History ExecutiveMeddling / LiveActionFilms

* ''Film/BlazingSaddles:'' They tried. Creator/MelBrooks was called into a meeting with the film company executives where they had a long list of changes that they wanted to make, including removing all instances of the [[NWordPrivileges N-word]], and cutting the [[{{Gasshole}} beans scene]] entirely. Mel took careful notes of all their requests, and when the meeting was over he dumped his notes in the garbage because his contract gave him final cut on the film.

** ''Film/Hellboy2004'': Executives felt that Hellboy should be changed from an out-and-out demon to a human who was (somehow, inexplicably) born in Hell who would turn into Hellboy when he got angry, a la the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]]. Del Toro vetoed all attempts to change the character and again eventually won out.

* ''Film/BabylonAD'', which evidently made sense at some point, was reportedly disowned by its director because of Fox's meddling, as described [[http://blogs.amctv.com/scifi-scanner/2008/08/babylon-ad-mathieu-kassovitz.php here]]. They cut the film down so much that Creator/VinDiesel, who hadn't seen a cut of the film for months, jokingly wondered if he was still in the movie at all.

* ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheCrimesOfGrindelwald'' was a victim of a studio mandated runtime of 2 hours and 15 minutes and ensuing massacre in the editing room to get it under said time limit. The general consensus of the theatrical cut of the film is that it is confusing, incoherent, and poorly paced with the second act in particular being all over the place. Several scenes that were in trailers towards the end of marketing were completely absent in the theatrical cut, there are scenes floating around with completed effects that aren’t even in the official extended cut, and it’s now known that at least two characters who are crucial to the backstory, Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore, filmed scenes that have never seen the light of day. The film would be given an extended cut on the Blu-Ray that is considered [[ImprovedByTheRecut a huge improvement]] with fourteen added minutes. The story was given some room to breathe and is much easier to follow as a result of it. Anyone who’s seen said cut will ultimately believe that Creator/WarnerBros and former CEO Kevin Tsujihara are to blame. Tsujihara didn’t like producing longer movies because they could play less often in theaters. The extended cut is not considered a masterpiece and is still seen as over edited but its parts do come together to make a coherent whole.

* The script for the 1987 Creator/BlakeEdwards [[ScrewballComedy screwball comedy]] ''Film/BlindDate'' starring Creator/BruceWillis and Creator/KimBasinger was rewritten so much[[note]]Blake Edwards, Leslie Dixon, Tom Ropelewski, and Michael Alan Eddy all did uncredited rewrites on the script. According to Launer among the scenes added were one where someone crashes into a bakery and becomes covered with flour. Other scenes involved someone while fully clothed, jumping or falling into a swimming pool and someone tossing something into a woman's cleavage.[[/note]] that Dale Launer, who wrote the original script[[note]]The studio wanted changes; a [[BlackComedy black]] screwball comedy then turned into a standard screwball comedy. The screenplay was re-written "by a woman writer to [[LighterAndSofter soften it up]]". The woman writer was Leslie Dixon. This re-written draft was given to Blake Edwards - who also re-wrote it.[[/note]], pretty much [[CreatorBacklash disowned]] the finished film[[note]]Launer tried to replace his name with that of his registered pseudonym Nigel Grosswanker, but the studio declined.[[/note]]. Launer called his experience with Blake Edwards to be the worst in the motion picture business. According to Launer, Edwards refused to talk to him and refused to have someone tell him that Edwards wasn't going to talk to him. The bottom-line for Launer was that Edwards was shooting his script[[note]]Launer felt that ''Blind Date'' is a [[IncrediblyLameFun lame]], slapstick piece of shit. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "an archaic, {{lobotom|y}}ized screenplay by Dale Launer". He agrees with the critique, but disagrees about [[{{Misblamed}} being given the blame]]. If you like the movie, "...give the credit to Edwards and Dixon, if you hate it, blame them."[[/note]] but was unwilling to have any communication with him whatsoever.

