Rosamund pike recalls 'doom' movie as 'absolute bomb' that could have ended her career
Rosamund Pike’s cinematic journey took a sharp, and potentially career-ending, turn in 2005 with the release of the film adaptation of the video game Doom. In a recent interview, Pike candidly described the movie as an “absolute bomb,” a sentiment echoed by many in the industry and among fans.
Pike reflects on disastrous film experience
Speaking with Elizabeth Day on the How to Fail podcast, Pike recounted her experience starring in the film alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Karl Urban. The movie, which followed Samantha Grimm (Pike) and John Grimm (Urban), a marine nicknamed “Reaper,” stationed at a Martian research facility overrun by demons, was widely panned.
“I think in my bonnet, in my field of hay bales, ‘Yeah, I can do anything. I can jump on this hay bale in my crinoline, so I can certainly go and kill some zombies on Mars,’” Pike quipped, illustrating the surreal shift from period dramas to action flicks.
The film’s financial performance mirrored its critical reception, grossing only $58 million worldwide against a production budget of approximately$30 million. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a dismal 18% score.
Pike’s career rebounded spectacularly after Doom. She went on to star in a string of successful films, including Johnny English Reborn (2011) and Gone Girl (2014), for which she received an Academy Award nomination. Her recent accolades include a Golden Globe win for I Care a Lot (2020) and an Emmy for State of the Union.
The 2005 Doom film is not an anomaly; it often ranks among the worst video game adaptations ever made, alongside Super Mario Bros. (1993) and Street Fighter (1994). A direct-to-video sequel, Doom: Annihilation, arrived in 2019 and fared no better.
Pike’s honesty about the film’s failure underscores a common experience in Hollywood: the precariousness of a career and the risks involved in taking on challenging projects. She survived Doom, and her career flourished.
The film’s legacy serves as a cautionary tale – a stark reminder that even established actors can find themselves in projects that are destined for disaster.