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Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's John Carpenter's turn.
Carpenter grew up affected and bothered by the highly religious Bible culture of the deep south, and found cinema as an escape from the racism and politics around him. He began making short horror films with an 8mm camera when his father gifted him a camera and a projector before he had even started high school. He enrolled in USC School of Cinematic Arts, but would drop out during the last semester to make his first film.
From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

It should be noted that as he started his career in the 1970s, some of the domestic grosses here will be adjusted by inflation. The table with his highest grossing films, however, will be left in its unadjusted form, as the worldwide grosses are more difficult to adjust.

Dark Star (1974)

"The spaced out odyssey."
His directorial debut. It stars Dan O'Bannon, Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm and Dre Pahich, and follows the crew of the deteriorating starship Dark Star, twenty years into their mission to destroy unstable planets that might threaten future colonization of other planets.
Carpenter and O'Bannon started writing a script for USC. The film began as a 45-minute 16mm student project with a final budget of $6,000. To achieve feature film length, an additional 50 minutes were shot in 1973, with the support of Canadian distributor Jack Murphy (credited as "Production Associate"). O'Bannon's friend, John Landis, got them in contact with producer-distributor Jack H. Harris for distribution. However, Harris demanded 30 minutes of cuts. This is something that O'Bannon and Carpenter disliked, as "We had what would have been the world's most impressive student film and it became the world's least impressive professional film."
The film had a very limited theatrical run, and there are no box office numbers available. Carpenter and O'Bannon were unhappy that there were empty screenings and the audience not laughing with the jokes. But it found a cult following after they got famous for their later works. At the very least, their careers were starting.

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

"A white-hot night of hate!"
His second film. It stars Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Tony Burton, Martin West, and Nancy Kyes. It follows a police officer who defends a defunct precinct against a relentless criminal gang, with the help of a death row-bound convict.
Carpenter had hoped to make a Howard Hawks-style Western like El Dorado or Rio Lobo, but when the $100,000 budget prohibited it, Carpenter refashioned the basic scenario of Rio Bravo into a modern setting. He wrote the script in just 8 days, and it included many references to Hawks' works. He filmed the movie in just 20 days, and he referred to this film as the most fun he has ever had directing.
There are no box office numbers available, although it was reported that it had poor sales. While it received initial mixed reviews, its reputation grew and it would become one of his best films. But he needed a hit if he wanted to continue in the business.

Halloween (1978)

"The night he came home!"
His third film. It stars Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles and Nancy Loomis. The plot centers on a mental patient, Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium for murdering his teenage sister on Halloween night when he was a child. Fifteen years later, having escaped and returned to his hometown, he stalks teenage babysitter Laurie Strode and her friends while under pursuit by his psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis.
After watching Assault on Precinct 13 at the Milan Film Festival, independent film producer Irwin Yablans and financier Moustapha Akkad sought out Carpenter to direct a film for them about a psychotic killer that stalked babysitters. He agreed on the $10,000 salary under the condition that he would write, direct and compose with complete creative freedom and asked his then-girlfriend Debra Hill to co-write it with him. They wrote it in just 10 days, with Hill writing most of the dialogue for the female characters.
The low budget meant that no big stars would appear in the film. Carpenter wanted Peter Cushing to play Dr. Loomis, but his agent refused with the low salary. Christopher Lee would turn down the role, although he would later deem this as the biggest mistake of his career. Yablans then suggested Pleasence. For Laurie, Carpenter wanted Anne Lockhart, but she was busy. He decided to get Curtis, feeling that publicity would sell itself by casting the daughter of Janet Leigh from Psycho.
The film enjoyed a huge success in theaters. It quickly became a word-of-mouth sensation, and earned $70 million worldwide, becoming one of the most profitable horror films ever. It received acclaim, and has been named as a huge influence on the slasher genre. It would spawn a franchise, although Carpenter would not direct another installment ever again.

• Budget: $300,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $47,274,000. ($226.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $70,274,000.
  

The Fog (1980)

"Bolt your doors. Lock your windows. There's something in the fog!"
His fourth film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook. It tells the story of a strange, glowing fog that sweeps over a small coastal town in Northern California, bringing with it the vengeful ghosts of leprous mariners who were killed in a shipwreck there a century before.
While visiting England, Carpenter and Debra Hill witnessed an eerie fog rolling over the landscape from a distance. Carpenter decided to tie the fog to a an actual event, the wrecking of the Frolic, that took place in the 19th century near Goleta, California. However, Carpenter hated the film after watching a rough cut, and realized that he needed to reshoot more scenes in order to compete with the increasing horror market. Around one-third of the film was filmed during reshoots.
Thanks to its low budget, it was a great box office success, making $21.4 million domestically. While initial reactions were divided, its reputation grew with time.

• Budget: $1,100,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $21,448,782. ($81.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,448,782.
  

Escape from New York (1981)

"1997. New York City is now a maximum security prison. Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in is insane."
His fifth film. It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau and Harry Dean Stanton. Set in the near-future world of 1997, it follows a crime-ridden United States, which has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into the country's sole maximum security prison. Air Force One is hijacked by anti-government insurgents who deliberately crash it into the walled borough. Ex-Special Forces and current federal prisoner Snake Plissken is given just 24 hours to go in and rescue the President of the United States, after which, if successful, he will be pardoned.
Carpenter started writing the script after the Watergate scandal, inspired by Death Wish. No studio wanted to finance it, but the success of his previous films allowed him to finally make the project happen. The studio wanted a big star, but Carpenter was interested in Kurt Russell. Russell wanted the role to help him avoid being typecast for Disney comedies. Carpenter struggled to film New York within the film's $6 million budget, although he still had cooperation from the city in shutting down 10 blocks. Certain matte paintings were rendered by James Cameron, who was at the time a special-effects artist, and who also served as the director of photography at some points.
Carpenter enjoyed another box office success, as the film made $25 million domestically. It also received critical acclaim, and helped elevate Russell's career.

• Budget: $6,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $25,244,626. ($86.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $25,244,626.
  

