Line #0 Trivia/TheodoreRex


1	* BoxOfficeBomb: Failed to recoup its production costs of over $33 million between its theatrical release overseas and its direct-to-video sales domestically.
2	* ContractualObligationProject: Creator/WhoopiGoldberg reluctantly did the film to fulfill a contractual obligation and avoid paying damages from a lawsuit by the film's producers.
3	* CreatorBacklash: Probably one of the ultimate examples, as Whoopi Goldberg attempted to escape the production, only staying to avoid the threat of a lawsuit.
4	** Producer Richard Abramson actually fought to get his name taken off the credits, to no avail. He's said that to this day, he has still not watched the entirety of the finished film.
5	* CreatorKiller: Director Jonathan R. Betuel never had any involvement with any further film projects after this asteroid killed the dinosaurs along with his career. He would shift focus from filmmaking to visual effects by founding Creator/LumaPictures, with more successful results.
6	* DevelopmentHell: The film had originally been in the planning stages as far back as the late '80s before production finally started years later, not to mention the delayed release later on.
7	* DirectToVideo: Wasn't intended to be such, but some issues including a poor test run in selected markets meant that there wasn't an option but to do so. Although at $33.5 million, it was the most expensive straight to video movie ever made, New Line only spent $5 million. The licensing of the film to foreign distributors covered the rest of the budget, and most, if not all of these distributors opted for a theatrical release; North America was the most notable territory where it didn't happen.
8	* HostilityOnTheSet: Whoopi Goldberg and the main crew did ''not'' have a good time on set, thanks in part to the fallout of the court case Whoopi went through with the filmmakers. On the first day of filming, she directly told director Jonathan R. Betuel "Just for the record, I hate your fucking guts." She also banned producer Richard Abramson from ever showing up on set if she was there, and would also refer to another producer on set simply as "Motherfucker" when she talked to him.
9	** In aversion, while she did have a rough start with puppeteer Bruce Lanoil (the man operating the animatronic controls for Theodore), she eventually became good friends with him, and even bought him a bigger trailer on the film set when she saw how small his was.
10	* MoneyDearBoy: Creator/WhoopiGoldberg tried to walk away from the movie, but the studio threatened to sue her for breach of contract if she did so. Goldberg decided it would be better to keep her money and go through the filming, not wanting to go into bankruptcy, like Creator/KimBasinger did after walking off ''Film/BoxingHelena''. Unfortunately for Whoopi, if any one movie could be called responsible for [[StarDerailingRole taking her from Oscar-caliber box-office draw to game- and talk-show host]], it's this one.
11	* ProductionPosse: Much of the crew involved with the puppetry and animatronics would work on ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', including lead dinosaur creator John Criswell and lead puppeteer Bruce Lanoil. A few years later, puppeteers Kevin Carlson and James Murray would go on to reunite with The Chiodo Brothers (who puppeteered the "Guy in The Bag" character) for ''Series/TheMrPotatoHeadShow''.
12	* OldShame: For everyone involved with the movie, including Creator/NewLineCinema.
13	** The movie was this to Whoopi Goldberg before it had begun production, so much so that she tried to escape the project before her hands were tied.
14	* StarDerailingRole: This movie slapped Whoopi off the A-list.
15	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: This film was intended to be in theaters, but a poor test-market run and other issues caused it to be released as a DirectToVideo film. It still holds the record for most expensive direct-to-video movie ever made and released by a major studio.
16	** Originally, the lead cop was going to be a male character, with the studio eyeing Creator/KurtRussell for the role. When they managed to get Whoopi involved, they rewrote the character.

Context Trivia / TheodoreRex