The Island (1980 film)

Lore & Background

The film's production began with Richard Zanuck and David Brown paying Peter Benchley $2.15 million for film rights, a first draft screenplay, a guarantee of 10 percent of the gross, five percent of soundtrack sales, and approval of crew and locations—at the time the largest amount ever paid for film rights to any book. Benchley later claimed he could have retired if the film were more successful. Principal photography took place from May 14 to August 23, 1979, mostly on the islands of Antigua and Abaco, with the United States Coast Guard cutter Dauntless standing in for the fictitious USCGC New Hope. Some scenes were also shot in the British West Indies and Florida at Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Australian actress Angela Punch McGregor was cast after Michael Ritchie saw her in Newsfront.

Reader's Guide

The Island is a 1980 film that blends action, adventure, and horror, directed by Michael Ritchie and based on Peter Benchley's novel. Despite a high-profile production and a large budget, the film was a commercial failure, earning only $15 million against a reported budget of $22 million. Critical reception was mixed: on Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 50% approval rating based on eight reviews. Leonard Maltin gave it his lowest rating, calling it an 'absolutely awful thriller,' while Donald Guarisco from AllMovie praised Benchley's script as 'dark and witty' with 'gruesome violence, black humor.' The film received two nominations at the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Actor for Michael Caine and Worst Director for Michael Ritchie. Its legacy includes a DVD release in 2011 and a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack in 2012, and it remains a notable example of a big-budget oddity that failed to find an audience.

Did You Know?

• The film was based on a 1979 novel of the same name by Peter Benchley, who also wrote the screenplay.
• Richard Zanuck and David Brown paid Peter Benchley $2.15 million for film rights, at the time the largest amount ever paid for film rights to any book.
• The film was mostly shot on the islands of Antigua and Abaco, and the United States Coast Guard cutter Dauntless stood in for the fictitious USCGC New Hope.
• The film earned $15 million at the box office against a budget of $22 million.