Scarlett Johansson’s first blockbuster lead, Michael Bay’s 2005 science-fiction film The Island, was a box-office disappointment and became Bay’s first flop after several number-one openings. Producers Walter and Laurie Parkes blamed Johansson and Ewan McGregor’s limited star power, while Bay also suggested the film suffered from a lack of major stars.

The Island opened in fourth place, prompting Bay to call it his “worst opening weekend ever” and a “debacle”. Johansson rejected the producers’ comments as an attempt to shift responsibility, while the article argues that the film’s derivative premise, weak plot and characters, and audience fatigue with Bay’s style were more plausible explanations for its poor performance.