The Thing (1982)

"Man is the warmest place to hide."
His sixth film. Based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr., it stars Kurt Russell, A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites. It tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", an extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any of them could be the Thing.
Producers David Foster Lawrence Turman approached Universal over adapting Campbell's novella. While there was an adaptation in 1951, they wanted something that would be more faithful to the source material. While the producers wanted Carpenter in 1976, Universal preferred the veteran Tobe Hooper instead. After Hooper failed to impress, and after the box office success of Halloween, Universal decided to hire Carpenter. This made The Thing his first film made under a big studio.
After Carpenter disliked the script drafts, he got Bill Lancaster to write the film. While he struggled in adapting the film, he made some changes. These included reducing the 37 characters to just 12, and choosing to open the film in the middle of the action, instead of using a flashback as in the novella. Lancaster aimed to create an ensemble piece where one person emerged as the hero, instead of having a Doc Savage-type hero from the start. Lancaster's original ending had both MacReady and Childs turn into the Thing. In the spring, the characters are rescued by helicopter, greeting their saviors with "Hey, which way to a hot meal?". Carpenter thought this ending was too shallow. He opted to end the film with the survivors slowly freezing to death to save humanity from infection, believing this to be the ultimate heroic act.
While the film was in pre-production, there was still no design on the effects needed for the Thing. Rob Bottin was assigned for the job, and he deduced that the creature had been all over the galaxy. This allowed it to call on different attributes as necessary, such as stomachs that transform into giant mouths and spider legs sprouting from heads. It required so much cooperation from the crew; it took 50 crew members to operate the Blair-Thing puppet. The team wanted the film shot in black-and-white, but Universal refused as they didn't want to risk losing television rights.
While Carpenter composed the scores for his films, he decided that the film needed an European musical approach. So he flew to Rome to speak with Ennio Morricone to convince him to take the job. By the time Morricone flew to Los Angeles to record the score, he had already developed a tape filled with an array of synthesizer music because he was unsure what type of score Carpenter wanted. Morricone wrote complete separate orchestral and synthesizer scores and a combined score, which he knew was Carpenter's preference. Carpenter picked a piece, closely resembling his own scores, that became the main theme used throughout the film.
1982 was a very tough time for horror, as Universal discovered that the audience's appeal for the genre declined by over 70%. But Universal was still having hope on the film, especially as they had a few successful test screenings. On top of that, the only competition was the still unrelease E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, and they expected that film to appeal solely to kids. However, after one market research screening, Carpenter queried the audience on their thoughts, and one audience member asked, "Well what happened in the very end? Which one was the Thing...?" When Carpenter responded that it was up to their imagination, the audience member responded, "Oh, God. I hate that." After returning from a screening of E.T., the audience's silence at a trailer of The Thing caused Foster to remark, "We're dead."
And Foster's fears were right.
The film disappointed in its opening weekend with just $3.1 million, ranking #8 and behind the fourth weekend of Poltergeist. With a huge amount of competition that summer, it didn't have staying power at the box office, finishing with just $19 million domestically, marking a box office failure. But the bad news didn't stay there. Not only very few people watched it, but nearly everyone who watched it hated it. The film received insanely negative reviews on its release, and hostility for its cynical, anti-authoritarian tone and graphic special effects. Carpenter also saw repercussions to his career. He was attached to direct an adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter, but Universal fired him after the poor reception of The Thing. His previous success had gained him a multiple-film contract at Universal, but the studio opted to buy him out of it instead. He also said that while he continued making films, he lost confidence.
As years passed, however, the film underwent through a re-appraisal. Once derided, the film found a second life as a huge milestone in the horror genre. It's now hailed as one of the greatest horror films ever made, as well as one of the most influential. Carpenter deemed it as his favorite film, although he lamented that it took years for the film to get the attention it deserved. He noted that his career would've been very different if the film was a success at first, although he also states he does not regret anything he made.

• Budget: $15,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $19,857,465. ($64.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $19,857,465.
  

Christine (1983)

"How do you kill something that can't possibly be alive?"
His seventh film. Based on the novel by Stephen King, it stars Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky and Harry Dean Stanton. It follows the changes in the lives of Arnie Cunningham, his friends, his family, and his teenage enemies after he buys a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine, a car that seems to have a mind of its own and a jealous, possessive personality, which has a bad influence on Arnie.
Carpenter was the first choice to direct the project, although he was working on two projects first. When those projects stalled, he agreed to direct. He said this was not a film he had planned on directing, saying that he directed the film as "a job" as opposed to a "personal project." This was because, after The Thing flopped, he needed something to maintain his career in Hollywood.
The film earned $21 million domestically, which was barely enough for the film to break even. It received a favorable response, although it didn't get the acclaim like his previous works.

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $21,017,849. ($65.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,017,849.
  

Starman (1984)

"He has traveled from a galaxy far beyond our own. He is 100,000 years ahead of us. He has powers we cannot comprehend. And he is about to face the one force in the universe he has yet to conquer. Love."
His eighth film. It stars Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, and Richard Jaeckel. It tells the story of a non-corporeal alien who has come to Earth and cloned a human body in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.
Carpenter was eager to shed his image as a maker of exploitative thrillers and make something new in his filmography. Despite receiving positive reviews, it barely passed its budget.

• Budget: $24,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $28,744,356. ($86.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $28,744,356.
  

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

"Jack Burton's is in for some serious trouble and you're in for some serious fun."
His ninth film. It stars Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The film tells the story of truck driver Jack Burton, who helps his friend Wang Chi rescue Wang's green-eyed fiancée from bandits in San Francisco's Chinatown. They go into the mysterious underworld beneath Chinatown, where they face an ancient sorcerer named David Lo Pan, who requires a woman with green eyes to marry him in order to be released from a centuries-old curse.
While 20th Century Fox was struggling with the film's tone and script, they decided to hire Carpenter as he could film very quick, giving him 10 weeks of pre-production. It didn't help that the film was competing against The Golden Child, a comedy starring Eddie Murphy with a similar theme. Carpenter made sure to accelerate filming so that the film could open months before The Golden Child. Carpenter envisioned the film as an inverse of traditional scenarios in action films with a Caucasian protagonist helped by a minority sidekick.
The film received very positive reviews from critics. But that didn't translate to box office success, as the film made a disastrous $11 million domestically, which was worse than any of Carpenter's films. After the commercial and critical failure of the film, Carpenter became very disillusioned with Hollywood and became an independent filmmaker.

• Budget: $25,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $11,100,000. ($31.6 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $11,100,000.
  

