Kevin Costner had already been cut from two films. Then his first big break was buried by Hollywood
Kevin Costner’s early acting career included two films from which his scenes were cut, before he landed the lead role in *Fandango*. The film could have been his major breakthrough, but Warner Bros delayed and limited its release, leaving it largely unseen at the time.
Released in New York and Los Angeles in 1985, *Fandango* earned under $50,000 across 27 cinemas and grossed less than $100,000 against a $7 million budget. Costner said he never considered quitting and argued that the story of being cut from early films had been exaggerated. The film later became a cult classic, earned praise from Quentin Tarantino, and began Costner’s creative partnership with director Kevin Reynolds.
In short
- Costner’s lead role in *Fandango* failed to launch his career at the time.
- The film grossed under $100,000 on a $7 million budget.
- It later became a cult classic praised by Quentin Tarantino.
Explained simply
Kevin Costner is an American actor who was starting out in films in the early 1980s. Actors’ scenes can be removed during editing, so being cut from a film does not necessarily mean they left the production or that the film was never released.
Fandango, directed by Kevin Reynolds, gave Costner an early leading role in a story about university friends on a road trip. Warner Bros released it in only a limited number of cinemas in 1985, and it attracted little attention at the time.
The film’s later reputation shows how a film’s reception can change after its initial release. It also marked the beginning of a creative partnership between Costner and Reynolds.