In case you missed it, there was a disaster of a super hero movie released two months ago called ‘Fantastic Four’ that barely anyone saw and those that did, largely hated. But while most actors associated with such a huge turkey would quietly lie low and wait for people to forget it, Kate Mara seems to be facing the flop head-on. Mara is currently promoting a movie that is surely destined to be a big hit, Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’ with Matt Damon in the lead. Of course, Mara can’t avoid questions or remarks about her recent dud. During an interview just a couple of days ago, Mara admitted that she hadn’t even seen ‘Fantastic Four’ which she described as a “shit movie.”
Then more recently, she appeared along with fellow ‘Martian’ co-stars Sebastian Stan (a.k.a. Bucky/The Winter Soldier in the ‘Captain America’ movies) and Michael Peña (comic relief Luis in ‘Ant-Man’). When it was pointed out that all three had appeared in super hero movies, Mara sarcastically replied:
“Mine was the biggest success. I just want to put it out there.”
When Stan remarked that he hadn’t seen ‘F4’, Mara quipped:
“Neither did most of the world.”
Mara expressed happiness over appearing in ‘The Martian’, a film already receiving praise. She admitted, not so subtly, that she had “certainly been a part of movies that people are not very thrilled about [before they opened].”
Mara was not ‘F4’ director Josh Trank‘s choice to play the role of the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm. But Mara had a standing agreement with 20th Century Fox, so the studio forced Trank to cast her in exchange for agreeing to Trank’s choice to play Reed Richards, Miles Teller, a selection the studio didn’t care for. Those who have seen the movie have pointed out that Mara’s Sue gets short shrift in the film and even criticize the fake-looking blonde wig she had to wear in scenes that were filmed after principle photography had wrapped and Mara had chopped off her longer locks for another role.
One can’t fault Mara for owning the fact that she was in a box office dud, and diffusing any jokes at her expense by making them first.
Or is she, in a sense, biting the hand that feeds her? Would being more diplomatic be seen more favorably? Are directors more or less likely to want to work with someone who isn’t in it for the good AND bad times?
What do you think? Should Mara be free to dis her Fantastic Fail? Or should she grin and bear it?
‘The Martian’ directed by Ridley Scott opens on October 1st, 2015 and also stars Matt Damon, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig, Jessica Chastain and Donald Glover.
Source: Cinema Blend