Hugh Jackman's Underrated 2006 Sci-Fi Flop Still Inspires Fierce Fan Devotion

Darren Aronofsky had firmly established himself as an exciting young filmmaker on the strength of the micro-budget freakout "Pi" and his harrowing adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s novel "Requiem for a Dream" when he took the studio plunge with an original work of science fiction. Warner Bros. probably would've preferred to exploit his talents via "Batman: Year One" (which would've been a gritty restart of the studio's most valuable comic book franchise), but once Aronofsky got Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett attached to star in "The Fountain," they couldn't say no.

WB always had concerns about the commercial potential of "The Fountain," and they sought to limit their spend by getting another production company to pitch in on the $70 million budget. They pulled it off, and the film was a go. A crew was hired. Massive sets were being built. Then Pitt walked away because he was unhappy with Aronofsky's rewrite, forcing WB to cancel the production.

Rather than give up on "The Fountain," Aronofsky reworked the project to fit a far more palatable $35 million budget, and he sweetened the deal by casting Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz as the leads. WB very much wanted to be in the Aronofsky business, so they pulled the trigger on his heady rumination on death, heartbreak, and the quest for immortality. They were hoping for a masterpiece that earned rave reviews and generated ecstatic word of mouth. They were dreaming of Oscars. Alas, reviews were mixed, and they wound up with a flop that grossed $16.5 million.

"The Fountain" evidently isn't for everyone, but if it is for you, it's very much for you. And Jackman has experienced this ardor first-hand when fans of the film approach him in public.

In a 2014 interview with FirstShowing.net, Jackman said that fans of "The Fountain" are a different breed in that they feel compelled to thank him for the movie. They're passionate about the film, and grateful that it exists. Per the Aussie star:

"The people who love it, love it deeply and really get a lot out of it, and when they talk to me, usually they are the kind of people who don't want to come up and say anything. It's generally the kind of person who is like, 'I don't want to bother you, but I'm sorry, I have to say that...' And they do. I always like it when people stop me for that, because I can tell usually, generally, they are a little embarrassed to come up, but they feel like they just need to say ... And they usually do it in a way of, 'I just want to say thank you to you and Darren for making the movie.'"

I know exactly what he means because I'm one of those people. I first saw the movie at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con, and it left me in tears. It's a beautiful, visually astonishing film about accepting death. I revisit it every few years, and listen to Clint Mansell's lovely score often. And when I encountered Jackman at the "Real Steel" press day, my remarks were almost identical to his above quotes. I've also been fortunate enough to share my appreciation with Weisz and Aronofsky. Warner Bros. was so displeased with the film that they skimped on DVD extras, but at least they made it. A bold, brainy sci-fi movie like this from a major studio is a rarity. Savor it.