CEBU, Philippines - During an interview at the American Magazine Media Conference in New York City, actor and MSNBC host Alec Baldwin admitted that the 2012 movie version of the musical “Rock of Ages†in which he starred in wasn’t exactly top-notch.
“It was a complete disaster,†he said of the ‘80s rock song inspired film directed by Adam Shankman. “A week in you go, ‘Oh god, what have I done?†He went on to explain the process of realizing the film was in trouble as “The plane is buffeting, the engine is on fire.â€
Baldwin also referred to the project as a “horrible movie.†The film grossed a little bit over $38 million domestically and around $21 million internationally, failing to recoup its reported $75 million budget.
Of course, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The stage show has been a huge success on Broadway since opening in 2009, even expanding to a Las Vegas residency and several international touring productions.
Baldwin explained that he was drawn to the role because of the high caliber of talent attached, including Shankman and a cast that included Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Mary J. Blige, Julianne Hough, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Ackerman, and Diego Boneta.
It’s a role that Baldwin reportedly tried to escape doing. In 2011, two weeks before shooting was set to begin, he dropped out. According to Deadline however, studio head Toby Emmerich said that it was true that he had asked the studio to replace him “if at all possible,†but it was because the actor had a newly discovered medical condition. Baldwin eventually rejoined the cast.
Baldwin also used the interview to share his thoughts on the overall state of the film industry right now. “They only want ‘Spider-Man,’†he declared, noting that 50 years ago, studio heads would’ve laughed at the idea of comic book characters carrying the box office. (FREEMAN)