Boll returning to low-budget projects

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted Jan 15, 2008 2:03 pm PT

Before its release, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale was billed as director Uwe Boll's ticket into big-league filmmaking. Budgeted between $60 and $70 million, the loose adaptation of the Dungeon Siege role-playing games was portrayed as an effects-heavy, Lord-of the Rings-style...

Before its release, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale was billed as director Uwe Boll's ticket into big-league filmmaking. Budgeted between $60 and $70 million, the loose adaptation of the Dungeon Siege role-playing games was portrayed as an effects-heavy, Lord-of the Rings-style fantasy in an extensive advertising campaign. The PR blitz didn't pay off, though. As a result, the film came in 14th place at the weekend box office, earning just over $3 million at over 1,600 locations.

In 2006, Boll blamed a similar chilly response to his big-screen version of BloodRayne on a bungled distribution effort. Today, though, speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, he admitted the Dungeon Siege film's failure would cause him to return to lower-budget projects like those he made in the past, such as House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark.

Boll, famous for his self-promotion and public confidence, saw the move as a positive development. "In the future, I will focus on small films such as Postal," he told the Reporter. "These are films that represent my true passion, and they can be done with small budgets." The forthcoming adaptation of the controversial Running With Scissors shooter is set for limited release in February.

The Hollywood Reporter gave another reason for Boll's new low-budget tack. Germany has closed the tax shelter loophole which allowed the Mainz-based filmmaker to acquire funding for films regardless if said films were profitable or not. But since Boll's low-budget films still make money, he has already begun preproduction on the film version of the still-unreleased Wii game Zombie Massacre. Boll also holds the film rights to Ubisoft's hit action series Far Cry.

212 Comments

  • senses_fail187

    Posted Aug 7, 2008 3:02 pm PT

    Uwe Boll gets his movie funding from a German tax loophole that is no longer open because he wastes so much of Germany's money. Which is why it states that he is going back to low budget movies.

  • RPGfred

    Posted May 23, 2008 9:05 am PT

    Lol, I hate that man so very very much.
    He's giving video games a bad name with these movies.
    If people saw some of the films he's making they'd think 'What a crap game that must be' - which is completely unfair considering he's going to make a Far Cry one. If it sucks, there will be an even larger angry mob at his house. If he lives in one.

  • CalibusTheCrab

    Posted Feb 17, 2008 4:59 am PT

    RussianMafia007 - Nah, I think Far Cry will probably be a little more sneeking around than going in guns blazing.

  • VampireXIII

    Posted Feb 5, 2008 9:38 pm PT

    Gosh these were actually pretty cool games, at least the ones i've played. It's pretty bad what he's doing, almost like there's some kind of agenda behind it all, conspiracy theory blah blah. I in no way approve of what he's doing but hey, now videogames are blatantly officially as worthy of academic criticizm as books. From "that movie wasn't as good as the book," we're now saying "that movie wasn't nearly as good as the game!" Sooo, who knows, i encourage everyone to actually send him real hate mail so he changes his job. Isn't there anyone out there more qualified to fill his stinky shoes?

  • sm0ke311

    Posted Jan 29, 2008 6:53 am PT

    boll sux and actors sux 2.

  • Beefman555

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 5:31 pm PT

    Uwe Boll is a stupid retarded moron...... whoever gave him the far cry rights should be shot in the head multiple times........ HOW THE HELL DOES HE KEEP GETTING THE RIGHTS......GO TO HELL UWE..... YOU ARE RUINING THE VIDEO GAMES INDUSTRY AND VIDEO GAME MOVIES!

  • diesil

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 9:15 pm PT

    dungeon siege was horrible i saw it 2 days ago and i didnt kno who was directing it if i figured out it was him i wouldnt of wasted my time or $7

  • BDL91

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 7:20 pm PT

    lol there goes the chance for farcry to be a good movie

  • Jandrobag

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 1:29 pm PT

    how does this monkey even get the money to make these turds? i could make something better with a budget of 5 dollers and a hand camera. Uwe Boll stop making movies! your a worthless piece of horse crap! just like your movies. please die!!!

  • WeWerePirates

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 7:56 pm PT

    Im going to say something about this other than I hate Uwe Boll and watch as I get negative ratings to dare do such a thing...

    Why do people hate him so much? I know he makes bad films, well I hear he does because I haven't seen any of them. Given his reputation if anyone spends their time or money to watch one of his films they have only themselves to blame. You can't really blame him for ruining licences because he is buying something essentially worthless otherwise, I mean honestly who else would make movie based on postal or even Blood Rayne? All movies based on games fit into the range of utter suck and moderately entertaining suck any way, not just Mr Boll's work. By all accounts even his output is about on par. Also you have to give the guy some cajones points for showing at PAX.

