The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by predator20

While I know you're not comparing The Matrix to the The Boondock Saints. But The Matrix had a $63 million budget and was released in 2,800 theaters. The Boondocks $7 million budget only 5 screens. That info is from box office mojo on IMDB. Which film is going to do better?

I don't think I ever saw a trailer for Boondocks, but I remember seeing a shitload for Matrix. The studio put no effort behind the film. I guess because like you said Duffy's reputation in the movie biz. Which he had none. But I guess since it has done so well on DVDs. A sequel was in order.

Nah, none of that (the bold highlighted stuff) is what I meant. It's really best if you watch "Overnight" to understand, but here is what you need to know in case you never watch the documentary:

-Duffy's script for "The Boondock Saints" was originally purchased by Harvey Weinstein, and the film was supposed to be funded by Miramax. Duffy would have had a $12 million budget.

-Miramax wound up putting the film into turnaround, because Duffy and Weinstein had a falling out over casting decisions for the film. After that, Weinstein effectively blacklisted Duffy in the industry.

-Duffy himself seems to blame Weinstein for almost all of the disagreements and his own subsequent misfortune, but as "Overnight" shows, it's easy to see why he and Weinstein got on bad terms. Duffy basically became a narcissistic, egomaniacal asshole who figured he could act stupid ("Overnight" shows footage of him bragging that he showed up to meetings with investors hung over) and that there would be no consequences. His boorish behavior, combined with his big mouth, were what got him in trouble.

-Duffy eventually did get "The Boondock Saints" made, but it was with producer Chris Brinker's Franchise Pictures, a lesser-known studio. His budget was much smaller ($5 million), and he didn't have the clout to cast big-name actors that he wanted.

-"Boondock Saints" was taken to Cannes, and no purchasing offers were made. That is why it got no theatrical release or promotion. The reasons for this are disputed, but most people agree that it had a lot to do with Weinstein blacklisting him. Or maybe it was just that Duffy's reputation for his dealings with Miramax had preceded him. Either way, he fucked up the deal of a lifetime.

And that's the story in a nutshell. My point being, Duffy could have had a wide release for his film if he had just been a little more humble. It wasn't Columbine that screwed him; it was his own stupidity.