Having broken through to the mainstream and established himself as a fast-rising talent well worth keeping an eye on through his second feature Requiem for a Dream, expectations were high for Darren Aronofsky’s follow-up The Fountain, but things didn’t get off to a great start when the studio pulled the plug due to budget overruns.
Originally set to star Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, Warner Bros. balked at the projected $70 million price tag, an exorbitant amount for an existential sci-fi fantasy packed with symbolism and subtext. Seven weeks before the start of shooting, Pitt dropped out, and after Russell Crowe turned down the chance to step in, The Fountain was placed on ice.
Two years later, and with the production costs halved to $35 million, Aronofsky finally called action with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz in the lead roles, only to find box office disaster waiting on the other side. The Fountain earned a meager $16 million from theaters, while reactions were split on the filmmaker’s ambitious, unwieldy, ponderous, and pretentious epic.
In a surprising turn of events, though, the R-rated romantic drama that spans centuries has become one of the biggest hits on Disney Plus this weekend. Per FlixPatrol, The Fountain is the 21st top-viewed title out of every feature available on the Mouse House’s platform, something we definitely didn’t see coming.
It has at least gained a cult following in the 16 years since its initial arrival to a largely bewildered reception, but labeling it as a misunderstood masterpiece may be a step too far even for The Fountain‘s hardiest band of fanatics, but it isn’t entirely without merit.