    I must really be missing something since so many people really do seem to hate the guy. So in my ignorance I'll just save my impersonal scorn for people who spread hate or commit genocide and the like.

  • sancezz

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 4:56 pm PT

    Lol. Good old Uwe, can always count on him for some entertainment - without ever watching one of his film, which I hope to God I never will.

  • IpodHero176

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 3:50 pm PT

    I wonder HOW he gets the money to do these movies. Who ever is giving him the funding needs to be fired and slapped in the face.

  • GreenC4T

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 3:26 pm PT

    Why does he continue to get rights for video games to turn into movies??

  • theshredmaestro

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 11:57 am PT

    Hmmmm everybody seems to know just of his bad movies but chances are they had never watched a movie he did that actually wasn't half bad it is called heart of america. (sigh......)

  • st_purple

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 6:52 am PT

    Nooo...Dear God Almighty....why himmmmmm....far cry in his hand ??? hell noooo.....why don't they just give him HALO and Crysis and Metal Gear, and Super Smash Bros....and see what happend....(sigh)

  • Nvidafan1983

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 6:34 am PT

    I was just thinking of a parody if MR T came after him Saying You Ruined My Video Games Fool now your in for a world of hurt,

  • catuta_rita

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 6:08 am PT

    Far Cry?
    Oh god!!
    I know the guy just loves videogames, but to turn them into horrible movies, no thanks!

  • theGrynch

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 5:39 am PT

    Good thing the German Government got on that tax loophole thing he was relying on. Guy is SUCH a douche. Terrible, terrible, terrible. I wish he'd give it up altogether.

  • Melfyce

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 4:54 am PT

    I think Jack Thompson gives the money to him

  • Brotto

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 4:53 am PT

    Uwe Boll = AHOLE

  • sieg6529

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 2:40 am PT

    his touch is like poison

  • dead888

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 1:51 am PT

    Hope he will leave the movie industrie someday !

  • pandaramaster

    Posted Jan 17, 2008 1:35 am PT

    Hmm, can't say I'm surprised about this revelation because the director's credibility has hit the minus section now, possibly -1500 chance of making a film that is actually quite good. Has anyone watched the Bonus round on Gametrailers.com with Uwe Boll, it is quite interesting because the guy is so far up his own ass it's quite funny. What's also of interest is how his movies keep making the money back, so someone there must like his movies.

    I agreed about his point with the House of The Dead movie. It's a zombie game about people killing and dying, so how can you turn that into a philosophical masterpiece? If I remember correctly, George A Romero did it with Night Of The Living Dead and proved that true horror films can be deep, meaningful and full of themes and messages. Oh I love Night of The Living Dead, it's one of the few horror films I like. So Uwe Boll, it can be done.

    But as long as the movies keep making money, he'll keep making them. But no one is forcing us to watch them so we shouldn't complain really. It's not our money and I won't be using my money to watch his films.

  • migi1688

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 11:48 pm PT

    hope he proves me wrong...

  • bramey

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 11:16 pm PT

    *Spoiler alert*

    I'm betting most of you haven't seen this movie. I did with my wife and honestly we had a blast. Mainly because we've never laughed so hard. Things to look for if you do go to see this:

    1) the actor playing the character bastian.... so horrible it's funny.
    2) the death of Burt Reynold's character filled the movie theatre with laughter. Yes, there were only 10 of us in the theatre, but everyone was laughing themselves silly.
    3) the actress playing the handmaiden to Leelee's character.... scary, seriously scary. You can't teach someone to act that poorly.
    4) Note that when the king's army makes the announcement that the enemy has no archers, one is left scratching their head why they chose to fight in a forest AND why the king's army only fires arrows when the enemy is at about 20 feet away. This was primarily poor camera angles.
    5) There seems to be a bad costume flaw with the main evil wizard. It's like this fantasy movie had "The Gap" nearby.
    6) Ninjas, hilarious.
    7) In order to give the audience an epic-like tale, he smashed all the details of Lord of the Rings into a 2 hour film. Each scene is no longer than 25 seconds and you're lept to some other scene. No one has time to move or act before the camera cuts away to another location.

    Now to some of the actually good things in this movie:
    1) the special effects of wizards traveling like they're in dust really is good.
    2) Ron Pearlman actually does a decent job.
    3) The king's good wizard is played by the actor who did Gimli (the dwarf) in Lord of the Rings. His acting is decent.
    4) Jason Statham pulled off some above average fight sequences. They could have been great, but the evil army just couldn't keep up with him.
    5) Cotumes (with the exception of Liotta's character) were really good.

