The helmer of ‘Gigli’ didn’t have a pleasant experience unlike Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez who had fond memories of the film.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who have both been in the film industry for decades, are aware that it’s impossible to create a movie that pleases everyone. Despite good intentions, negative reviews and poor box office earnings are sometimes unavoidable. This was exactly the case for Martin Brest’s crime comedy, Gigli, which featured Lopez and Affleck sharing the screen for the first time. Although there was plenty of hype surrounding the movie, it turned out to be a colossal failure that Brest would later regret. However, what about the now-married Affleck and Lopez? Well, they first crossed paths on the set of Gigli.
According to Sony Pictures Releasing, the movie “Gigli” acted as a perfect matchmaker for Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, who may not have met each other had it not been for the film. However, the timing was not right when they first met on set, as Lopez was still married to Cris Judd, and Affleck had recently broken up with Gwyneth Paltrow. Despite this, Lopez knew that Affleck was the one for her and thought about him after the movie was over, but she had to prioritize taking care of her own business. Unfortunately, the film flopped, and the director Martin Brest regrets making it.
Brest had an impressive Hollywood reputation when he directed Gigli, having previously directed successful films like Midnight Run, Scent of a Woman, Beverly Hills Cop, and Meet Joe Black. Affleck was persuaded to join the film by Brest, who stated in an Entertainment Weekly interview that it was an easy decision to make. However, Gigli was a departure from Brest’s usual success, as he had to compromise extensively with the studio, resulting in the removal of key scenes and extensive reshoots. Despite the star power of Affleck and Lopez, the film flopped at the box office, earning only $7.2 million against a budget of $75.6 million. After the poor reception of Gigli, Brest left Hollywood. Although he has made peace with the situation, he still struggles to refer to the film by name.
Looking back on his film career, Affleck acknowledges that his movie Gigli was destined to fail. He recollects how the studio focused on promoting his relationship with Lopez in the film, leading to numerous reshoots. Ultimately, Affleck knew that the movie was unsuccessful, comparing it to a sketch from Saturday Night Live. However, Affleck has no regrets about the project as it helped him learn more about directing movies and introduced him to Lopez. On the other hand, Lopez may have terminated her entire team after the disappointment of Gigli; she has recently expressed interest in making a sequel, though she did not elaborate on details. Fans of the celebrity couple will be excited to know that they are working together on the upcoming film Unstoppable.
