Theodore Rex (film)

For the 2001 biography of Theodore Roosevelt, see Theodore Rex (book).
Theodore Rex

Theodore Rex DVD cover
Directed by Jonathan Betuel
Produced by Richard Gilbert Abramson
Sue Baden-Powell
Written by Jonathan Betuel
Starring Whoopi Goldberg
Armin Mueller-Stahl
George Newbern
Kenneth Londoner
Music by Robert Folk
Cinematography David Tattersall
Edited by Steve Mirkovich
Rick Shaine
Distributed by New Line Cinema
Release dates
 Germany:
December 1995[1]
United States/Canada:
July 2, 1996[2]
Japan:
July 27, 1996
United Kingdom:
August 26, 1996
Running time
 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $33.5 million[3][4]

Theodore Rex, also known as T. Rex,[5][6] is a 1995[1] buddy cop/science fiction/family film written and directed by Jonathan Betuel and starring Whoopi Goldberg. Though originally intended for theatrical release, the film went direct-to-video, and consequently became the most expensive direct-to-video film ever made at the time of its release.[7][8][9]

The film was not well received,[6][10] and saw Whoopi Goldberg being nominated for Worst Actress at the 1996 Golden Raspberry Awards (as well as for Bogus and Eddie), where she lost to Demi Moore for both The Juror and Striptease.[11] Despite this, it was listed on the Billboard "Top Video Rentals" list for three weeks in August 1996, peaking at #34.[12][13][14] It is the first, and so far only, direct-to-video movie to receive any sort of Razzie nomination.[15]

Plot

In an alternate futuristic society where humans and anthropomorphic dinosaurs co-exist, a tough police detective named Katie Coltraine (Whoopi Goldberg) is paired with a Tyrannosaurus named Theodore Rex (George Newbern) to find the killer of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals leading them to a ruthless billionaire bent on killing off mankind by creating a new ice age.

Cast

Puppeteers

Voices

Additional Voices provided by Billy Bowles, Rodger Bumpass, Jennifer Darling, Denise Dowse, Bill Farmer, Anne Lockhart, Sherry Lynn, Mickie McGowan, Patrick Pinney, and Philip Proctor.

Reception

Theodore Rex received negative reviews from critics and audiences. Super Reviewer Luke Baldock called it "a horrific mess of a movie. It starts with an opening crawl and narration that tells us 'Once upon a time in the future...' already it's losing me."

In a 2015 interview to Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Goldberg stated that this is the only film she regrets ever having done: "Don't ask me why I did it, I didn't want to", she said.[16]

Goldberg lawsuit

Though Whoopi Goldberg had made a verbal agreement to star in the film in October 1992,[1] she attempted to back out. Abramson filed a US$20 million lawsuit against Goldberg, which they settled very quickly. Goldberg agreed to star in the film for $7 million,[3] $2 million more than the originally agreed-upon amount.[7]

One of the attorneys on the case described this as being similar to the legal battle of Kim Basinger when she backed out of the film Boxing Helena.[7]

Distribution

The film was originally intended for theatrical release in North America; New Line Cinema initially wanted to release it to coincide with Goldberg's hosting stint at the Academy Awards that year.[1] New Line ultimately decided that it was in their best interests to release the film direct-to-video. This decision came as a result of failed test screenings in Las Vegas, Memphis, Portland and Providence.[7][17] The film's $33.5 million budget made it the most expensive direct-to-video release at that time.[7]

The international distributors to whom New Line had pre-sold the rights to the film adopted a different release strategy by distributing theatrically in every country except the United States and Italy.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Blowen, Michael (1996-06-30). "'Rex': Extinct on the Big Screen". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  2. ↑ Blowen, Michael (1996-06-30). "Mel Brooks' 'Dracula' is just not batty enough; THE MOVIE SECTION / Video Watch". The Boston Globe. p. B31.
  3. 1 2 Love, Dennis (1996-04-04). "'Rex' Headed for Extinction?". People. UPI Newswire.
  4. ↑ Dutka, Elaine (1996-04-11). "Whoopi's Dino Disaster; Test Audiences Reject $ 33.5 Million Family Comedy". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 33.
  5. ↑ "Filming in the U.S.". Daily Variety. 1994-11-18.
  6. 1 2 Griffin, Gil (1997-10-23). "Reading Whoopi Goldberg like a 'Book'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. E-1.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Cox, Dan (1996-04-08). "New Line's dino pic extinct from bigscreen". Daily Variety. p. 9.
  8. ↑ Hubert, Andrea (2008-06-14). "The incredible sulk". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
  9. ↑ Wilkinson, Jack (1996-07-27). "What's new on the home video scene". United Press International.
  10. ↑ Meyers, Randy (1999-02-02). "Direct hits: Lucrative video arena attracting first-run, first-rate". Contra Costa Times.
  11. ↑ Scott, Vernon (1997-01-23). "The Hollywood Reporter". UPI Newswire.
  12. ↑ "Top Video Rentals". Billboard. 1996-08-10.
  13. ↑ "Top Video Rentals". Billboard. 1996-08-17.
  14. ↑ "Top Video Rentals". Billboard. 1996-08-24.
  15. ↑ http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2012/08/09/10-terrible-dinosaur-films-that-should-be-extinct/
  16. ↑ http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ilustrada/2015/02/1594281-nao-ha-muito-espaco-para-negros-por-ai-diz-whoopi-goldberg.shtml
  17. ↑ Klady, Leonard (1996-07-01). "Theodore Rex". Daily Variety. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
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