Prince of Darkness (1987)

"Before man walked the Earth... it slept for centuries. It is evil. It is real. It is awakening."
His tenth film. It stars Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, Jameson Parker, and Lisa Blount. It follows a group of quantum physics students in Los Angeles who are asked to assist a Catholic priest in investigating an ancient cylinder of liquid discovered in a monastery, which they come to find is a sentient, liquid embodiment of the son of Satan.
The film received mixed reviews, with some feeling the film did not accomplish its goals. But it was a much needed success at the box office for Carpenter.

• Budget: $3,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $14,182,492. ($38.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,182,492.
  

They Live (1988)

"You see them on the street. You watch them on TV. You might even vote for one this fall. You think they're people just like you. You're wrong. Dead wrong."
His 11th film. Based on the short story Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Nelson, it stars Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster. The film follows an unnamed drifter who discovers through special sunglasses that the ruling class are aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to consume, breed, and conform to the status quo via subliminal messages in mass media.
Carpenter acquired the film rights to both the comic book and short story and wrote the screenplay, using Nelson's story as a basis for the film's structure. Because the screenplay was the product of so many sources, Carpenter decided to use the pseudonym "Frank Armitage", an allusion to one of his favorite writers, H. P. Lovecraft. For the role of Nada, the filmmaker cast professional wrestler Roddy Piper, whom he had met at WrestleMania III earlier in 1987. For Carpenter, it was an easy choice: "Unlike most Hollywood actors, Roddy has life written all over him."
The film debuted at #1, although it dropped very quickly, it was still a small box office success for Carpenter. It received negative reviews for its social commentary, writing, and acting. However, its reputation grew with time, and it's now one of Carpenter's greatest films. And for having one of the best quotes in cinema history:

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."

• Budget: $3,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $13,447,978. ($35.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $13,447,978.
  

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)

"Women want him for his wit. The C.I.A. wants him for his body. All Nick wants is his molecules back."
His 12th film. Loosely based on the novel by H.F. Saint, it stars Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, Michael McKean and Stephen Tobolowsky.
Saint's novel attracted the attention of Chase, who bought the rights even though the novel wasn't finished. William Goldman was assigned to write the screenplay in the mid 1980s, by which time Ivan Reitman was attached to direct. While Reitman liked the script, Chase (who financed it as his passion project) disapproved and he decided to leave. Wanting less comedy, Chase approached Carpenter over directing the film. While Carpenter preferred being independent, he agreed to direct the film, especially after Chase vouched for him to the studio.
The film was panned by critics and was another box office dud for Carpenter. Carpenter would go on to say that the production of the film was very troubling and vigorous. While also battling studio executives, Carpenter claimed Chase and Hannah were "the stuff of nightmares" and "impossible to direct". In 2023, he said:

"It gave me a chance to make a quasi-serious movie. But Chevy Chase, Sam Neill — who I love and had a longtime friendship with — and Warner Bros. … I worked for them, and it was pleasant. No, it wasn’t pleasant at all. I’m lying to you. It was a horror show. I really wanted to quit the business after that movie. God, I don’t want to talk about why, but let’s just say there were personalities on that film … he shall not be named who needs to be killed. No, no, no, that’s terrible. He needs to be set on fire. No, no, no. Anyway, it’s all fine. I survived it."

Mmm, I wonder who is that "he" 🤔

• Budget: $40,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $14,358,033. ($31.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,358,033.
  

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

"Lived any good books lately?"
His 13th film. It stars Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, David Warner and Charlton Heston. It follows John Trent, an insurance investigator who visits a small town while looking into the disappearance of a successful author of horror novels, and begins to question his sanity as the lines between reality and fiction seem to blur.
The film received mixed reviews and was another bomb for Carpenter. But it has found some fans, who deemed it as an underrated piece of work.

• Budget: $8,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $8,924,549. ($18.8 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $8,924,549.
  

Village of the Damned (1995)

"Beware the children."
His 14th film. A remake of the 1960 film, it stars starring Christopher Reeve, Linda Kozlowski, Kirstie Alley, Michael Paré, Mark Hamill, and Meredith Salenger. The plot follows a small town's women who give birth to unfriendly alien children posing as humans.
The film was another critical and commercial dud for Carpenter. The film also marked the last theatrical performance by Reeve, before his paralysis. Carpenter described the film as a "contractual assignment" that he was "really not passionate about" and stated that it is one of his least favorite films that he's made as a director.

• Budget: $22,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $9,418,365. ($19.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $9,418,365.
  

Escape from L.A. (1996)

"Snake is back."
His 15th film. The sequel to Escape from New York, it stars Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Bruce Campbell, Peter Fonda, and Pam Grier. When a terrorist brainwashes Utopia, the daughter of the President, into stealing a detonation device, Snake Plissken is assigned to find the device and the girl in Los Angeles.
A sequel was stuck in development hell for years. Unsatisfied with the drafts, Carpenter and Russell decided to write the film themselves, along with Debra Hill. Carpenter insists that Russell's persistence allowed the film to be made, since "Snake Plissken was a character he loved and wanted to play again." Carpenter credited that same enthusiasm with motivating Russell's work on the script, declaring "I used his passion to do the movie to get him to write more".
The film received mixed reviews, who deemed it as inferior to the original. While the film made as much as the original in North America and was his highest grossing film in decades, it also carried a higher budget, so it was another flop for Carpenter. Time was kind to the film, and is considered as a worthy follow-up. Carpenter himself says that he is proud of the film, and even says is better than the original.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $25,477,365. ($50.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $42,377,365.
  

Vampires (1998)

"Prepare for the dawn."
His 16th film. Based on the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, it stars James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Maximilian Schell, and Tim Guinee. It follows Jack Crow, the leader of a team of vampire hunters. After his parents were murdered by vampires, Crow was raised by the Catholic Church to become their "master slayer". The plot is centered on Crow's efforts to prevent a centuries-old cross from falling into the hands of Jan Valek, the first and most powerful of all vampires.
After making Escape from L.A., Carpenter considered quitting as he stopped having fun with filmmaking. However, he was fascinated by the novel and set out to adapt it. After all potential actors turned down the offer to play Crow, he offered it to James Woods. Woods was interested in doing the film because he had never been offered a horror film before and wanted to try something new. The MPAA took issue with the film's over-the-top violence, threatening to give it an NC-17 rating unless some of the gore was cut. Ultimately, about 20 seconds of footage was cut from the film.
You can guess how it all went. Surprise surprise, another flop.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $20,308,772. ($38.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $20,308,772.
  

