WHAT WENT WRONG

WHAT WENT WRONG

What Went Wrong covers Hollywood’s most notoriously disastrous movie productions, digging into the behind-the-scenes insanity of everything from massive flops to record-breaking blockbusters. In each episode, hosts Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer dive into a new film to explore the mind-blowing (and sometimes numbing) reasons why making a movie is nearly impossible (especially a good one). Produced by David Boman. JOIN OUR PATREON FOR 'WWW' BONUS CONTENT!

Episodes

January 20, 2025 72 mins

It’s a movie about the mafia… but they couldn’t say the word mafia… because the actual mafia threatened the entire production if they didn’t remove it. This week Chris and Lizzie dive into Francis Ford Coppola’s groundbreaking 1972 film, The Godfather. Find out why Coppola and Al Pacino both almost got fired, how Robert DeNiro almost made it into part 1, and why Paramount didn’t even want to make the movie.

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For over a decade, Tom Cruise was Hollywood's most bankable star, ruling Tinseltown with a million-dollar grin and a carefully crafted image. But when ditching his publicist led to couch-jumping antics, Scientology scandals, and box office bombs, La La Land’s Top Gun found himself in a tailspin that even Ethan Hunt couldn't escape.

On each episode of Wondery’s podcast The Big Flop, comedians join host Misha Brown to chronic...

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January 6, 2025 105 mins

What happens when Tom Cruise’s unstoppable force meets Stanley Kubrick’s immovable object? Tune in as Lizzie & Chris uncover the secrets of the reclusive auteur’s thirteenth and final film, a production so difficult it (likely) ended a marriage, dispatched its director and may have sent not one, but two Kubrick collaborators deeper into the embrace of a truly secretive society.

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Storyboard artist Warren Drummond (Shaft, A Beautiful Mind, Nightcrawler, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of our time, from John Singleton to Denzel Washington and Ron Howard. In this Below the Line interview, Warren illuminates the world of storyboarding, his journey into film, the transition from analog to digital, and more.

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December 16, 2024 85 mins

How did a tennis pro, a theater nerd, and a TV actor redefine the action genre? Because they had nothing left to lose. This week, Chris and Lizzie dive deep into 1988’s quintessential Christmas film: from Bruce’s receding hairline and an unfinished script to Rickman’s inability to hold a gun and Joel Silver’s desire to just blow shit up, this production had more problems than a McClane marriage.

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December 9, 2024 79 mins

More Gremlins, more problems! But that didn’t stop Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg from adding an endless stream of critters to the deranged 1984 Christmas classic. Busted puppets caused massive delays and pushed creature master Chris Walas to his limits, but it could’ve been worse - they could’ve used… live monkeys?! Find out why parents were furious about the film, how it helped change the MPAA rating system forever, and ...

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Blue screens! Tennis balls! Directions from George Lucas! What are three things that make an actor’s job harder? Chris and Lizzie conclude their Menace coverage with a crunch at ILM, the public shaming of Jar Jar Binks and why George may have lost a lot more than $50 million in his divorce. Plus, how no one saw it coming… except for Weird Al.

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Jedi! Lightsabers! Taxes? This week, Chris tests Lizzie’s midi-chlorians (and patience) with George Lucas’ polarizing return to Star Wars. Was Lucas a victim of his own success, or were we all victims of his divorce? Plus, how Michael Jackson and Denzel Washington were nearly canon, and more!

CORRECTIONS:

*Doctor Dolittle was release in 1967, not 1976, as Chris mistakenly stated.

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November 11, 2024 83 mins

How did the 4th (or maybe 5th) version of ‘A Star is Born’ take almost 20 years to make… and why did it almost star Russell Crowe and Beyoncé?! This week Lizzie and Chris break down Bradley Cooper’s 2018 directorial debut, and discover why Lady Gaga was initially a tough sell. Find out how everyone from Jamie Foxx to Metallica had a hand in this Oscar nominated film’s journey to the screen. 

