“I don’t have to do it”: The director of Robocop and Starship Troopers regretted that he had signed this science fiction film that was released 25 years ago

After a critical and commercial disaster of his film, which killed Elizabeth Berkeley’s career, Paul Verhoven signed two years later, in 1998, Starship troopers. It is understandable to say that during his release, the film’s biting and cruel twist, his satirical and anti -militarian speech, was not identified by all his viewers, even professionals.

Among the criticism, some have noted a charming film without the treatment used by Paul Verhoven (and without the remembrance of the filmmaker’s temperament …). New York Times spoke to the movie “Anxious and scary”…

The sanction was even more severe after the production budget was $ 105 million, the largest, the largest filmmaker ever, Starshipip Troopers announced only 54 million in the American territory and there were almost 121 million in the world box office.

As a result of these two painful consistent failures, Verhoeven needs commercial success. When Sony Pictures offers him a few days after leaving the project, which he developed on the famous Harry Hudin Illusionist, shot another scenario called Hollow Man: The Shadowless Man, the director receives for pragmatic reasons. It does not have “Dream Project” In mind and this will allow it to work again.

“I don’t make a movie I want to shoot”

This new variability around the invisible person will be a pure command film; But the filmmaker is not more enthusiastic than he did, as he charged Volkskrant in an interview in September 1999.

“I’m not making a movie at all I want to shoot. I am obviously for me. “

With some criticism of its special effects, which is also worth the Oscar quotation, Hollow Man, though many are reduced to his scenario. “Despite the special effects of wealth and Paul Verhoev. Write the Los Angeles Times. Boston Globe has released this little comment: “If it had been a cable television and a video circle, Hollow Man would remain invisible.”

“It was the first movie that I did and that I shouldn’t have done it”

The film will collect about $ 190 million in international cash registers; Not a triumph of the budget for $ 95 million. Extremely mixed results that will largely compensate for the film’s huge successfully renting circle and DVD purchase, as well as television broadcasts, which will bring more than $ 150 million to Sony.

The fact is that Hollow Man was a frustrated artistic experience for Verhoven Hollywood reporter In April 2013. “After Hollow Man, I decided that this was the first movie I made and that I didn’t have to do it. He returned the money, etc., but it wasn’t really.

I think many other people could do that. I don’t think a lot to reach Robocop This way, neither starship troopers. But for Hollow Man, I think there were probably 20 directors in Hollywood who could do it. Since 2002, I felt depressed. “

Hollow Man will be Paul Verhoven’s last film that returns to his hometown to sign a very big movie in 2006, Black Book.