Becoming a major actor leads a performer to a great number of things, one of which is a monster salary that grants them a life of comfort. Whether it is on television or on the big screen, studios and networks will pay someone a premium if they feel that they can lead their project to glory.
Steve Carell is a talented performer who has had hit movies and hit shows, including The Office. Carell has done great stuff on television, yes, but he has also made millions while being hilarious on the big screen. At one point, he was paid millions of dollars for a film that lost a fortune.
Let's look back at the misfire that paid Carell bank.
Steve Carell Is A Television Legend
Film and television are both viable places for a performer to thrive, and while many will hit it big on one, there are some who find success on both. Steve Carell is an example of someone who has done well in film and television, but really, the man is a television legend thanks largely to The Office.
Carell was a perfect choice to play Michael Scott on the classic series, and he left a permanent mark on audiences with his performance on the show. Even now, The Office is still a hugely popular series, and most fans note that his absence later on created a void that was never quite filled.
As great as The Office was for Carell in helping him become a star, the man did find success on the big screen, as well. Earlier in his career, movies like Bruce Almighty, Anchorman, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin helped set him up for success. Eventually, he anchored the Despicable Me franchise, and he also landed in movies like Horton Hears a Who!, Get Smart, Date Night, and more.
Years ago, while Carell was still in the midst of his run on The Office, he was paid millions for the chance to star in a sequel film that seemingly had loads of potential.
He Made $5 Million For 'Evan Almighty'
2007's Evan Almighty was certainly an interesting choice of a project for the studio to fund, but they clearly thought that it was a great move to make. Serving as the sequel film to Bruce Almighty, sans Jim Carrey, Evan Almighty was tackling a modern, CGI-filled take on the story of Noah's Ark.
Featuring performers like Carell, Lauren Graham, Morgan Freeman, and John Goodman, Evan Almighty was trying desperately to capitalize on the success of Bruce Almighty and the red-hot small screen success of Carell, who was reaching a new level of fame as Michael Scott on The Office.
It has been reported that Carell was paid a whopping $5 million to take the lead in the movie. While he had success on the big screen already, Carell was still primarily known as a television star. The 40-Year-Old Virgin showed that he could be the lead in a hit comedy, and the studio invested heavily into the actor and the film's budget.
Instead of sailing into theaters and becoming a massive hit like Bruce Almighty did years prior, Evan Almighty stumbled out of the gate and wound up sinking rapidly while losing an unthinkable amount of money.
The Movie Lost Up To $100 Million
So, how big of a flop was Evan Almighty? Well, let's just say that there is a reason why virtually no one talks about this movie ever.
Before jumping into the actual box office numbers, it is important to note that, while this movie did have the benefit of a successful predecessor, it was slammed by critics. It currently holds a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 52% fan rating shows that few people actually liked this movie.
According to Bomb Report, "After the film bled red ink, Universal canceled the Japan release and it was dumped straight to video, which was the final market left to open. The worldwide total was $173.4 million, leaving Universal with about $95.3 million after theaters take their cut — making Evan Almighty one of the biggest box office wipeouts of all time. The picture lost at least $100 million after ancillary sales."
Ouch. There was no other way to frame it, this movie was a certified disaster, but thankfully, Carell was still starring on The Office at the time.
While he made millions for starring in Evan Almighty, Steve Carell was still unable to help the flim find success at the box office.