It has been 25 years since the release of “Armageddon” by Michael Bay, a film that holds interest for various reasons. This was the director’s first major disaster film, and despite his reputation for impressive but not always intelligent scripts, it turned out to be quite successful at the box office.
At the time, Bay was 33 years old and had already directed notable films like “Bad Boys,” a solid representative of the “buddy-movie” genre in the 1990s, and “The Rock,” arguably the brightest action-thriller of the late 20th century, featuring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, and Ed Harris. It’s no surprise that when Touchstone needed a director for a new mind-blowing spectacle combining science fiction and disaster, they turned to him.
The development of the film’s screenplay involved many different people, ultimately totaling nine, although only five were credited. The original script was written by J. J. Abrams, who initially played the role of a typical “literary ghost” but was later acknowledged as a co-writer of the screenplay.
The film starred Bruce Willis, who was already famous for his roles in films like the “Die Hard” series, “The Fifth Element,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” and Terry Gilliam’s “12 Monkeys.” Interestingly, Willis was sent to shoot Bay’s series as a form of punishment.
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At the time, Willis was working on a romantic comedy called “Broadway Brawler,” which ultimately remained unfinished. After numerous days of work, the actor caused a scandal by stating that the project was going nowhere, resulting in most of the film crew being fired. The director, along with Willis and the remaining crew members, tried to salvage the project, but it was ultimately halted. The main concern for the studio was the amount of money already spent on the film. However, an agreement was reached, and Willis agreed to star in three more Disney productions for a significantly lower salary than his usual rate at the time.
The casting process for the film was extremely interesting. One such case was Billy Bob Thornton, who initially had no interest in participating in such expensive productions but was eventually convinced. On the other hand, Steve Buscemi took on the role of a noble scientist to break away from his typical casting as small-time criminals or psychopaths. However, when the film’s screenwriters learned of his involvement, elements matching his stage persona were quickly added.
Ben Affleck also faced challenges on set and had a discussion with the director about the script’s lack of rationality. He questioned why the film’s heroes were oil workers who needed to be adapted to work in space instead of teaching astronauts how to drill. This comment angered Michael Bay, who told him to be quiet. Affleck also had difficulties with the romantic storyline connecting his character with Liv Tyler’s character. The kissing scenes were challenging for them because they had known each other since childhood, and this relationship was not in the original version of the script. It was supposedly added after the success of “Titanic” to capitalize on the commercial potential of such a storyline. Michael Clarke Duncan, who was relatively unknown at the time, received a breakthrough role in his career and came up with the famous line: “Come and get Papa Bear!” which earned him a new nickname.
An important aspect of the creation of “Armageddon” was the opportunity to shoot the film on an actual oil rig, which seemed impossible at the time. However, Michael Bay managed to persuade the facility’s management, aided by the fact that the workers in the film become the heroes who save the world from destruction. The patriotic subtext of the screenplay also helped convince NASA to allow the film crew to work in parts of their buildings that are typically off-limits to civilians. It is estimated that during filming, the crew worked with equipment worth up to $19 billion.
Michael Bay’s explosive spectacle was released in theaters on July 1, 1998, and achieved tremendous success. However, it also faced sharp criticism from critics at the time. Notably, Roger Ebert, one of the most influential critics, called Michael Bay’s work “an attack on the eyes, ears, brain, common sense, and natural desire of a person to be entertained.” He included the film in his list of the worst films of the decade.
However, the success of “Armageddon” is not only measured in its millions of dollars in profit but also in its impact in subsequent years. The film received four Oscar nominations, including one for the memorable song “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith, performed by Liv Tyler’s father, Steven. On the other hand, it also received seven Golden Raspberry Awards, with Bruce Willis being named the worst actor in 1999.
Source from www.playground.ru