    It just seems like Boll didn't know how to direct this type of film, and so went off to find some actors that he felt he didn't have to direct. The only problem was that he clearly went for the way an actor looks rather than if they could act the part. The movie has 4 or 5 actors who even if they aren't great, really seemed to put their heart into the film. And these actors are surrounded by actors who are devoid of any acting talent or just don't have any business being in a fantasy film. Reynolds is such a key example of the later, his portrayal of the king was similar to his acting in Smokey and the Bandit. If anyone has seen a stage production of a Shakespeare play may see some of the WAY over the top acting from a handful of other actors.

    Honestly, the film had a much better chance of succeeding if the following would have happened:

    1) Get a couple of unknown independant movie actors to replace the following cast: Reynolds, Liotta, Leelee's handmaiden, and Bastian. This would do two things... improve the acting and reduce the cost of the salaries of the film. 2) Tone down the stage acting of the general of the king's army.
    3) Reduce the jumping around in the film. It made it hard to believe some of the character's actions. For example, allegiances change over nothing.
    4) Choreograph the large orc-like horde so the epic battles don't look like they're taking place on 2 acres of land.
    5) Remove the ninjas, they are the jar-jar binks of the film.
    6) Fire any costume designers who had anything to do with Liotta's costumes.
    7) Tone down Lilliard's character. It was like having Jim Carey in this kind of film. Minus the funny. Lilliard could still portray the role, the character just needs to take it down a notch..

    I know that Boll probably doesn't read these postings, but seriously, I'd jump on board and help him, if for no other reason then I'd like to see a good gaming film come out of it.

  • EricaWildebeest

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 11:14 pm PT

    Has anyone actually seen this movie "In the Name Of the King blah blah blah"? Or are we just basing our comments on the box office takings? It might be good

  • Sylas_Jacks

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 9:49 pm PT

    Boll? I'm guessing we'll see him again. I'm sure he'll make the next Sci Fi Channel movie thriller. In fact, I predict In the Name of the King will be on Sci Fi within the next year. Ok, sorry Sci Fi fans. This is a Boll rant comment bored, not low budget-scifi channel-movie/mini-series complaint athon. Anyway, terrible, terrible stuff. Even the trailer I saw looked low grade. Bad move.

  • runstalker

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 8:25 pm PT

    It's unfortunate that Jason Statham agreed to work with Uwe "The Toilet" Boll. Statham's career was moving along briskly, thanks to fun cult hits Snatch and Crank. Someone should have warned him about Uwe.

  • kakashi_00x000

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 6:55 pm PT

    Man I love this guy!

    ...wait, I lied.

  • gp3tron

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 6:50 pm PT

    dont worry people, he WILL screw up Fear Effect AND Far Cry, but, maybe, JUST MAYBE, these will be two sacrifices that will be worth it. He may never get the chance to get to direct ANY worthwhile game Franchise EVER AGAIN. I hope...

  • ZERO52

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 6:49 pm PT

    Hey Mr. Boll

    If you butcher the Farcry movie, we are going to butcher you!

    Sincerely gamers

  • imortiferus

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    vaejas said "If it hasn't already been coined, let's coin it now shall we: Low-Boll-ing"

    LOL, Brilliant!!!

  • VFG

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 6:29 pm PT

    Who the hell keeps watching this guy's movies? And who the hell keeps paying him to make these crappy movies?

  • wargraymon

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 5:46 pm PT

    I thought Boll was a low-budget project.

  • FrankenLife

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 4:20 pm PT

    Man makes bad movies. These bad movies make no money, and infuriate movie watchers. Man looses support from people with lots of money........How is this news? He should just be slotted into the billions of people strong group of people who don't count. Unfortunately he has been given movie rights to game licences, so we hear about him on a gaming website. Would it not be a good idea for a gaming publication(online or otherwise) to start a petition to stop giving this man movie rights. I don't think it would be very difficult to get hundreds of thousands if not millions of signatures of 18+ gamers to stop the signing of movie rights over to this guy.

  • rockatanski

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 4:19 pm PT

    This man is the worst film maker in the world. He is far worse than Ed Wood because Ed Wood was a passionate mental case. Uwe however, is an absoloute imbecile. None of his films are good and all of them are ruining the reputation of these great computer games. I want to thank Germany for shutting down the tax-loophole that Uwe has repeatedly raped for many years but at the same time it is very sad, because a lot of genius German film makers have now missed out..

