German director Uwe Boll will return to low-budget filmmaking now that his latest and biggest production, the $70 million fantasy epic In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, bombed at the box office.
The $3 million opening marked the third flop in a row for Boll, whose BloodRayne and Alone in the Dark also failed to deliver theatrically.
Reached at his home in Mainz, Boll said the results from “King” mean he will be unable to continue with big-budget productions.
“In the future, I will focus on small films such as (the video game adaptation) ‘Postal’ or (the Vietnam war drama) ‘Tunnel Rats,’ ” he said. “These are films that represent my true passion, and they can be done with small budgets.”
Despite a number of critical and commercial drubbings, Boll has been able to finance bigger budget films through German tax shelter funds. But “King” marked the last film to be bankrolled by his fund, which, like all similar tax shelters, has been banned in Germany.
Boll will now have to finance films the old-fashioned way — with presales. Given the director’s record, that could prove difficult.
The German director has also lined up a decidedly pulpy title for his next adaptation — the video game shoot ’em up Zombie Massacre.