* ''Film/TheCrow'' is notable for averting ExecutiveMeddling for the most part and for being endorsed by [[Comicbook/TheCrow the comic's]] creator James O'Barr. O'Barr once mentioned in an interview an executive who tried to meddle, suggesting it be adapted as a musical starring Music/MichaelJackson. O'Barr thought the guy was joking; when he insisted he was serious, O'Barr showed him the door.

* The ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' films:
** ''Film/SpiderMan3'' director Creator/SamRaimi wanted to do a movie focusing on a hero with negative qualities and a villain with positive qualities while wrapping up sub-plots involving Mary Jane and Harry "Goblin Jr." Osborn. The story was packed as it was, when producer Avi Arad insisted that fan-favorite Venom be added to the film. Raimi at first refused on the basis that he didn't understand the character of Venom that well, but eventually gave in. This left the movie with Venom ''and'' Eddie Brock shoehorned in. Gwen Stacy was also shoehorned in, filling a role that was originally just a random woman. It was commercially successful, but reviews were mixed. Raimi was dissatisfied with the final product, outright calling it "awful" in later interviews and blaming himself for its failure, while Avi Arad would [[https://screenrant.com/spider-man-3-venom-bad-blame-avi-arad/ apologize himself]] for forcing Raimi to do the character despite knowing the director's misgivings.

** For ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan2'', the studio cut out bits that explored Peter's personal life, preferring to shoehorn in new characters and plot threads that had the sole intent of pushing future installments in the film series so they would have something to [[FollowTheLeader act as a competitor to the]] Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. Creator/AndrewGarfield, who played Spider-Man, was not pleased and said so in [[http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/11/andrew-garfield-studio-the-amazing-spider-man-2-sequel an interview]]. Sony was so unhappy that they considered replacing him with [[TheOtherDarrin another actor]], a piece of information discovered in a massive 2014 data leak.) The film was not successful, leading to Sony striking a deal to allow Spidey to migrate to the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse while still maintaining film rights to the franchise.

* With ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', Creator/WarnerBros thought the film focused too much on the gremlins and wanted most of their scenes cut. Producer Creator/StevenSpielberg, in a move reminiscent of ''Film/BackToTheFuture'''s response to meddling, suggested that the studio could cut ''every'' gremlin scene and call the movie ''People''. The studio wisely backed down.

* ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' suffered from this extensively. Some of it worked; for instance, the mechanism that would take Marty back to the future was originally a nuclear test in Nevada, which was changed to the ordinary lightning bolt. Others didn't, and Creator/RobertZemeckis and Bob Gale bowed down to a lot of pressure. But they stopped short of naming the film ''Spaceman from Pluto''. Creator/StevenSpielberg handled this by answering the memo: "Thanks for the joke memo, guys: it's the funniest thing ever. We're still laughing about it." The executive who suggested it was too proud to admit that he was serious.

** Even once the Creative Committee was dissolved, this reared its head again when Disney Studios president Alan Horne went over Creator/KevinFeige's head and fired Creator/JamesGunn from ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'' following far-right online trolls uncovering some offensive tweets Gunn posted a decade prior (and which he had previously apologized for). While Gunn was eventually rehired after continued requests from Feige, the cast, crew, and fans of the franchise, production was still delayed until Gunn had finished working on ''Film/TheSuicideSquad'' for the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.

* According to the commentary on the extended edition DVD, the creative team behind ''Film/{{Underworld}}'' was pressured by the studio to keep Viktor a sympathetic character throughout, and have Lucian be a straight villain. One wonders what would have ''happened'' in such a movie, since that would have negated the story and the bulk of the action. The writing and directing team luckily prevailed, keeping the revelation of Lucian as a sympathetic figure and Viktor as a lying murderous jerk.

* ''Film/{{Brazil}}'' stands out as one of the most contentious instances of Executive Meddling ever. It was a battle between the director, Creator/TerryGilliam, and Universal Studios and its COO Sid Sheinberg.

** Gilliam's own, original 142-minute cut has since been recognized as a classic and is now available on home video. It was also the version released in Europe, where distributors had no problem with the original content. Gilliam swore off working with Universal for a decade until ''Film/TwelveMonkeys'', also a critically acclaimed film -- he was so wary about what happened with ''Brazil'' that he had a documentary crew record everything behind the scenes (which eventually became the documentary ''The Hamster Factor and Other Tales of Twelve Monkeys'').

