The Alamo (2004): The Making of a Box Office Bomb

In April 2004, Touchstone Pictures released their long-awaited, big budget war epic "The Alamo" starring Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid. At the time, it was the second most expensive live-action film ever produced by the Walt Disney Company, filmed in 2003 across the largest set constructed in North America. Despite the budget, The Alamo was panned by critics and ignored by audiences, destined to crash as one of the largest box office bombs in cinema history. The saga of HOW this film was made is even more fascinating than the familiar story retold on screen.

In this video essay, we'll explore the drama behind the camera throughout the six year production odyssey of The Alamo. It's a story of directorial power players, big name actors, a ballooning budget, and studio interference. Remarkably, at the end of it all, director John Lee Hancock found a way to deliver one of Hollywood's most accurate depictions of the historical personalities from 1836. We'll talk about what the film got right, what it got wrong, and five reasons why the movie ultimately tanked at the box office.

If you missed our Alamo wargame here on Little Wars TV, we encourage you to check that out next!