Ghost of Mars (2001)

His 17th film. It stars Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall and Joanna Cassidy. Set on a colonized Mars in the 22nd century, the film follows a squad of police officers and a convicted criminal who fight against the residents of a mining colony who have been possessed by the ghosts of the planet's original inhabitants.
Broken record but you are right: another bomb. Carpenter stated he was intentionally trying to make the film as over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek as possible. He claimed he was trying to make a mindless and silly, yet highly entertaining and thrilling, action flick where "the universe allows its characters and plot points to be silly without becoming full-fledged comedies."

• Budget: $28,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $8,709,640. ($15.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,010,832.
  

The Ward (2010)

"Only sanity can keep you alive."
His 18th and final film. It stars Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Laura-Leigh, Lyndsy Fonseca and Jared Harris. Set in 1966, the film chronicles a young woman who is institutionalized after setting fire to a house, and who finds herself haunted by the ghost of a former inmate at the psychiatric ward.
After Ghosts of Mars, Carpenter simply lost interest in filmmaking. In the meantime he had done two episodes for the anthology TV show Masters of Horror, and he said that the series reminded him of why he fell in love with the craft in the first place. Carpenter said that the script "came along at the right time for me", and he was particularly fascinated by how the film took place within a single location.
The film received a very limited run in theaters before hitting digital, so it became another flop and his lowest film ever. It also received poor reviews, and some lamented that this would be his swan song.

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $7,760. ($11,115 adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $5,351,580.
  

Other Projects

As mentioned, he is also a composer, having scored nearly all his films. He also scored the recent Halloween trilogy, even though he didn't write nor direct anything.
Many of his films have been remade and he doesn't care in the slightest. He has said that they can do whatever they want as long as he gets paid.

“I love it, if they are going to pay me money. If they pay me, it’s wonderful. If they don’t pay me, I don’t care. I think it’s unfair if they don’t pay me. I think everyone should pay me. Why not? I’m an old guy now and I need money. Send me money.”

The Future

Carpenter has not directed another film ever since. He has said multiple times that he feels burned out by the industry and he is not interested in returning to the director's chair. He said he would only return for a new film under three conditions: it needs a reasonable budget, plenty of time to prepare, and time off for the basketball season and the playoffs.
He said he is content with his current lifestyle. What's that lifestyle? In his words, "Get up late, watch a little news, play a video game, watch some basketball, go to bed." Ain't that the dream?

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Halloween	1978	Compass	$47,274,000	$23,000,000	$70,274,000	$300K
2	Escape from L.A.	1996	Paramount	$25,477,365	$16,900,000	$42,377,365	$50M
3	Starman	1984	Columbia	$28,744,356	$0	$28,744,356	$24M
4	Escape from New York	1981	AVCO	$25,244,626	$30,339	$25,244,626	$6M
5	The Fog	1980	AVCO	$21,448,782	$0	$21,448,782	$1.1M
6	Christine	1983	Columbia	$21,017,849	$0	$21,017,849	$10M
7	Vampires	1998	Sony	$20,308,772	$0	$20,308,772	$20M
8	The Thing	1982	Universal	$19,857,465	$0	$19,857,465	$15M
9	Memoirs of an Invisible Man	1992	Warner Bros.	$14,358,033	$0	$14,358,033	$40M
10	Prince of Darkness	1987	Universal	$14,182,492	$0	$14,182,492	$3M
11	Ghosts of Mars	2001	Sony	$8,709,640	$5,301,192	$14,010,832	$28M
12	They Live	1988	Universal	$13,447,978	$0	$13,447,978	$3M
13	Big Trouble in Little China	1986	20th Century Fox	$11,100,000	$0	$11,100,000	$25M
14	Village of the Damned	1995	Universal	$9,418,365	$0	$9,418,365	$22M
15	In the Mouth of Madness	1994	New Line Cinema	$8,924,549	$0	$8,924,549	$8M
16	The Ward	2010	ARC	$7,760	$5,343,820	$5,351,580	$10M

He made 18 films, but only 16 have reported box office numbers. Across those 16 films, he made $340,067,044 worldwide. That's $21,254,190 per film.

The Verdict

Not reliable. Not even close.
Well, he ain't known as a cult filmmaker for nothing. Carpenter didn't get the respect and appreciation he deserved at first, so he was often struggling to find an audience in theaters. Despite so many bombs, studios continued financing him, which is a welcome surprise. At least, he got to see that his once-reviled works are now an influential and beloved part of cinema. Now, as he puts it, his career would look far more different if The Thing wasn't a commercial and critical dud in its initial release. We can't theorize, for we don't know this kind of what if. But Carpenter built an impressive and memorable filmography, even if his later works represented some of the worst films he made.
And look, he is content with retirement. Playing video games and watching the NBA sounds like a good deal for anyone.
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Danny Boyle. One of Britain's most important directors.
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... Robert Zemeckis. He was one of the biggest filmmakers, now it's a surprise if he makes a hit.
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
April 29-May 5	Danny Boyle	It was a long wait, but 28 Years Later is finally happening.
May 6-12	Wes Craven	A horror legend.
May 13-19	Clint Eastwood	Great actor. Great director.
May 20-26	Robert Zemeckis	Can we get old Zemeckis back?

Who should be next after Zemeckis? That's up to you.

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Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Joel Schumacher's turn.
Schumacher had a difficult life as he was growing up. By the time he was 9 years old, he was already drinking alcohol and later used LSD and methamphetamine. At the time of his mother's death in 1965, Schumacher stated that his "life seemed like a joke" as he was $50,000 in debt, lost multiple teeth, and only weighed 130 pounds. However, in 1970, he stopped using drugs and became employed at Henri Bendel, where he said got his self-respect back. He started working in the industry as a costume designer, before moving as a director.
From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)

"Give or take an inch."
His directorial debut. It stars Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, John Glover, and Elizabeth Wilson, and follows a housewife who grows smaller and smaller in reaction to chemicals found in cosmetics and household products.
Originally, the film started filming with John Landis as director. In his version, the movie would have ended with the heroine giving a speech in Washington, D.C. when she was less than a foot tall. After a few days, he left as Universal chose to make budget cuts, and they hired Schumacher with a smaller scale.
The film received negative reviews, who unfavorably compared it to The Incredible Shrinking Man, the film it was lampooning. Even with the budget cuts, the film had a mediocre run at the box office, barely doubling its budget. But it's tough in blaming him for this, given that he only had a few days to prepare.