** At one point, executives at [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] were doubtful of Creator/HelenaBonhamCarter as Marla, and wanted the younger Creator/ReeseWitherspoon for the role of Marla. However, director Creator/DavidFincher rejected the studio's demands, as he felt Witherspoon was too young, and cast Bonham-Carter as Marla, based on her performance in the 1997 film ''Film/TheWingsOfTheDove''.

* ''Star!'', the first collaboration between Creator/JulieAndrews and director Creator/RobertWise since ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'', was a victim of this. Upon its release in 1968, it was an expensive flop, no doubt due to the rise of UsefulNotes/NewHollywood, the oversaturation of movie musicals, and Creator/JulieAndrews taking an [[PlayingAgainstType unexpected dark turn]] as stage icon Gertrude Lawrence. The latter issue seemed to be the biggest issue in the eyes of 20th Century Fox executives. In an attempt to remedy this, the studio decided to re-release it with a dramatically altered fashion against Wise's wishes. Fox hacked a third of the film's three-hour running time, minimizing (if not outright deleting) scenes involving Lawrence's inner demons to appease Andrews fans who only saw her as Mary Poppins or Maria von Trapp. The studio decided to release the new bastardized version under the new title of ''Those Were the Happy Times'' with an advertising campaign that tried to pass it off as a [[SpiritualSuccessor spiritual sequel]] to ''The Sound of Music''. Unfortunately, this did nothing to make people flock to see it, and ''Happy Times'' soon faded into obscurity. Fortunately, Fox didn't junk the original three-hour version of ''Star!'' and the film has been seen in its unaltered state since at least the early-1980s.

* ''Baby It's You'': Creator/JohnSayles's choice for Jill was Creator/RosannaArquette, however, executives at [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century-Fox]], the studio that was supposed to finance the film, wanted [[YoungerAndHipper the younger]] Creator/BrookeShields, who, ironically, was closer to the character's age. Sayles eventually cut ties with Fox and chose to finance the film independently by keeping Arquette on the project and selling the North American theatrical distribution rights to Creator/{{Paramount}}.

* Before being #[=MeToo=]'d, producer/distributor [[Creator/TheWeinsteinCompany Harvey Weinstein]] is infamous for recutting films without the consent of their directors, to the point that he has been nicknamed "Harvey Scissorhands" and "Darth Weinstein".

* ''Film/TheHairyBird'': After the film was acquired by [[Creator/MiramaxFilms Miramax]] for U.S. distribution, [[Creator/TheWeinsteinCompany Harvey Weinstein]] sought to make edits to the female-driven film to make it more appealing to male audiences. Miramax did not publicize the finished film and sent it [[DirectToVideo straight to video]]. Weinstein thought the original title of the film was too offensive, [[note]]as it alludes to male genitalia,[[/note]] so he had it changed to ''All I Wanna Do''. In the U.K. and Canada, the film has the title ''Strike!'' Australia is the only place the film retains its original title, as Weinstein neglected to secure Australian distribution rights.

* ''Film/Scream4'' was another victim of Harvey Weinstein's tampering, with both Creator/HaydenPanettiere and director Creator/WesCraven reportedly complaining about script changes. The DVDCommentary brings up a number of instances, particularly noting that the film originally ended with [[spoiler: a "We got a heartbeat!" scene involving Panettiere's character Kirby]]. Given that the finished version has the most [[DownerEnding downbeat ending]] of the series and was the least successful at the box office, [[spoiler: and given both audiences and critics gave Panettiere major props, leaving Kirby writhing on the ground in agony with her fate left in the air might have been a mistake]]. [[spoiler:''Film/ScreamVI'' later undid this meddling.]]

