The Great Wall: a widely criticized blockbuster
Published in 2016, The Great Wall is a Sino-American co-production directed by Zhang Yimou. This epic fantasy film tells the story of European mercenaries, played by Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal, who discover that the Great Wall of China was built to repel not only human invaders, but also monstrous creatures. With a budget of approx $150 millionthe film aimed to conquer the global market.
Despite great expectations, The Great Wall it was a critical and commercial failure. The film grossed approximately $335 million worldwide, which is disappointing considering the large production budget and additional marketing costs. In the United States, it only grossed $45 milliona sum much lower than expected. In China, where it was expected to attract large audiences due to its nature and casting, results were also mixed, grossing $171 million (this was, however, the highest rating for the film). According to estimates by The Hollywood journalistthe film would have lost investors $75 million, putting future Sino-American co-productions at risk.
Matt Damon has regrets about his participation
In an interview with the WTF podcast in 2021 (via ScreenRant), Matt Damon had expressed regret for his participation in the film The Great Wall. He even called the film an absolute “disaster” and confided that he knew the film would fail anyway who was still filming it and I hoped I would never have to experience that feeling again:
I said to myself, “This is exactly how disasters happen.” This doesn’t hold up. It doesn’t work like a movie. I think it’s the worst creative feeling you can have. I hope to never experience this again.
If he hadn’t specifically mentioned it The Great Wallreplied Matt Damon, during an interview with The Independent in 2023, during a very difficult recovery for him, where he “fell into depression”. He then confided that at that moment he had the feeling that the film would not meet expectations, but that he had committed himself and had “uprooted his family”. Given that the feature film was largely shot in China, there is no doubt about it.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