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $20,259,961.
  
• Worldwide gross: $20,259,961.
  

D.C. Cab (1983)

"When these guys hit the streets, guess what hits the fan."
His second film. It stars Max Gail, Adam Baldwin, Mr. T, Charlie Barnett, Gary Busey, Marsha Warfield, Whitman Mayo, John Diehl, Bob Zmuda, Timothy Carey, Bill Maher, and Irene Cara, and follows the misadventures of a group of unfortunate but streetwise cabbies working for a Washington, D.C., decrepit taxicab company.
Like the previous film, it received negative reviews for its writing and tone. It also barely doubled its budget, but Schumacher really needed to start making hits if he wanted to have a career.

• Budget: $8,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $16,134,627.
  
• Worldwide gross: $16,134,627.
  

St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

"The heat this summer is at Saint Elmo's Fire."
His third film. It stars Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Andie MacDowell and Mare Winningham, and centers on a clique of recent graduates of Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown University, and their adjustment to post-university life and the responsibilities of adulthood.
Schumacher said that the film struggled in finding a studio interested, with the head of a major studio calling the cast "the most loathsome humans he had ever read on the page." John Hughes recommended Estevez, Nelson and Sheedy after working with them on The Breakfast Club, and Schumacher had to push hard against the studio executives in casting them.
Like his previous films, it attained poor reviews. The good news, however, is that it would gross $37 million domestically, becoming his first hit. It's seen as an example of the Brat Pack movies.

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $37,803,872.
  
• Worldwide gross: $37,803,872.
  

The Lost Boys (1987)

"Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire."
His fourth film. It stars Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Corey Haim, Edward Herrmann, Barnard Hughes, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland and Dianne Wiest, and follows two teenage brothers who move with their divorced mother to the town of Santa Carla, California, only to discover that the town is a haven for vampires.
The co-writer, James Jeremias, said he was inspired by Peter Pan in the making of the script, "I had read Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, and in that there was a 200-year-old vampire trapped in the body of a 12-year-old girl. Since Peter Pan had been one of my all-time favourite stories, I thought, 'What if the reason Peter Pan came out at night and never grew up and could fly was because he was a vampire?"
Originally, Richard Donner would direct the film, which would carry a tone similar to The Goonies. In this way the film was envisioned as more of a juvenile vampire adventure with 13 or 14 year old vampires, while the Frog brothers were "chubby 8 year-old Cub Scouts" and the character of Star was a young boy. But Donner had to leave due to other commitments, so Schumacher replaced him. He came up with the idea of making the film sexier and more adult, bringing on screenwriter Jeffrey Boam to retool the script and raise the ages of the characters.
After directing poorly reviewed films, this was Schumacher's first film to receive a very good response. It was also a box office success, earning $32 million domestically.

• Budget: $8,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $32,222,567.
  
• Worldwide gross: $32,222,567.
  

Cousins (1989)

"Love at first sight. Consequences to follow."
His fifth film. A remake of the French film Cousin Cousine, it stars Ted Danson, Isabella Rossellini, Sean Young, William Petersen, Keith Coogan, Lloyd Bridges and Norma Aleandro. It follows two couples who go to a mutual friend's wedding and end up swapping partners.
The film drew mixed reviews, as many considered that it was an unnecessary remake. It made $22 million domestically.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $22,026,369.
  
• Worldwide gross: $22,026,369.
  

Flatliners (1990)

"Some lines shouldn't be crossed."
His sixth film. It stars Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Bacon, and follows five medical students who attempt to find out what lies beyond death by conducting clandestine experiments that produce near-death experiences.
The film drew mixed reactions, as critics felt it did not live up to its potential. But it was a box office success, earning $61 million domestically.

• Budget: $26,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $61,489,265.
  
• Worldwide gross: $61,489,265.
  

Dying Young (1991)

"She's giving him something nobody else could. A reason to live."
His seventh film. stars Julia Roberts, Campbell Scott, Vincent D'Onofrio, Colleen Dewhurst, David Selby, and Ellen Burstyn, and follows a caregiver who falls in love with a terminally ill man.
The film received negative reviews, with critics panning its melodramatic tone. But as the film starred Julia Roberts after the huge hit that was Pretty Woman, this was a box office success, earning $82 million worldwide.

• Budget: $18,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $33,669,178.
  
• Worldwide gross: $82,264,675.
  

Falling Down (1993)

"The adventures of an ordinary man at war with the everyday world."
His eighth film. It stars Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Frederic Forrest, and Tuesday Weld. It follows William Foster, a divorced and unemployed former defense engineer. It centers on Foster's trek across the city of Los Angeles as he attempts to reach the house of his estranged ex-wife in time for his daughter's birthday. Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with increasing violence and to make sardonic observations on life, poverty, the economy, and commercialism.
Screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith said that he wanted to make something that would represent the old times in modern times, "To me, even though the movie deals with complicated urban issues, it really is just about one basic thing: The main character represents the old power structure of the U.S. that has now become archaic, and hopelessly lost. For both of them, it's adjust-or-die time." While filming, the 1992 Los Angeles riots began, causing delays in the production.
The film polarized critics on its initial release, particularly for its violence and protagonist. But given that it had a reliable box office star like Michael Douglas, it was a huge success, earning almost $100 million. That makes it six box office successes in a row for Schumacher, so he was clearly doing something right. In subsequent years, the film's reputation would grow, thanks to its themes.

• Budget: $25,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $40,903,593.
  
• Worldwide gross: $96,903,593.
  

The Client (1994)

"A district attorney out for a conviction. A new lawyer out of her league. A young boy who knew too much."
His ninth film. Based on John Grisham's novel, it stars Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Renfro (his acting film debut), Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, Anthony Edwards, and Ossie Davis. It follows a young boy who witnesses the suicide of a mafia lawyer, and hires an attorney to protect him when the District Attorney tries to use him to take down a mob family.
The film drew positive reviews from critics. As John Grisham's adaptations were very popular, this film enjoyed success at the box office, earning $117 million worldwide. That's seven box office hits in a row for Schumacher.