** Creator/DreamWorks decided that Creator/CameronCrowe's original vision of the film as a "band on the road" movie wouldn't appeal to audiences, so the theatrical version removed a large amount of Stillwater material in order to reshape the film as a love story between William and Penny. To compensate for tampering with the film, Dreamworks later released the "Almost Famous Untitled: The Bootleg Cut" DVD, which features the film as Crowe intended.
** Crowe also planned for the film to be released as "Untitled," but Dreamworks demanded a more unique name. Extras were allowed to submit potential titles ("Saving William's Privates" was one) until Crowe settled on "Almost Famous."

* The [[Film/TheCatInTheHat film adaptation]] for ''Literature/TheCatInTheHat'' was ''supposed'' to be more in line with the book, retaining its family-friendly subject matter and sticking to the source material rather than [[AdaptationExpansion adding things in]]. Once the box office success of the [[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas film adaptation]] of ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' came around, however, Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/DreamWorks hired several writers from ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' to drastically rewrite the script, shoehorned multiple [[DoubleEntendre adult jokes]] that Creator/DrSeuss would never ever approve in his stories, and cast Creator/MikeMyers as the title role, Creator/AlecBaldwin as the antagonist and Kelly Preston as the mother. Many people who watched the final film, including Audrey Geisel, were dissatisfied with how it turned out to the point where the latter turned down any further plans to adapt her husband's work into live-action films. Nowadays, for many people, it serves as the textbook example of how ''not'' to do a family-oriented film.

* ''Film/Scream4'' was another victim of Harvey Weinstein's tampering, with both Creator/HaydenPanettiere and director Creator/WesCraven reportedly complaining about script changes. The DVDCommentary brings up a number of instances, particularly noting that the film originally ended with [[spoiler: a "We got a heartbeat!" scene involving Panettiere's character Kirby]]. Given that the finished version has the most [[DownerEnding downbeat ending]] of the series and was the least successful at the box office, [[spoiler: and given both audiences and critics gave Panettiere major props, leaving Kirby writhing on the ground in agony with her fate left in the air might have been a mistake]].

* In ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'', the original plan was for Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger to be the narrator. The suits didn't like that, so Creator/{{Mako}} became the narrator. Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad; Mako's narration is so [[LargeHam high on pork content]] that it's impossible not to like it.

* There were two cuts of ''Film/HeavensGate'': a five-hour cut and a studio-mandated 210-minute cut. This was the only time during the film's production that Creator/MichaelCimino would capitulate to studio demands.

* The original ending to 1990's ''Film/TheWitches1990'' was more in line with Creator/RoaldDahl's original story. However, this ending did poorly with test audiences, so [[FocusGroupEnding a new ending]] where [[spoiler: Luke is turned back into a boy, with the same thing implied to have happened with Bruno]] was inserted, much to [[DisownedAdaptation Dahl's utter dismay]].

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', Creator/TheWachowskis had wanted to have the machines use the humans plugged into the Matrix as a gigantic neural network computer. However, executives thought that the audience wouldn't understand this, so they changed it to using the humans to generate electricity, even though this violates the laws of thermodynamics and creates several plot holes (though some fans find it a decent enough metaphor).

** Rookie director Creator/DavidFincher was brought in to direct ''Alien 3'' because the executives believed that they could control him, without a new script finished. Fincher had to make up the plot himself as he went along, by piecing together parts of other unfinished scripts and improvising the rest. And Fincher had other plans regarding being a simple workman and started several battles with the producers. Fox prevented Fincher from shooting key scenes (which he shot anyway, and made into the final cut), sent him back for reshoots after a deliberately botched test screening (using, as actor Ralph Brown put it, "brain-dead kids from Southern California"), insulted him on several occasions and eventually locked him out of the editing room. The producers would also try to hide the story of the film's production, blocking the original version of the making-of documentary ''Wreckage and Rage'' (originally titled ''Wreckage and Rape'', telling you what the creators thought of it). Fincher hated the final product and was so discouraged from directing that he almost turned down ''Film/{{Se7en}}''. In the end, no fewer than ''eight'' people attempted to claim credit for the screenplay during the WGA arbitration process, with a further four not bothering for various reasons. In particular, Rex Pickett, who wrote a significant portion of the shooting script, ended up being one of the ones not wanting credit largely due to how unpleasant the whole experience had been. This was so bad, even Creator/HRGiger - the original designer for the first Xenomorph -- [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_%28creature_in_Alien_franchise%29#Concept_and_credit_controversy was shafted in favor of Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis's designs,]] but this didn't stop Giger [[{{Determinator}} from faxing his designs to Fincher after he disembarked from the project.]]

