box office. Overshadowed by the monumental success of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, the film’s opening weekend performance was so dismal that it eclipsed Disney’s John Carter to claim the title of the worst US opening weekend flop relative to its budget.