• Budget: $45,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $92,115,211.
  
• Worldwide gross: $117,615,211.
  

Batman Forever (1995)

"Courage now. Truth always..."
His tenth film. The stand-alone sequel to Batman and Batman Returns, it stars Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, Michael Gough, and Pat Hingle. The film's story focuses on Batman trying to stop Two-Face and the Riddler in their scheme to extract information from all the minds in Gotham City while adopting an orphaned acrobat named Dick Grayson — who becomes his sidekick, Robin — and developing feelings for psychologist Dr. Chase Meridian.
We discussed this in Tim Burton's post, but here we go again. Batman Returns was a box office success, but it was still considered disappointing given the huge $150 million drop from the original. It also drew backlash from parents, who deemed the film too dark for their children. Even McDonalds said this as they recalled their Happy Meal tie-in, so Warner Bros. concluded that this was the biggest setback. As such, they fired Tim Burton from directing the follow-up film, although Burton agreed to stay as a producer.
Schumacher was chosen as the new director, and Burton gave him his approval. He was interested in adaptating Batman: Year One, and Michael Keaton was also enthusiastic about the proposal. But WB shot down that aspect, and the film's intended focus on a psychotic Riddler was altered for a lighter version. Producer Peter MacGregor-Scott represented the studio's aim in making a film for the MTV Generation, with full merchandising appeal. Schumacher mostly eschewed the dark, dystopian atmosphere of Burton's films by drawing inspiration from the Batman comic books of the Dick Sprang era, as well as the 1960s television series.
But the film faced a big challenge, as Keaton chose not to return as the title character after meeting with Schumacher. He opened up about it:

“I remember one of the things that I walked away going, ‘Oh boy, I can’t do this,’ [Schumacher] asked me, ‘I don’t understand why everything has to be so dark and everything so sad,’ and I went, ‘Wait a minute, do you know how this guy got to be Batman? Have you read… I mean, it’s pretty simple.’ One of the reasons I couldn’t do [‘Batman Forever’] was he, at one point, after more than a couple of meetings where I kept trying to rationalize doing it and hopefully talking him into saying ‘I think we don’t want to go in this direction, I think we should go in this direction.’ And he wasn’t going to budge.”

The search for a new Batman began, with Ethan Hawke, Keanu Reeves, Alec and William Baldwin, Dean Cain, Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell, Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Day-Lewis and Johnny Depp considered. The latter was heavily pushed by Burton, but Schumacher was not enticed with the idea. Val Kilmer, who as a child visited the studios where the 1960s series was recorded, and shortly before had visited a bat cave in Africa, was contacted by his agent for the role. Kilmer signed on without reading the script or knowing who the director was.
For Two-Face, despite Billy Dee Williams playing him in the original Batman, Tommy Lee Jones was chosen to play him here (at his son's insistence). Robin Williams and John Malkovich competed for the role of Riddler, which eventually went to Jim Carrey. Leonardo DiCaprio was offered the role of Robin but turned it down after meeting with Schumacher. Schumacher attempted to create a cameo role for Bono as his MacPhisto character, but both came to agree it was not suitable for the film.
During filming, Schumacher and Kilmer clashed over their creative differences. Schumacher described Kilmer as "childish and impossible," reporting that he fought with various crewmen, and refused to speak to Schumacher for two weeks after the director told him to stop being rude. He also said he was annoyed by Jones' behavior on set, which also upset Carrey. Carrey acknowledged that Jones was not friendly to him, and recounted an incident wherein Jones found him off-set during the production, and told him: "I hate you. I really don't like you... I cannot sanction your buffoonery."
The film opened with $52 million in its opening weekend, which was a record at the time. It eventually closed with $184 million domestically and $336 million worldwide, both numbers up from Batman Returns but still below the original Batman. But the film received mixed-to-negative reviews, and was unfavorably compared to Burton's films.

• Budget: $100,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $184,069,126.
  
• Worldwide gross: $336,567,158.
  

A Time to Kill (1996)

"A lawyer and his assistant fighting to save a father on trial for murder. A time to question what they believe. A time to doubt what they trust. And no time for mistakes."
His 11th film. Based on John Grisham's novel, it stars Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland. In Canton, Mississippi, a fearless young lawyer and his assistant defend a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his ten-year-old daughter, inciting violent retribution and revenge from the Ku Klux Klan.
It received a favorable response, although critics disliked the 149-minute runtime. Decades later, Samuel L. Jackson was highly critical of the film's editorial decisions, claiming big, emotional scenes for his character were removed, which "kept me from getting an Oscar." But as Grisham was popular, the film was a box office success, earning $152 million worldwide. That's nine box office successes in a row for Schumacher. And the next one is the guaranteed hitmaker Batman, so that should be ten, right?

• Budget: $40,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $108,766,007.
  
• Worldwide gross: $152,266,007.
  

Batman & Robin (1997)