** This happened in two media regarding the alien designs. The makers of the adult alien's action figure wanted to add genitals to them; the director of ''Film/AlienResurrection'' wanted to do the same to the "newborn" alien. Both times, the producers said no, saying it was "too much".
** ''Film/Alien3'' had a legendarily TroubledProduction. 20th Century Fox spent millions of dollars over a period of four years trying to get the script up and running -- every director who signed up left, either due to creative differences or refusing Fox's mandates (such as the inclusion of Creator/SigourneyWeaver), and there wasn't even a finished script when filming started, so rookie director Creator/DavidFincher, whom they believed they could control, had to make up the plot of the film as he went along by piecing together parts of the other unfinished scripts and improvising the rest. And Fincher had other plans regarding being a simple workman and started several battles with the producers. Fox prevented Fincher from shooting key scenes (which he shot anyway, and made it into the final cut), sent him back for reshoots after a deliberately botched test screening (using, as actor Ralph Brown put it, "brain-dead kids from Southern California"), insulted him on several occasions and eventually locked him out of the editing room. The producers would also try to hide the story of the film's production, blocking the original version of the making-of documentary ''Wreckage and Rage'' (itself originally titled ''Wreckage and Rape'', telling you what the creators thought of it). Fincher hated the final product and was even so discouraged from directing that he almost turned down ''Film/{{Se7en}}''. \\
\\
As a measure of how much it afflicted the film, no fewer than ''eight'' people attempted to claim credit for the screenplay during the WGA arbitration process, with a further four not bothering for various reasons. In particular, Rex Pickett, who wrote a significant portion of the shooting script, ended up being one of the ones not wanting credit largely due to how unpleasant the whole experience had been. This was so bad, even Creator/HRGiger - the original designer for the first Xenomorph -- [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_%28creature_in_Alien_franchise%29#Concept_and_credit_controversy was shafted in favor of Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis's designs.]] This didn't stop Giger [[{{Determinator}} from faxing his designs to his client, David Fincher, after he disembarked from the project.]]
*** Notably, one of the Fox executives was apparently dead-set on this film revolving around prisoners in some way. Early script treatments were set on a prison barge or transport of some kind (causing tentative director Renny Harlin to quit the project, as it was just "more corridors, more guns, more aliens," and nothing new he could get excited about). When Vincent Ward started doing his story treatment, it was suggested to change the monks from his version into prisoners. And of course, the finished film takes place on a penal colony.
** The original film itself has a ''positive'' version of this trope, according to some sources. The film's executive producers Creator/WalterHill and Creator/David Giler ended up writing the final shooting script on the film, modifying Dan O'Bannon's and Ronald Shusett's original treatment. Among the changes they made was the introduction of the character Ash and making the characters' dialogue flow more naturally, befitting their role as "truckers in space."

* Creator/JamesWhale's original cut of ''The Road Back'' (1937), a sequel to ''Film/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'' (1930), received generally favorable reviews. Charles R. Rogers, head of Universal Studios, bowed to threats from Nazi Germany and had re-edited the film, including having out-of-place comedic scenes filmed and inserted. The resulting film was a critical and commercial failure and was banned in Germany anyway.

* The [[Film/TheCatInTheHat film adaptation]] for ''Literature/TheCatInTheHat'' was ''supposed'' to be more in line with the book, retaining its family-friendly subject matter and sticking to the source material rather than [[AdaptationExpansion adding things in]]. Once the box office success of the [[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas film adaptation]] of ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' came around, however, Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/DreamWorks hired several writers from ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' to drastically rewrite the script, shoehorned multiple [[DoubleEntendre adult jokes]] that Creator/DrSeuss would never ever approve in his stories, and cast Creator/MikeMyers as the title role, Creator/AlecBaldwin as the antagonist and Kelly Preston as the mother. Many people who watched the final film, including Audrey Geisel, was dissatisfied with how it turned out to the point where the latter turned down any further plans to adapt her husband's work into live-action films. Nowadays, for many people, it serves as the textbook example of how ''not'' to do a family-oriented film.

