'Fantastic Four' reboot: Reasons that may have led to film's poor reception

The “Fantastic Four” reboot is making headlines recently for its bad reviews among viewers and fans of the classic comic series. In an effort to understand what reports have called as a major flop, various theories, including the conflict between movie director Josh Trank and 20th Century Fox, have surfaced.

Entertainment Weekly has narrowed down some of the possible reasons why “Fantastic Four” has received negative reviews following its premiere on Aug. 7. The publication claims it’s likely that both 20th Century Fox and Trank were at fault. On the director’s side, personal problems had supposedly mixed in with his work commitments that he was becoming difficult to work with.

EW claims the disagreement was not about creative difference but rather on Trank's behaviour. It was rumoured that the director treated the crew, the studio and the producers and even the stars unkindly. Trank's behaviour was reportedly brought by accusations claiming he had purposely wrecked the house he was renting over disputes with the landlord. Sources say his frustration eventually affected the production.

Back in November 2014, a user revealed to the Louisiana-based message board Tiger Droppings that Trank trashed the house the studio has rented out for him. He reportedly also acted irresponsibly on the “Fantastic Four” set, showing up so late, so high, or he doesn’t show up at all.

Trank also clashed with Fox’s production president Emma Watts, according to EW. The studio was reportedly being indecisive and was meddling with his choices. The publication cited sources who claimed Fox "delayed the casting and script approvals." The studio also cut down the production budget from its original agreed amount during the development phase. It's believed Fox also had to require some last-minute script changes while official photograhy has already started.

The “Fantastic Four” script was reportedly not finalised until late in pre-production. Even during filming, there were sudden changes that had to be done during reshoots, which stalled workers who were building sets, making costumes and prepping the movie.

Rotten Tomatoes called the “Fantastic Four” reboot as “dull and downbeat” and lacking its iconic humour and colourful action thrills. Screenrant claims moviegoers are discouraged from watching the film because of negative word-of-mouth. In his defence, Trank said on Twitter that he had a “fantastic version” of the film a year ago that would have gained rave reviews.

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