So what went so wrong? According to director Henry Selick and others involved, the answer lies in a catastrophic case of studio interference and behind-the-scenes chaos. Selick has since broken his silence on the project, revealing that the version of Monkeybone released in theaters is not the film he originally set out to make.
: Despite its initial box office failure, Monkeybone has gained a niche following for its "neo-expressionist" style and its place in the broader 2000s trend of "movie movies"—films that were deeply weird and technically experimental. Legacy of the Film monkeybone2001
: The story follows Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser), a successful but stressed cartoonist whose creation, "Monkeybone," is a manifestation of his wilder, darker impulses. Following a car accident that leaves him in a coma, Stu finds himself in "Down Town," a surreal limbo populated by nightmares and mythical figures. So what went so wrong
However, production was plagued by misfortune. The studio executive who greenlit the film was fired. Subsequently, audio issues at initial screenings sent the film into "editing hell," where the studio brought in Chris Columbus to supervise extensive cuts. Fraser himself later described the film as "the most expensive arthouse movie that 20th Century Fox ever made," adding, "It was like the keys got handed to the inmates on that movie". : Despite its initial box office failure, Monkeybone
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: Brendan Fraser, Bridget Fonda, Chris Kattan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rose McGowan.