Menu
English

Cost $15 Million, Earned Half as Much: Now This Lynch Film is a Cult Classic, But at First It Was a Huge Failure

David Lynch

Viewers were in no hurry to spend their money to see the new product.

Even legendary directors have films that initially fail and remain misunderstood by viewers, but later gain recognition. And the late David Lynch is no exception. We tell you which of the master's films was initially a failure, but then became very popular with viewers.

The film Mulholland Drive (2001) turned out to be a failure. According to the plot, after an accident on Mulholland Drive, a mysterious woman who has lost her memory ends up in the house of an aspiring actress, Betty. Together, they try to reconstruct the stranger's past, but as they search, the answers only raise more questions, and Hollywood appears in all its dark, mysterious and illusory essence.

Now the film has quite decent ratings - 7.9 on IMDb and 84% on RT. But at the time of its release, the film failed to recoup its costs in the American box office, having collected only $7 million with a budget of $15 million. The main reason was that the intricate plot turned out to be too complicated for the audience, and they perceived it ambiguously. However, over time, the film won loyal fans, began to appear in lists of the best films of all time and was recognized as one of the most significant works in Lynch's career. As a result, the film gave Lynch an Oscar for Best Director, and Naomi Watts, who played Betty, gained worldwide fame.

Mulholland Dr still
After 30 Years, Brad Bird’s 'Ray Gunn' Moves Forward — But the 'Incredibles' Franchise Faces a Creative Shift After 30 Years, Brad Bird’s 'Ray Gunn' Moves Forward — But the 'Incredibles' Franchise Faces a Creative Shift Read more 11 June 2025
Johnny Depp’s Personal Turmoil Disrupted Production of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' Johnny Depp’s Personal Turmoil Disrupted Production of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' Read more 11 June 2025
'The Materialists' Scores 90% on Rotten Tomatoes: Praised for Modern Take on Love and Relationships 'The Materialists' Scores 90% on Rotten Tomatoes: Praised for Modern Take on Love and Relationships Read more 11 June 2025
If 'Echo Valley' Is on Your Watchlist, These 8 Tense Dramas Should Be Too If 'Echo Valley' Is on Your Watchlist, These 8 Tense Dramas Should Be Too Read more 11 June 2025
Mismatched Duo Faces Chaos: First Look at Amazon's 'The Pickup' with Murphy, Davidson, and Palmer Mismatched Duo Faces Chaos: First Look at Amazon's 'The Pickup' with Murphy, Davidson, and Palmer Read more 11 June 2025
'Jurassic Park Rebirth' Unveils Specialty Posters and International Artwork Ahead of July 2 Release 'Jurassic Park Rebirth' Unveils Specialty Posters and International Artwork Ahead of July 2 Release Read more 11 June 2025
Unseen No More: Polanski's Acclaimed 'An Officer and a Spy' to Debut in NYC This August Unseen No More: Polanski's Acclaimed 'An Officer and a Spy' to Debut in NYC This August Read more 11 June 2025
Unravelling the Sinclairs: Prime Video’s 'We Were Liars' Arrives June 2025 Unravelling the Sinclairs: Prime Video’s 'We Were Liars' Arrives June 2025 Read more 11 June 2025
Looking for Something as Disturbing as 'It', 'The Mist' or 'Saw'? You Might’ve Missed This Netflix Horror — 86% on Rotten Tomatoes Looking for Something as Disturbing as 'It', 'The Mist' or 'Saw'? You Might’ve Missed This Netflix Horror — 86% on Rotten Tomatoes Read more 11 June 2025
Next-Gen Sci-Fi: Why Apple TV+ Beats Netflix — These 4 Brilliant Series Prove It Next-Gen Sci-Fi: Why Apple TV+ Beats Netflix — These 4 Brilliant Series Prove It Read more 11 June 2025
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Read more