Initially viewed as a significant disappointment, the MacGruber film, based on a Saturday Night Live (SNL) sketch, has since achieved a cherished status among film enthusiasts. Lorne Michaels’ legendary sketch comedy series has historically launched various characters into feature films, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. Iconic successes such as The Blues Brothers, Wayne’s World, and Bob Roberts set a high bar for SNL spin-offs, showcasing the potential of these beloved sketches on the big screen.
However, the ensuing years witnessed a decline in the box office viability of SNL-derived films. Despite some modest successes—such as A Night at the Roxbury and Superstar—many adaptations, including Coneheads and It’s Pat, fell flat at the box office. The harsh reality was that while some films gained lasting popularity on home media, others struggled to find an audience, resulting in a mixed legacy for the franchise.
MacGruber’s Box Office Struggles: A Journey for Will Forte
Lessons Learned: The Importance of Creative Integrity
The last film to emerge from the SNL universe was the 2010 release of MacGruber, which translated the popular MacGyver parody sketch into a feature-length action comedy. Will Forte not only reprised his role but also co-wrote the script alongside Jorma Taccone and John Solomon. The film, featuring a cast that included Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, and Val Kilmer, garnered mixed reactions from critics and ultimately grossed only $9.3 million against a $10 million budget, marking it as a commercial failure.
Reflecting on this experience during an episode of First We Feast’s Hot Ones, Forte expressed that the immediate aftermath of the film’s release was challenging. Despite the initial disappointment, he and his team chose to focus on their pride in the movie. Forte stated, “After a couple of weeks, we said, ‘You know what, f—k it. We love this movie,'” emphasizing the value of creative authenticity. This ethos remains a vital lesson for creatives in an industry driven by commercial expectations.
The main thing that I learned from that experience, because we were very weirdly proud of that movie, as disgusting as it is. We got to make the exact movie that we set out to make. It bombed, and it was very hard, but knowing, “Oh, this was the exact movie we wanted to make” made it so much easier. After a couple of weeks, we said, “You know what, f—k it. We love this movie, let’s not let these headlines of ‘MacGruber Bombs’ taint this experience for us. Let’s just be proud of what we did.” Do the movie you want to make, not try to make decisions for other people. If you’re making the decisions for yourself, you can live with it, no matter what happens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITj3o5T4Szc
Evaluating MacGruber’s Journey: Box Office vs. Cult Status
Embracing Cult Status Over Box Office Numbers
Given that **MacGruber** was only Forte’s second leading role, following his work in **The Brothers Solomon**, the film’s poor performance understandably weighed heavily on him. Nonetheless, it stands that MacGruber performed better financially than several previous SNL films, such as It’s Pat, which recorded an embarrassing $61,000 at the box office against an $8 million budget. The comparison of MacGruber’s performance to other SNL films reveals the varying degrees of success and critical reception in the table below:
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score | Box Office | Production Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Blues Brothers | 71% | 92% | $115.2 Million | $27.5 Million |
| Wayne’s World | 79% | 84% | $183.1 Million | $20 Million |
| Coneheads | 37% | 38% | $21.2 Million | $33 Million |
| It’s Pat | 0% | 29% | $60,822 | $8 Million |
| MacGruber | 47% | 35% | $9.3 Million | $10 Million |
Ultimately, as Forte highlighted, the essential takeaway is that they were able to create **MacGruber** authentically, a significant achievement in a studio-driven environment. Its cult following has developed over the years, even attracting accolades from influential figures in the industry, such as filmmaker Christopher Nolan. The enduring popularity of projects like **Hot Rod** parallels this narrative, showing that financial losses do not always equate to a lack of impact.
In a testament to the film’s legacy, a **MacGruber** sequel series premiered in 2021, earning praise from both audiences and critics alike, showcasing approval ratings of 85% and 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. While it might be disheartening to see the movie struggle during its initial release, Forte’s enduring pride and insightful lessons affirm the importance of creative integrity for all filmmakers.
Source: Hot Ones