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Universal Pictures might be having the worst nightmare, after the bold decision they took not so long ago. The production company sold Demi Moore’sThe Substanceto MUBI, only for the film to go on and win a prestigious award at Cannes, earning widespread critical acclaim, and rake in $70M worldwide, far surpassing its budget.
According to reports from the film’s visionary director, Coralie Fargeat, Universal took the decision not because of money troubles but perhaps because of power play. After multiple on-set issues and post-production troubles, as Fargeat refused to change the ending, Universal seemingly let goldmine slip right through their fingers. Now, with the movie shaping up to be an Oscar contender, Universal might just have to bite their fingers.
Coralie Fargeat recalled troubles under Universal Pictures
Following the Cannes Film Festival screening of Demi Moore’sThe Substance, the movie turned into one of the year’s best films and even became an indie success. But while the outcome seems phenomenal, the film’s director Coralie Fargeat will tell you how the production journey was filled with obstacles.
Demi Moore Reveals One Scary Thing ‘The Substance’ Had in Common With Her 1990 Blockbuster
According to Coralie Fargeat’s interview withLe Point, the filmmaker described her experience of filmingThe Substance, by stating “it was my Apocalypse Now”.Admitting how after six months of shooting Universal Pictures began interfering with her vision, Fargeat opened up about her chaotic journey.
Coralie Fargeat noted how problems with the film began quite early afterRay Liottatragically passed away during production (viaIMDb). Thereafter, although the actor was replaced by Dennis Quaid, it led Fargeat to shoot around 20 or 30 takes of the same scene. And as she refused to speed up, that’s where her issues with Universal began brewing.
The director even admitted to having certain fights with the film’s leadDemi Moore, during production. But the last nail in the coffin was hammered by Universal after they claimed to be “worried about the prospect of releasing the film”. So much so that the studio insisted on extensive recut of not just the whole film, but also the “disgusting” ending, after 18 months of post-production.
Universal sellingThe Substanceto MUBI became their biggest fumble
Well, according to Coralie Fargeat, after “two unnamed male executives and one unnamed female representative from Universal” attended the test screening, one of the male executives hated the film. It was apparently his idea to ask for recuts and insist on changing the ending ofThe Substance.
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But thankfully, the filmmaker’s contract had her getting the final cut which allowed her to express her vision in whichever way she wanted. However, this didn’t sit well with Universal Pictures. The studio, originally supposed to distribute the film, surprisingly stepped away from the project, selling it to MUBI, weeks before the Cannes Film Festival screening.
As per reports fromDeadline, while Universal madeThe Substancewith less than $18M budget, MUBI acquired worldwide rights to the film for $12.5M. Demi Moore’s movie further went on to win an accolade at Cannes, garner critical acclaim, and even earned an impressive $70M worldwide.
And now, Demi Moore’sThe Substanceis waiting to get a potential Oscar nod, ahead of the award season. It seems that perhaps Universal Pictures made quite the bold and wrong decision. In case the film gets a nomination and goes on to win the coveted award, the studio will face its biggest fumble of the year.
The Substanceis currently available to watch on MUBI.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3218
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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