Buzz
Thankfully, filmmakers live by the timeless saying, "Persistence leads to success." Despite facing countless rejections, the creators of these eight movies persevered until they secured a studio willing to back their projects.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Roger Avary, co-writer of Pulp Fiction, credits Harvey and Bob Weinstein for ensuring the film's production. Without their intervention, John Travolta’s career revival might not have happened. Here’s how it unfolded when they pitched the script to TriStar:
“We submitted it, and the response was, ‘This is the worst script this studio has ever received. It’s terrible. It’s not humorous. It’s incoherent. A character dies, then comes back to life. What’s happening?’ Thankfully, Harvey and Bob Weinstein stepped in, securing the script and granting Quentin [Tarantino] full creative control. The script remained largely untouched, with only a few scenes trimmed during editing. Essentially, Quentin was given free rein to bring his vision to life exactly as he imagined it.”
2. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Columbia Pictures initially had the opportunity to produce Steven Spielberg’s iconic film about the adorable alien with a glowing fingertip, originally titled E.T. and Me, but they declined. The studio reportedly viewed the project as “too soft, like a Walt Disney film,” and let Universal take over. Columbia still benefited; their agreement with Universal granted them 5 percent of E.T.’s net profits. A Columbia executive later remarked that this small share earned them more than any of their own releases that year.
3. Back to the Future (1985)
Another missed opportunity for Columbia in the 1980s was rejecting Back to the Future for lacking sufficient sexual content. The script was then pitched to Disney, who deemed it too risqué, particularly the subplot involving a mother’s infatuation with her son. Universal eventually acquired the film after Robert Zemeckis, its co-writer and director, achieved success with Romancing the Stone. (Back to the Future later became the top-grossing film of 1985.)
4. Star Wars (1977)
Admittedly, pitching an “epic space opera” was a tough sell before Star Wars redefined the genre. United Artists, Universal, and Disney likely regretted their decision to decline the project after its success. Fox only agreed to finance it because they believed George Lucas had another hit like American Graffiti in him, viewing Star Wars as a gesture of goodwill to secure future collaborations.
5. Twilight (2008)
Regardless of personal opinions about the books, the Twilight franchise undeniably brought significant profits to Summit Entertainment. However, before they acquired it, the rights were initially sold to MTV and later to Paramount. After a script was developed, Paramount opted to sell the rights to another studio. “We pitched it to every studio, but everyone rejected it. Every single one,” producer Mark Morgan recalled. Had Paramount retained the project, the film would have been drastically different. “One draft featured a Korean FBI agent tracking vampires along the coast, with SWAT teams in the trees and a military-style approach. It would have been an entirely different movie.”
6. The Exorcist (1973)
Given its controversial nature, it’s no shock that The Exorcist faced numerous rejections. “I could line my bathroom walls with rejection letters,” William Peter Blatty, the author of both the screenplay and the novel, remarked. However, after Blatty’s impromptu appearance on The Dick Cavett Show due to a last-minute cancellation, the novel gained traction. Its rapid rise to bestseller status caught Warner Bros.’ attention.
What’s even more astonishing is that the film’s score was also rejected—by director William Friedkin. He disliked it so intensely that he reportedly threw composer Lalo Schifrin’s work out the window. Here’s a glimpse of what could have been:
7. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Today, Dumb and Dumber is celebrated for its memorable quotes, but initially, agents refused to present the script to studios, deeming the title too absurd. To spark interest, the Farrelly brothers briefly renamed it A Power Tool is Not a Toy, reverting to the original title after securing a buyer. Even after New Line Cinema agreed to produce it, the CEO insisted on casting two comedic actors from a list of 25 provided by the studio. (Spoiler: They didn’t, but the film was made regardless.)
8. Boogie Nights (1997)
Rarely do we get an insider’s view, but this document from Fox reveals their reasoning for rejecting Paul Thomas Anderson’s ambitious porn-themed film. They deemed the concept and plot “POOR,” with characterization and dialogue rated merely “FAIR.” Their final verdict: a firm “NO.”