* The script for the 1987 Creator/BlakeEdwards [[ScrewballComedy screwball comedy]] ''Film/BlindDate'' starring Creator/BruceWillis and Creator/KimBasinger was rewritten so much[[note]]Blake Edwards, Leslie Dixon, Tom Ropelewski, and Michael Alan Eddy all did uncredited rewrites on the script. According to Launer among the scenes added were one where someone crashes into a bakery and becomes covered with flour. Other scenes involved someone while fully clothed, jumping or falling into a swimming pool and someone tossing something into a woman's cleavage.[[/note]] that Dale Launer, who wrote the original script[[note]]The studio wanted changes; a [[BlackComedy black]] screwball comedy then turned into a standard screwball comedy. The screenplay was re-written "by a woman writer to [[LighterAndSofter soften it up]]". The woman writer was Leslie Dixon. This re-written draft was given to Blake Edwards - who also re-wrote it.[[/note]], pretty much [[CreatorBacklash disowned]] the finished film[[note]]Launer tried to replace his name with that of his registered pseudonym Nigel Grosswanker, but the studio declined.[[/note]]. Launer called his experience with Blake Edwards to be the worst in the motion picture business. According to Launer, Edwards refused to talk to him and even refused to have someone tell him that Edwards wasn't going to talk to him. The bottom-line for Launer was that Edwards was shooting his script[[note]]Launer felt that ''Blind Date'' is a [[IncrediblyLameFun lame]], slapstick piece of shit. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "an archaic, {{lobotom|y}}ized screenplay by Dale Launer". He agrees with the critique, but disagrees about [[{{Misblamed}} being given the blame]]. If you like the movie, "...give the credit to Edwards and Dixon, if you hate it, blame them."[[/note]] but was unwilling to have any communication with him whatsoever.

* The [[Film/TheCatInTheHat film adaptation]] for ''Literature/TheCatInTheHat'' was ''supposed'' to be more in line with the book, retaining its family-friendly subject matter and sticking to the source material rather than [[AdaptationExpansion adding things in]]. Once the box office success of the [[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas film adaptation]] of ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' came around, however, Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/DreamWorks went to extreme lengths to replicate that film's success, hiring several writers from ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' to drastically rewrite the script, shoehorning multiple [[DoubleEntendre adult jokes]] that Creator/DrSeuss would never ever approve in his stories, and [[WTHCastingAgency questionable casting choices]] like Creator/MikeMyers as the title role, Creator/AlecBaldwin as the antagonist and Kelly Preston as the mother. Many people who watched the final film had little to no positive things to say about it, and even the Seuss estate hated the film so much that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Seuss's widow refused to allow any more live-action films based on her husband's work]]. Nowadays, for many people, it serves as the textbook example of how ''not'' to do a family-oriented film.

* The [[Film/TheCatInTheHat film adaptation]] for ''Literature/TheCatInTheHat'' was ''supposed'' to be more in line with the book, retaining its family-friendly subject matter and sticking to the source material rather than [[AdaptationExpansion adding things in]]. Once the box office success of the [[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas film adaptation]] of ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' came around, however, Creator/{{Universal}} and Creator/DreamWorks went to extreme lengths to replicate that film's success, hiring several writers from ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' to drastically rewrite the script, shoehorning multiple [[DoubleEntendre adult jokes]] that Creator/DrSeuss would never have approved in his stories, and [[WTHCastingAgency questionable casting choices]] like Creator/MikeMyers as the title role, Creator/AlecBaldwin as the antagonist and Kelly Preston as the mother. Many people who watched the final film had no positive things to say about it, and the Seuss estate hated the film so much that [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Seuss's widow refused to allow any more live-action films based on her husband's work]]. Nowadays, for many people, it serves as the textbook example of how ''not'' to do a family-oriented film.