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October 28, 2024 101 mins

The only thing worse than being a character in a Sam Raimi movie? Acting in one. This week, Chris and Lizzie unearth the grueling, injury-laden production of The Evil Dead. Discover the importance of such amenities as running water, toilets, and electricity; and the pain of removing fake blood with hot coffee. Plus, how Raimi couldn’t have done it without a veritable village, including a couple of Coens, a King of horror, ...

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October 14, 2024 76 mins

Paul Rudd was almost murdered, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were wasted, and El Niño threatened to rain out production - that’s just the beginning of what went wrong on Clueless (1995). Find out how Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy got cast, and why one studio almost changed it to be more about… the guys? As if! It took writer/director Amy Heckerling years to get her vision to the screen, but it was like, totally wort...

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October 7, 2024 78 mins

Tombstone' shot first and 'Wyatt Earp' died. In Part 2 of our coverage, Chris & Lizzie endure the explosive arrival of replacement director George P. Cosmatos, revisit Kurt Russell's last-minute rewrites, and try to answer the impossible question: does a better version of this movie exist?

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September 30, 2024 84 mins

Saddle up and skin that smokewagon, because Kevin Costner's about to shut your movie down. In Part 1 of our coverage on 'Tombstone', Chris & Lizzie dissect the film's Hollywood duel with rival 'Wyatt Earp', Kurt Russell's hardball, and how writer/director Kevin Jarre assembled one of the greatest cast and crews of all time, only to listen to none of them.

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September 16, 2024 77 mins

How did Shakespeare in Love beat one of the greatest war movies of all time for Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars? It’s simple: Harvey Weinstein. But Saving Private Ryan was just one of many massive snubs in this comedy of errors. Learn how producer and original director Ed Zwick's dreams were dashed, why Julia Roberts dropped out last minute, and why Gwyneth Paltrow didn't want to star across(ed) her lover.


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September 2, 2024 67 mins

Lydia dies in a fire at the hands of a winged homicidal maniac?! ‘Beetlejuice’ (1988) started off as a gruesome, offbeat horror film, but it became the quirky classic we know and love thanks to Tim Burton, script doctor Warren Skaaren, an incredible production team, and the Beetle-Guy himself: Michael Keaton. Find out why missing her audition got Catherine O’Hara her part, how Harry Belafonte’s music made it into the final...

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August 19, 2024 82 mins

Leonardo DiCaprio as Patrick Bateman? Directed by Oliver Stone?! There are so many versions of ‘American Psycho’ (2000) that we never saw, but thanks to Christian Bale and director Mary Harron, we eventually got something pretty close to perfect. Find out how Gloria Steinem accidentally saved Christian Bale’s job and why a real life serial killer made this film almost impossible to shoot.

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August 12, 2024 78 mins

Oscars! Cannes! Smash Mouth? In Part 2 of our Shrek coverage, Chris & Lizzie get to the bottom of Mike Myers' Scottish brogue, why 'All Star' became an anthem for the ages, and Katzenberg's all-out blitz against the Mouse House.

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August 5, 2024 62 mins

Katzenberg's quest for revenge! The death of a beloved giant! A magical kingdom under siege! In Part 1 of our Shrek coverage, Chris & Lizzie explore the revolutionary film's humble origins as DreamWorks' inaugural "B movie" and try to determine what, exactly, the film would have been with its original star, Chris Farley.

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Get ready to wrangle! We re-present our episode on Twister, but this time, Chris and Lizzie share their churning reactions to the sequel, Twisters in a special cold open!

On set jet engines, temporary blindness, and hepatitis shots - three signs you might be in the “suck zone”! This week we’re covering Jan de Bont’s Twister and how he threw everything including the kitchen sink (literally) at Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton to g...

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July 22, 2024 59 mins

How did Ryan Reynolds go from fans’ biggest disappointment to the Deadpool of their dreams? In this episode Chris and Lizzie explore the long road ‘Deadpool’ (2016) took to get to the screen, why a first time feature director was the best man for the job, and how a mysterious leak actually saved the film.

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