John Travolta Movie ‘The Forger’ A Bust, Goes Straight To Video After Two Years In Limbo
John Travolta has a bust in The Forger, with the heist film headed straight to video after two years in Hollywood limbo.
The art heist movie was filmed in Boston two years ago, but the studio just announced its release this week. The Travolta flick will debut on DirecTV on March 26, then will get a limited theatrical release in late April before heading to video on demand.
The movie is about an aging art prodigy who has to steal a Monet painting from the Museum of Fine Art and then replace it with a forgery.
The Forger got some poor reviews, with Variety noting that the performances seemed uninspired.
“The cast also seems to be going through the motions. Travolta looks great for 60 — maybe a little too good for a hard-luck type like Ray — but nonetheless seems pretty silly at moments like the one where we’re supposed to buy his beating up several burly young tattoo-parlor toughs. Sheridan, so good in ‘Mud,’ ‘Joe’ and ‘The Tree of Life,’ is as listless here as the material. Other turns range from the unconvincing (Spencer) to the overripe (Plummer) to the routine (everyone else). Tech and design aspects are pro if undistinguished.”
The Hollywood Reporter piled on as well, taking a shot at Travolta’s performance.
“The opening shot in ‘The Forger’ is of a haggard John Travolta sitting in a prison cell, and the despair etched into his face suggests the actor might already be contemplating how wrong he is for this role.”
Variety had predicted that despite the big name in Travolta, The Forger would likely head straight to video.
“Home-turf theatrical biz is likely to be flaccid, although cast names and genre elements will make this a viable if uninspired ancillary and minor theatrical item in most territories.”
It has been a difficult stretch for John Travolta. One year after famously flubbing Idina Menzel’s name at the Academy Awards, Travolta had another Oscar night embarrassment when he awkwardly surprised Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet, putting his arm around her and giving her a kiss.
Awkward alert! John Travolta gives Scarlett Johansson a smooch at the #Oscars…and her reaction is priceless: http://t.co/I9YL2owRCJ
— E! Online (@eonline) February 23, 2015
The John Travolta movie The Forger heading straight to video is quite a loss for Saban Films, which paid $2.5 million at Toronto International Film Festival for the domestic distribution rights.
[Image via Saban Films]
