The “truly great” 2004 movie Billy Bob Thornton made 30 years too late: “It would have done very well”
Billy Bob Thornton starred as Davy Crockett in director John Lee Hancock's 2004 historical epic 'The Alamo,' which he describes as 'a truly great movie' and among his proudest career achievements. The film became one of cinema's most catastrophic financial disasters, costing over $100 million to produce whilst earning only $25 million at the box office, resulting in a loss of nearly $150 million and universally negative critical reception.
Thornton attributes the commercial failure to contemporary audiences' apathy toward history, specifically citing teenage moviegoers' lack of interest in the subject matter. He theorised the film would have performed substantially better had it been released in the 1970s. The article counters this explanation by noting that John Wayne's 1960s 'The Alamo' likewise failed financially and nearly bankrupted its star, suggesting that poor audience reception may stem from the project itself rather than the historical period of its release.
- Billy Bob Thornton's 2004 'The Alamo' cost over $100 million but earned only $25 million, becoming one of cinema's biggest box office bombs with a loss of nearly $150 million
- Thornton blames teenagers' disinterest in history for the film's failure, suggesting it would have succeeded if made in the 1970s
- The theory is questionable since John Wayne's 1960s 'The Alamo' also failed commercially, suggesting the core subject matter rather than era may have been the problem