Serenity, a new film with a bonkers twist starring Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey, hasn’t been getting the kindest reviews from critics or fans since its January release. But shitty feedback is reportedly not the source of the main strife shared between the duo and the studio that distributed the film, Aviron, if this intel from Deadline is to be believed. Per the outlet, the actors are reportedly “furious†at the studio for canceling their full campaign to promote the film, which included “a junket and as many late-night and daytime talk shows as would have them.†Owing to Serenity’s poor reception, Aviron decided it was in their best interest to divert the intended funds somewhere else, with Hathaway and McConaughey being “fed excuses†and dealing with “a lot of unreturned calls†when they sought answers for the lack of promotion. McConaughey, apparently, was “breathing fire†over this betrayal.
In a statement to Deadline, Aviron expressed disappointment that Serenity didn’t find an audience, saying it would’ve been “irresponsible†to spend money that wouldn’t have produced guaranteed results. “We tested and retested the film, and sadly, the data demonstrated that the film was not going to be able to perform at our initial expectations, so we adjusted our budget and marketing tactics accordingly,†the statement read. “Regardless of the spend, it’s next to impossible for an adult-skewing drama to overcome a 23 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a D+ CinemaScore.†Despite the “best intentions†for Serenity, Aviron added, they just wished the “box office results were better.†That twist, though, is still pretty top-notch.