Actress and director Bryce Dallas Howard says she can usually sense when a film is headed for failure—even while it’s still in production. In a recent interview with The Independent, Howard opened up about her experiences working on both box office hits and notable flops.
“You can always see it coming while you’re making it,” she said. “I’ve never been shocked when something doesn’t work. But I’m just an actor. You’re there to serve a director’s vision. If a movie doesn’t turn out how you imagined, it’s hard to be disappointed—it’s not your project. You’re not the one building it.”
Howard has starred in major franchises like Jurassic World, where each of the three films earned over $1 billion worldwide. She’s also directed several episodes of hit Star Wars series, including The Mandalorian. However, her career includes misfires as well, such as Lady in the Water and 2024’s Argylle.
Howard noted that her father, director Ron Howard, reacts more emotionally to a film’s poor performance. She recalled how he once turned to Clint Eastwood for advice after the 1992 box office disappointment Far and Away, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
“Clint told him, ‘Ronnie—a career is like a season of television. You’ve got 24 episodes. Some will be bad, some just okay, and maybe five will really stand out and last,’” Howard said.
One of Bryce’s biggest flops came with Argylle, a $200 million spy comedy directed by Kingsman filmmaker Matthew Vaughn. Despite a star-studded cast—featuring Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Cena—the film earned just $96 million worldwide. Howard played the lead role of a novelist who gets caught up in a real-life spy mission.
Vaughn was candid about his disappointment in the film’s poor reception. In an interview with Empire, he said: “Fuck yeah,” when asked if the negative reviews had upset him. “We had test screenings that went fantastically well. The premiere was fun, and I got caught up in the excitement. I thought it was a fun, feel-good movie. We didn’t make Citizen Kane, but the reviews were vitriolic. I didn’t think the movie was offensive. That took me by surprise.”
Argylle is currently available to stream on Apple TV+.
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