"Strength. Courage. Honor. And loyalty."
His 12th film. The sequel to Batman Forever, it stars George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman and Alicia Silverstone. The film follows the eponymous characters as they attempt to prevent Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from taking over the world, while at the same time struggling to keep their partnership together.
After the success of Batman Forever, Warner Bros. quickly commissioned a sequel with Schumacher back. Schumacher wanted to pay homage to the work of the classic Batman comic books of his childhood. The story was conceived by Schumacher and Akiva Goldsman during pre-production on A Time to Kill. Portions of Mr. Freeze's backstory were based on the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Heart of Ice", but Goldsman expressed concerns about the script during pre-production discussions with Schumacher. Schumacher stated that he was given the mandate by the studio to make the film more toyetic, even when compared to Batman Forever. The studio reportedly included toy companies in pre-production meetings; Mr. Freeze's blaster was specifically designed by toy manufacturers.
O'Donnell reprised his role, yet Kilmer didn't. Whether if it was because he quit or got fired, that's anyone's guess. WB executive Bob Daly suggested George Clooney, then a main cast member of the megahit show ER, as the title character. Schumacher chose Clooney after seeing his performance in From Dusk till Dawn. Schumacher felt that Clooney "brought a real humanity and humor to the piece, an accessibility that I don't think anybody else has been able to offer" and that he strongly resembled the character from the comic books. Schumacher also believed that Clooney could provide a lighter interpretation of the character than Kilmer and Michael Keaton. Filming was accommodated so that Clooney could simultaneously work on ER without any scheduling conflicts.
Mr. Freeze was written specifically to accommodate Arnold Schwarzenegger's casting. To prepare for the role, Schwarzenegger wore a bald cap after declining to shave his head, wore a blue LED in his mouth, and had acrylic paint applied. The blue LEDs had to be wrapped in balloons after battery acid started leaking into Schwarzenegger's mouth. His prosthetic makeup and wardrobe took six hours to apply each day. The extensive time spent on Schwarzenegger's costume significantly restricted his shooting time as his contract was limited to 12 work hours a day. For all of this, Schwarzenegger was paid a colossal $25 million salary for the role.
The film opened with $42 million, which was considered disappointing given the record-breaking openings of the franchise. While those films legged out, this one didn't, and it closed with just $107 million domestically and $238 million worldwide. That made it a box office flop, given the $125 million budget (with some even saying it actually cost $160 million) and another $125 million spent on marketing. How could this happen? Wasn't Batman a flop-proof character? Now it bombs? What does that mean for the future of the franchise or comic books in general? Schumacher criticized "prejudicial prerelease buzz" online and false news reports as a cause for the film's poor commercial performance.
He blamed, but perhaps he should have looked at his own work. The film was panned by critics and audiences, who disliked the acting, story, effects, dialogue, tone, etc. The nipples seen on the character's costumes remain among the most defining and mocked aspects of the film. It would be named as one of the worst comic books ever, as well as one of the worst films ever made. Kevin Feige said that the film may be the most important comic book film ever made in that it was "so bad that it demanded a new way of doing things" and created the opportunity to make X-Men and Spider-Man in a way that respected the source material to a higher degree.
Schumacher, Goldman and Clooney have all apologized for the film and have come to regret their participation. Tim Burton recently said about WB's decisions, "You complain about me, I'm too weird, I'm too dark, and then you put nipples on the costume? Go fuck yourself." In contrast, Schwarzenegger and Thurman have said they loved the experience and don't regret being part of the film.
During filming, WB was impressed with the dailies, prompting them to immediately hire Joel Schumacher to return as director for a fifth film, scheduled to be released in 1999. It was going to be titled Batman Unchained and would feature the Scarecrow as the main villain, who, through the use of his fear toxin, resurrects the Joker as a hallucination in Batman's mind. Harley Quinn would appear as a supporting character, written as the Joker's daughter. Schumacher approached Nicolas Cage to portray the Scarecrow while Courtney Love was considered for Harley Quinn. After the failure of the film, WB canceled the project and put the franchise on thin ice. It took someone else to bring back the character to his glory days, but we'll get to that later on.

• Budget: $125,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $107,353,792.
  
• Worldwide gross: $238,253,988.
  

8mm (1999)

"You can't prepare for where the truth will take you."
His 13th film. It stars Nicolas Cage,Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, and Anthony Heald, and follows a private investigator who delves into the world of snuff films.
The film was panned for its lack of suspense, but as it had Cage at the prime of his career, it still earned almost $100 million worldwide.

• Budget: $40,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $36,663,315.
  
• Worldwide gross: $96,618,699.
  

Flawless (1999)

"Nobody's perfect. Everybody's..."
His 14th film. It stars Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Miller, Chris Bauer, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, and Daphne Rubin-Vega, and follows an ultraconservative security guard who suffers a debilitating stroke and is assigned to a rehabilitative program that includes singing lessons with the drag queen next door.
The film was panned, and it didn't come anywhere close to recouping its budget, becoming his lowest grossing film so far.

• Budget: $20,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $4,488,529.
  
• Worldwide gross: $4,488,529.
  

Tigerland (2000)

"The system wanted them to become soldiers. One soldier just wanted to be human."
His 15th film. It stars Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, Shea Whigham, Clifton Collins Jr., Thomas Guiry, and Cole Hauser. A group of recruits go through Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana's infamous Tigerland, last stop before Vietnam for tens of thousands of young men in 1971.
While it was well received, Fox dumped the project on very few theaters, making it a flop.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $139,692.
  
• Worldwide gross: $148,701.
  

Bad Company (2002)

"Two mismatched partners. One messed up case."
His 16th film. It stars Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock, and follows the assassination of an Ivy League-educated C.I.A. Agent during an operation, prompting the secret agency recruits his twin brother.
The film was originally slated to be released on December 25, 2001, but because of the 9/11 attacks, the film's release was postponed given the fact the film was about a terrorist attack on New York City. But it became a critical and commercial dud either way. This was his third flop in a row. Ouch.

• Budget: $70,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $30,160,161.
  
• Worldwide gross: $66,200,782.
  

Phone Booth (2003)

"Your life is on the line."
His 17th film. It stars Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker, Katie Holmes, Radha Mitchell, and Kiefer Sutherland, and follows a malevolent hidden sniper who calls a phone booth, and when a young publicist inside answers the phone, he quickly finds his life is at risk.
The project actually started development back in the 1960s, when Larry Cohen wrote a script for Alfred Hitchcock. He wanted to make something like Rope, but now set in a phone booth. Hitchcock liked the idea, but the project did not move forward, because the two men were unable to devise a plot which explained why the action had to be restricted to the one location. Cohen didn't come up with an answer until the 90s, when Hitchcock already died. Schumacher signed up, and the film's real-time aspect and split screens mirrored the show 24, which starred Sutherland.
The film was a much needed win for Schumacher. It was well received, and earned almost $100 million worldwide.

• Budget: $13,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $46,566,212.
  
• Worldwide gross: $97,837,138.
  

Veronica Guerin (2003)

"Why would anyone want to kill Veronica Guerin?"
His 18th film. The film stars Cate Blanchett, and focuses on Irish journalist Veronica Guerin, whose investigation into the drug trade in Dublin led to her murder in 1996, at the age of 37.
The film received mixed reviews, feeling the film didn't make any justice to the character. And it only earned half of its budget. sigh

• Budget: $17,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $1,571,504.
  
• Worldwide gross: $9,439,660.
  

