10 films that were boycotted by fans
(Source: Far Out / Dreamworks Pictures)
Most people are excited when a new movie comes out, and they can spend their evening at the local cinema taking away from their lives for a few hours. However, there were some films that were hated by a section of people so much that they were boycotted to the nth degree.
There are several reasons behind the film’s boycott. First, some films may appear at odds with a group’s religious or societal beliefs, and deep offense arises when a film’s content does not live up to their expectations and demands. Otherwise, films often use explicit violence or sexuality which can also disturb a wide cross-section of individuals.
Elsewhere, there may be concerns about the way the film is produced, with criticism aimed at the behavior or practices of the director, actor or producer. Finally, other films seem to have an agenda opposed to a particular group’s values, so they take up arms against them and vow to bring them to justice.
We have compiled a list of 10 movies that were boycotted for various reasons. From films that were “overly feminist” in tone to those that played with religious teachings and historical moments, here are the films that brought disdain, enthusiasm, and profound criticism.
10 films that were boycotted:
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015)
when Mad Max The franchise returned in 2015 with Road of angerThe world of cinema celebrated. Starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, George Miller’s film saw Max Rockatansky take up arms with Emperor Furiosa against a brutal cult leader in a resource-scarce post-apocalyptic desert.
A goofy “Men’s Rights” group called for a boycott of the film, arguing that it was “feminist propaganda,” and tricked men into watching it with intense action sequences. Their problem arose from the fact that Charlize Theron’s character was featured in the narrative too heavily, making Mad Max seem like a side character, which is absolutely ridiculous.
Tropical thunder (Ben Stiller, 2008)
Ben Stiller Tropical thunder It was full of controversial moments that led to widespread criticism. A satire of Hollywood film productions centered on the making of a film about the Vietnam War, the film starred Robert Downey Jr., who played an actor who undergoes “pigmentation change” surgery in order to play a black character.
Naturally, Downey Jr.’s blackface was met with scorn, but it was the film’s treatment of people with disabilities that led to a boycott. At one point, Downey Jr.’s character tells another person to never use method acting to play a disabled character, and several disability awareness groups have banded together to say the joke came across as simply satire.
Pocahontas (Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, 1995)
After the success of a series of animated films in the early 1990s, e.g the little Mermaid And the king lionDisney has pursued a film adaptation of the Native American heroine Pocahontas. Meanwhile, Disney was developing an “American History” theme park in Virginia, which drew criticism.
Not only did Native American leaders call for a disruption of the theme park’s construction, but they also boycotted the 1995 film, claiming it was full of historical inaccuracies and that the protagonist had been made into an underage “sex symbol” when Pocahontas was a major historical figure. In Native American history.
The Da Vinci Code (Ron Howard, 2006)
Dan Brown’s mystery novel The Da Vinci Code It quickly became a bestseller and was subsequently optioned for a film adaptation directed by Ron Howard. Focusing on the professor of religious symbolism, played by Tom Hanks, The Da Vinci Code Featuring a recent search for the Holy Grail, the Catholic Church is said to have covered up the elusive artifact.
Naturally, the church was outraged, first over the book and then over its film adaptation. They said the 2,000-year-old conspiracy to conceal the marriage and birth between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene was a “slander.” However, they were unable to prevent the commercial success of the film, which was on the receiving end of a massive box office hit.
Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006)
After Pierce Brosnan left the role of James Bond, Daniel Craig took over the role of the famous British double agent. Casino Royale It was Craig’s first outing as 007, which also saw appearances from stars such as Eva Green, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright and Mads Mikkelsen.
The film ended up being one of the best Bond films in recent memory, but a group of “true Bond fans” couldn’t get over the fact that their beloved fictional character had blonde hair. A website called danielcraigisnotbond.com was created, and the actor’s “rough face” and light hair follicles were criticized. However, nothing could discourage Craig himself, as he provided many memorable Bond moments in the following years.
The last temptation of Christ (Martin Scorsese, 1988)
Faith has always played a crucial role in Martin Scorsese’s work, and in the late 1980s, he made an adaptation of the 1955 novel. The last temptation of Christ With Willem Dafoe starring in the lead role of Jesus. Initial production was halted when Christian fundamentalists expressed concern that the film’s version of Christ would be gay without any evidence to suggest this.
When production resumed a few years later, more calls for a boycott were broadcast, this time from Southern Protestant ministers, who said Willem Dafoe’s performance was “confused” and overly sexual. A Catholic protest group reportedly attempted to bomb a cinema in Paris that was showing the film, demonstrating the religious fervor that dominated its screening.
Ghostbusters (Paul Feig, 2016)
the original Ghostbusters It is widely considered a landmark in American comics, and in 2016, a reboot of the franchise was released. Directed by Paul Feig and starring a female version of an ensemble cast including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, the New York City ghost-hunting institution is back with a new twist.
Even in 2014, when the film was first announced, specific individuals called for its blood. Misogynistic and feminist groups have combined with hardcore male fans of the original film to criticize the female-led cast and its “feminist agenda,” and online reviews of the film have been littered with low ratings.
Fifty Shades of Grey (Sam Taylor-Johnson, 2015)
Novel by L. James Fifty Shades of Grey It took the world by storm and showed mainstream audiences the joy of erotic fiction. In 2015, a film adaptation arrived directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as a young husband who begins a sadomasochistic sexual relationship.
Anti-pornography and anti-BDSM groups quickly objected to the film and claimed that its depiction of sex bordered on abuse. Interestingly, BDSM advocates also boycotted the film because they felt the sexual practice had been greatly misrepresented. Fifty Shades of Grey It was simply a film in which no one, other than its producers, was left happy after huge box office returns.
Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)
New Western romantic drama directed by Ang Lee Brokeback Mountain Watch Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger play a pair of American cowboys who develop a turbulent romantic and sexual relationship. In many ways, the film paved the way for LGBT cinema into the mainstream and received widespread critical acclaim for its depiction of homosexuality.
However, Focus on the Family and the American Family Association boycotted any cinema series that showed the film because of the way it celebrated same-sex relationships. Fortunately, the protests did not greatly affect the film’s reception, and it went on to become one of the most successful and memorable releases of the 2000s.
Passion of Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004)
Film adaptations of the life of Jesus Christ are bound to attract criticism, and in 2004, Mel Gibson made another controversial biblical drama in the form of Passion of Christ. Jim Caviezel played the role of Jesus of Nazareth, with Monica Bellucci playing the role of Mary Magdalene, and the film focuses mainly on the last period of Jesus’ life.
Many members of the Jewish community boycotted the film because they felt it was overly critical of Jewish people and that Gibson was in the midst of an anti-Semitic tirade. Others thought that Jesus being played by a white man, who is from the Middle East, was historically inaccurate. However, Gibson said firmly that he tried to tell a faithful story while taking a handful of creative liberties.
