Fantastic Four (1994): the “film that should not have been seen by any human being”

More than thirty years before Marvel went out of its way to recover its characters scattered at 20th Century FOX or Sony, the firm did not have an in-house studio and did not hesitate to resell the film rights to its superheroes to the highest bidder, just to bring in a little cash during a financially complicated period.

Updated February 17, 2024: Marvel revealed this week the casting of the new Fantastic Four which will join the MCU in 2025. After the two Tim Story films released in 2005 and 2007, then the 2015 reboot, this will be the third cinema version of the famous strip of Marvel superheroes. If we omit the very first attempt at adaptation, produced by Roger Corman, which was filmed but never released. A staggering and shameful story that we told you a few years ago when the Fantastic Four by Josh Trank.

Article from August 9, 2015: We are in 1983 when the German producer Bernd Eichingerextremely wealthy boss of the production company Neue Constantin, arrives at Stan Lee. He wants to make a film about the Fantastic Four and asks about the price. No chance, Marvel needed the wheat so much that it had already sold the Human Torch to Universal in 1977. Eichinger, a big fan of comics, did not want to acquire an amputated team and preferred to let it go. He takes his trouble patiently and returns three years later, when the character has finally returned to the fold of the House of Ideas. Without Johnny Storm having been used even once by the competition.

The producer succeeded in obtaining the rights to Fantastic Four for the ridiculously low sum of $250,000 (in 1985, Marvel sold Spider-Man to Cannon Films for $225,000). A golden deal, but the budget necessary to make a film worthy of the name would have been surreal. Eichinger then lets the years pass, until he wakes up in 1992, realizing that the rights expire on December 31.

He tries to discuss an extension with Marvel, who categorically refuses. Logically, the firm realized in the meantime that its characters could bring in a lot of money, like what DC Comics had managed to do with Superman and Batman. “They hated this deal. They realized they could sell Marvel properties for much more.“, assures Eichinger. So the businessman has a genius idea: he is going to launch the production of a broke and insignificant film before January 31, just to be able to keep the rights to the characters.

Roger Corman, specializes in low-cost budgets, is hired three months before the deadline. In one weekend, he did his little calculations and thought he could manage to put the film together for a mere million dollars. The only requirement from the producer/director is to start filming as late as possible, just to take advantage of the little time he has left. He outright proposes December 31, which annoys Eichinger a little, who doesn’t want his stratagem to seem too obvious in the eyes of Marvel. The cameras will therefore turn on on the 28th of the same month.

A director is quickly chosen, in this case the fanboy Oley Sassonewho had distinguished himself with quite a few clips and small productions, such as Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight. “I didn’t even have to think before accepting“, assures the young man from New Orleans, who grew up reading comics. His dream was coming true but he actually had no idea where he was going. Eichinger wants to save money and has no idea Above all, he didn’t need big names for his production. He then hired second-rate actors, who agreed to shoot for a measly 3,500 dollars per week. Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staab And Michael Bailey Smith are chosen to play the Fantastic Four, while Joseph Culp is hired for the role of Doom.

Filming took place primarily at Concorde Studios in Venice, Los Angeles. An old abandoned sawmill converted inexpensively by Bernd Eichinger in 1980: the place is full of rats and cockroaches, the rain runs from the roof… To spend a little less, the decorations used are those old films, rearranged in a hurry. The actors realize that these conditions are not entirely normal for a production of this type, but they convince themselves that by doing their best, Fantastic Four will be a launching pad for their careers.

“It felt like we were making a real movie.“, entrusts Jay Underwood. Twenty-one days later, the cheap adaptation of Marvel characters is in the box. Stan Lee, who has been on the set several times, seems excited. Post-production will last months, for a final result that is more than hazardous in terms of special effects. The composers of the soundtrack actually spend their own money to record it. Surrealist.

A film to “burn”

In the summer of 1993, promotion began with trailers shown in cinemas and broadcast on cassettes of other broke Roger Corman productions, such as Carnosaur. The cast makes the rounds, appears at San Diego Comic-Con and at popular geek conventions. The world premiere is scheduled for January 19, 1994, in Minneapolis. Then everything collapses, after a few phone calls. Fantastic Four will not come out. “This film“, summary Stan Lee“should not have been seen by any human being. What’s tragic is that those who worked on it didn’t know it“.

The actors learn the news, hear the rumor that Eichinger never intended to put the feature film in theaters. They are enraged (“I don’t understand why they weren’t honest enough to tell us from the start.“, will say Michael Bailey Smith). We will never really know if the producer made his decision when he saw the finished version of the film or if his plan was written when he started filming. One thing is certain, however: in 1993, Avi Arad – famous producer who helped put the Marvel films back on the right path with Spiderman And X-Men – give Eichinger a call. Worried that Fantastic Four does not ruin the franchise for the big screen, he offers to reimburse him for everything the film cost and to buy back the rights. Which Eichinger accepts, making a small fortune in the process.

Arad confirmed this in an interview in 2002, saying that he “spent a few million dollars” to can “burn” the film. Literally, or almost, since he had all available copies destroyed and did not watch any of them. Unluckily (or by chance?), one of them, the origin of which remains unknown , slips through the cracks and sees itself copied and recopied. The film is on sale at all geek conventions, can be bought on eBay and soon achieves immortality thanks to the Internet. But the story doesn’t stop there, since Eichinger still has the rights to a “big” film The Fantastic Four, and he will not hesitate to use them. In 1994, he signed Chris Columbus for a $40 million adaptation. The project does not move forward and the director ends up leaving, replaced in turn by others (Peyton Reed, Sean Astin, Peter Seagal…), but production, started in 1996, is stalling. However, rumors speak of George Clooney in Mister Fantastic, Jessica Simpson in Sue Storm or Tim Robbins in Doom.

Still alive

It was ultimately only in 2005 that the first “real” version of the Fantastic Four at the cinema, under the direction of Tim Storywhich has a budget of $100 million. Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis And Julian McMahon form the cast, while Stan Lee is credited as executive producer and makes a cameo in the film. Avi Arad, Chris Columbus and of course Bernd Eichinger are the producers. A small success, with 330 million dollars collected at the worldwide box office. Enough to offer it a sequel in 2007, which it failed severely (289 million dollars in revenue for 130 million budget), marking the end of the franchise on the big screen until 2015, and the not very reassuring reboot of Josh Trank. This time, alone Avi Arad And Stan Lee are on the list of producers.