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

"Her voice became his passion. Her love became his obsession. Her refusal became his rage."
His 19th film. Based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, which in turn is based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux, it stars Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver, Simon Callow, Ciarán Hinds, Victor McGuire, and Jennifer Ellison. A young soprano becomes the obsession of a disfigured and murderous musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opéra House.
The film received mixed reviews, although the film still hit $154 million worldwide, becoming one of his highest grossing films.

• Budget: $70,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $51,293,931.
  
• Worldwide gross: $154,674,241.
  

The Number 23 (2007)

"The truth will kill you."
His 20th film. It stars Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman, and Danny Huston, and follows a man who becomes obsessed with the 23 enigma once he reads about it in a strange book that seemingly mirrors his own life.
The film received awful reviews, although Carrey has praised the film as helping him expand into thriller territory. But it was a box office success, thanks to Carrey's star power.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $35,193,167.
  
• Worldwide gross: $77,677,553.
  

Blood Creek (2009)

"In the early '40s, Adolf Hitler believed the occult held the secret to immortality. Almost a century later, the nightmare has awakened."
His 21st film. It stars Dominic Purcell and Henry Cavill, and follows two brothers on a mission of revenge who become trapped in a harrowing occult experiment dating back to the Third Reich.
The film was poorly received and was dumped by Lionsgate, so it was just another bomb.

• Budget: N/A.
  
• Domestic gross: $0.
  
• Worldwide gross: $211,398.
  

Twelve (2010)

"No one needs anything here. It's all about want."
His 22nd film. Based on Nick McDonell's novel, it stars Chace Crawford, Rory Culkin, Curtis Jackson, Emily Meade, and Emma Roberts. The film follows a young drug dealer whose luxurious lifestyle falls apart after his cousin is murdered and his best friend is arrested for the crime.
Surprise surprise. Another critical and commercial dud.

• Budget: $5,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $183,920.
  
• Worldwide gross: $2,648,195.
  

Trespass (2011)

"When terror is at your door, you can run, or you can fight."
His 23rd and final film. It stars Nicolas Cage, Nicola Kidman, Ben Mendelsohn, Cam Gigandet, Liana Liberato, Jordana Spiro, Dash Mihok, Emily Meade and Nico Tortorella., and follows a married couple taken hostage by extortionists.
It was named among the worst films of the year, and was also a box office bomb. It was Schumacher's final film before his death in 2020.

• Budget: $38,700,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $24,094.
  
• Worldwide gross: $10,117,966.
  

Other Projects

He has also directed many music videos and TV shows. In the latter aspect, he directed two episodes of House of Cards in 2013, which were his final credits before his death.

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Batman Forever	1995	Warner Bros.	$184,069,126	$152,498,032	$336,567,158	$100M
2	Batman & Robin	1997	Warner Bros.	$107,353,792	$130,900,196	$238,253,988	$125M
3	The Phantom of the Opera	2004	Warner Bros.	$51,293,931	$103,380,310	$154,674,241	$70M
4	A Time to Kill	1996	Warner Bros.	$108,766,007	$43,500,000	$152,266,007	$45M
5	The Client	1994	Warner Bros.	$92,115,211	$25,500,000	$117,615,211	$45M
6	Phone Booth	2003	Fox	$46,566,212	$51,270,926	$97,837,138	$13M
7	Falling Down	1993	Warner Bros.	$40,903,593	$56,000,000	$96,903,593	$25M
8	8mm	1999	Sony	$36,663,315	$59,955,384	$96,618,699	$40M
9	Dying Young	1991	Fox	$33,669,178	$48,595,497	$82,264,675	$18M
10	The Number 23	2007	New Line Cinema	$35,193,167	$42,484,386	$77,677,553	$30M
11	Bad Company	2002	Disney	$30,160,161	$36,040,621	$66,200,782	$70M
12	Flatliners	1990	Columbia	$61,489,265	$0	$61,489,265	$26M
13	St. Elmo's Fire	1985	Columbia	$37,803,872	$0	$37,803,872	$10M
14	The Lost Boys	1987	Warner Bros.	$32,222,567	$0	$32,222,567	$8.5M
15	Cousins	1989	Paramount	$22,026,369	$0	$22,026,369	N/A
16	The Incredible Shrinking Woman	1981	Universal	$20,259,961	$0	$20,259,961	$10M
17	D.C. Cab	1983	Universal	$16,134,627	$0	$16,134,627	$8M
18	Trespass	2011	Millennium	$24,094	$10,093,872	$10,117,966	$38M
19	Veronica Guerin	2003	Disney	$1,571,504	$7,868,156	$9,439,660	$17M
20	Flawless	1999	MGM	$4,488,529	$0	$4,488,529	$20M
21	Twelve	2010	Hannover	$183,920	$2,464,275	$2,648,195	$5M
22	Blood Creek	2009	Lionsgate	$0	$211,398	$211,398	N/A
23	Tigerland	2000	Fox	$139,692	$9,009	$148,701	N/A

Across those 23 films, he has made $1,733,870,155 worldwide. That's $75,385,658 per movie.

The Verdict

It was surprising to see the results of his early films. He had nine box office hits in a row. Hell, even his first two films that bombed weren't really disasters. So while he wasn't always a critics darling, he really knew what the audience wanted to see. Batman & Robin, however, marked the beginning of the end for him. He was no longer synonymous with box office success, and more films started bombing. And like mentioned, he was never a critics darling, so some of his films have been panned and considered some of their year's worst films. It's not a bad filmography all round, it's just so inconsistent.
And when people claim "Batman is flop-proof", well there you have it. All it takes is one awful movie, and the character is no longer reliable. Nothing is guaranteed.
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Joel & Ethan Coen. Just as Drive-Away Dolls is coming up.
I asked you, and you chose to delay Christopher Nolan's post by 1-2 months. Fine with me. I'm in no hurry. I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... M. Night Shyamalan. The rise and fall and rise and fall and rise and fall...
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
February 19-25	Joel & Ethan Coen	You see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!
February 26-March 3	Bryan Singer	A tough one to write.
March 4-10	Kathryn Bigelow	Any Strange Days fan here? Hello?
March 11-17	M. Night Shyamalan	There's no adaptation in Ba Sing Se.

Who should be next after Shyamalan? That's up to you.