  • mechworrior762

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 4:17 pm PT

    What RussianMafia007 said. LOL.

  • Lelio316

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 3:41 pm PT

    Haha. I want to meet the idiots that gave this man $60 million.

  • jakob_187

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 3:19 pm PT

    Stupid me...almost forgot. HE ALSO OWNS THE MOVIE RIGHTS TO LEGACY OF KAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • nobeaner

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    A lot of video games should not be made into movies IMO. House of the Dead? Never. I actually liked Silent Hill, but I think that was because they took more liberties with the story and stayed pretty true to the World of Silent Hill 2.

  • SevenOfEleven

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 3:05 pm PT

    Saw Alone in the dark on the sci fi channel and it was an ok watch. The plotline was a billion miles away from the original series though. Did not play the games but I do remember when they came out. Saw House of the dead too and it was ok, would have been better if they took out the scenes from the game and the music video like battle in the cemetary. Did play the game so I know the movie was not like the game. Also saw Bloodrayne and it was ok too. Did not play the game but I know the movie was not like the game.

    Since I did not pay to see these movies either by renting or going to the movies, I might be a bit less biased. I feel your pain though, I watched the Wing Commander movie.
    Played all except the 4th one. So I was very disappointed with the movie. The ships were awful, looked like WW I fighters. I figure that most of my disappointment came from the fact that I was expecting the movie to be like the game. Its not the game, I am not behind the joystick, Matthew Lillard or someone else is. Do his movies suck because they are not like the games or they are just bad movies period?

    Are people unhappy because Alone in the dark is not like the original game or House of the dead is not like the original game?

    To be fair, lots of games have almost no depth.
    You don't play Doom for its character development.
    I bet ID does not have a detailed bio on the space marine.

    How much background info is in House of the Dead or BloodRayne?

    Alone in the dark could have more background info but I wonder how much?

    I know that there are fans of the LOTR books who give Peter Jackson grief and he tried very hard to do a good job. Books and movies are not the same. We are very lucky to get the version we have now, if you do not believe me, I will just mention the Rankin Bass version. Fanboys/Fangirls want it to be just like whats in their heads and that is not going to happen.

    Maybe no one can make a good game movie even if they tried very hard because games and movies are not the same. So If you are listening Mr Boll, make up your own stuff or get good writers. Its pretty easy.

    1. Sympathetic Hero(s)
    2. Bad guy(s)
    3. Crazy goings on.
    4. Love interest -optional
    5. Big fight at the end that resolves almost everything.

    The hero does not have to be likeable just as long as he is not like the bad guy. Watch Sopranos episodes or that movie in which Danny Glover plays a serial killer if you want to go there.

    Make sure that the viewers have feelings for the chars or it will be like the first Final Fantasy movie where I did not care about the people until they started dying. Make it number one that the viewers care about the good or less bad chars or its will be like Final fantasy.

    Keep banging away with this formula and you too can get something of value eventually. Maybe even Oscar worthy stuff *Gasp*.

  • ShotGunBunny

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:57 pm PT

    Uwe Boll is the one proof that Satan is real and that he has kids.

  • HardBUCKSHOT

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:44 pm PT

    its not over til its over with this guy.

  • TrueIori

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:43 pm PT

    Who are the nimrods that let this guy make films let alone who want to act in his movies. Why Ubisoft gave him the right to make a Fry Cry movie? If people stop giving him movie rights to games then we wont hear more from this idiot.

  • nightfend

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:29 pm PT

    "Back to low budget"??? But wait, Dungeon Siege was pretty damn low-budget looking to me. About the only good thing in the movie was the female actors and the special effects.

  • jmartin1016

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:08 pm PT

    Who sells this man food and shelter. Uwe Boll should write and direct a movie about himself. One that explains his motivation to constantly make these terrible movies again and again. At least that would be a movie that deserves to suck.

  • jazilla

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:03 pm PT

    How did Burt, Jason, Ray and Leelee end up in this?!?! he must pay his actors a grip. I don't understand how actors can look at a script like this and say, "Boy, I really have to be in this! Especially after all of the wonderful fims Uwe has maed! I must be the luckiest actor in the world!"

  • rossignol

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 2:03 pm PT

    Uwe Boll's(I asume pronounced Ewie balls) got into a bar fight disputing the fact that video game movies suck. Unfortunatly for him he was the only one on his side of the argument so it was a 30 vs 1 fight. Next day headlines read -"Uwe Bolls throughly licked.""

  • p00phead

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 1:43 pm PT

    stop making crap uwe balls

  • zbaird

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 1:39 pm PT

    Or how about Boll doesn't return to anything that has to do with movies?

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