In 1980, the outrageous comedy ‘Used Cars‘ sparked a positive reception during its early test screenings. Viewers enjoyed the film’s anarchic humor and raved over a career-defining performance by Kurt Russell, who was desperate to step out of his wholesome Disney persona. Based on the initial reaction, director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale were destined to add a massive hit to their portfolios.
But contrary to expectations, the film bombed miserably on its premiere. In the decades that followed, the film’s poor box-office performance led many to assume that the problem lay with the movie itself rather than the circumstances surrounding its release.
Early Enthusiastic Response Set High Expectations
According to Zemeckis and Gale, the initial reactions to the film’s satirical attitude toward the used-car industry and Kurt Russell’s performance as Rudy Russo were overwhelmingly positive. ‘Used Cars’ grossed $12.7 million against an $8 million budget, failing to break even.
“We had a sneak preview, I think it was in Dallas, Texas, it was like the highest scores in the history of Columbia Pictures at that time. So, they said, ‘Oh, we gotta get this out! These are like Smokey and the Bandit numbers. We gotta get this movie out as quick as possible,'” Zemeckis stated in the movie’s DVD commentary track.
Back in 1980, Zemeckis was an up-and-coming filmmaker seeking a breakthrough to get attention from big production houses. The success of ‘Used Cars’ in preview screenings gave those associated with the project hope that the comedy could become a sleeper hit.
While many blamed multiple aspects of the Kurt Russell-starring movie for its disastrous financial performance, there was more to the project’s underperformance.
Leadership Change Derailed The Film’s Box Office Prospects
‘Used Cars’ never had a chance to succeed due to a sudden change of leadership at A-Team Productions, the studio producing it. Since the executives who initially supported this project were no longer in power, the film lacked influential internal supporters during its marketing period.
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Without an appropriate advertising campaign that could highlight the film’s unique humor, ‘Used Cars’ couldn’t attract enough viewers. “They didn’t have a [marketing] campaign, they didn’t have a release schedule or anything,” co-writer Bob Gale revealed.
“They released it one week after the movie ‘Airplane!’ came out. So, everybody was going to see ‘Airplane!,’ and we were only in half of the country. We didn’t have an ad campaign that was any good. Because it tanked in half the country, the other half of the country didn’t even want to take it.”
Though the comedy failed commercially, its reputation improved in the following decades due to home video releases and television broadcasts. Cut to the present, many critics and directors view ‘Used Cars‘ as an underrated cult comedy and one of the best stepping stones for Russell’s acting career and Zemeckis’ rise to prominence.
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