Battleship (film)
A naval battle against an extraterrestrial fleet.
Battleship, a 2012 American military science fiction movie, takes its loose inspiration from the Hasbro board game of the same name. Peter Berg co-produced and directed the film, with a screenplay by Jon and Erich Hoeber. The cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna (making her feature film debut), Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano, and Liam Neeson. The story centers on a small group of warship crews who must fight an alien naval fleet to stop its destructive plans. The movie had its premiere at Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Stadium on April 3, 2012, and Universal Pictures released it in the United States on May 18. Critics generally panned the film, and it performed poorly at the box office, earning $303 million worldwide against a production budget of $209–220 million. This loss of $150 million for both Universal and Hasbro ranks it among the biggest box-office bombs ever.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Peter Berg
- Producer
- Brian Goldner / Scott Stuber / Peter Berg / Sarah Aubrey / Duncan Henderson / Bennett Schneir
- Writer
- Jon Hoeber / Erich Hoeber
- Based On
- Battleship · Hasbro
- Starring
- Taylor Kitsch / Alexander Skarsgård / Rihanna / Brooklyn Decker / Tadanobu Asano / Liam Neeson
- Music
- Steve Jablonsky
- Cinematography
- Tobias A. Schliessler
- Editing
- Colby Parker Jr. / Billy Rich / Paul Rubell
- Studio
- Hasbro Studios / Bluegrass Films / Film 44
- Distributor
- Universal Pictures
- Released
- 3 April 2012 · Yoyogi National Stadium · 2012 · 05 · 18 · United States
- Runtime
- 131 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was greenlit with a production budget of $150 million but went through a troubled pre-production. Universal at one point considered canceling the film, which would have resulted in a $30 million loss. However, new chairman Adam Fogelson decided the studio would lose less money if they increased the budget of the film instead of outright cancelling it. Filming was set to take place in Australia's Gold Coast in 2010, but changed location due to a lack of Australian government tax incentives and a high estimated budget of $220 million. Filming took place in the United States on the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Oʻahu, as well as on the mainland in order to film a few apartment scenes in Sherman Oaks, California. A driving scene and a shootout were filmed in Playa del Rey, California. Some scenes were also filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Further filming was done on the decommissioned Iowa-class battleship USS Missouri. Featured in the film were the real-life guided missile destroyers USS Benfold, USS John Paul Jones, and USS Sampson, all of which are active members of the US Navy Pacific Fleet. The JS Myōkō, a Kongō-class destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, also appeared in the film. The Science & Entertainment Exchange provided science consultation for the film.
Reader's Guide
Battleship received generally negative reviews and flopped at the box-office, grossing $303 million worldwide against a production budget of $209–220 million, losing both Universal and Hasbro $150 million and making it one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time. The film is notable for being loosely based on the Hasbro board game of the same name, and for featuring Rihanna in her feature film debut. The production faced significant challenges, including a troubled pre-production where Universal considered canceling the film, and a location change from Australia to the United States due to tax incentive issues. Despite its commercial failure, the film utilized real naval vessels and the decommissioned battleship USS Missouri for authenticity. The Science & Entertainment Exchange provided science consultation for the film.
Did You Know?
- The film is loosely based on the Hasbro board game Battleship.
- Rihanna made her feature film debut in this movie.
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