He was linked to some major studio projects near the time of the film's release, including a movie based on DC Comics' "Swamp Thing." Instead, he moved into TV and, later, streaming with Netflix's Joe Hill horror adaptations " In the Tall Grass" and "Locke & Key." In a way, the small screen has afforded Natali more freedom to continue telling the type of unsettling, niche stories he's always been most interested in. Instead, "Splice" was forced to go head-to-head with the biggest blockbusters of the year for space in theaters and was quickly pushed aside to make room for crowd-pleasers like "Toy Story 3" and "Despicable Me."Īs for Natali, "Splice" bombing wasn't, per se, bad for his career. Had the studio positioned the film as counter-programming to the other wide releases in theaters at the time (such as "Shrek Forever After," " Iron Man 2," and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"), it might have been better able to build word of mouth and thrive in a limited rollout. Then there was Warner Bros.' decision to release "Splice" in the midst of the 2010 summer movie season. PLOT: Elsa and Clive, two young rebellious scientists, defy legal and ethical boundaries and forge ahead. The film went on to gross $28.5 million at the box office against a $30 million budget, with Silver's Dark Castle label taking the biggest hit after it committed upwards of $35 million to purchasing and promoting the movie on the heels of its run on the festival circuit. In his review of the movie, Roger Ebert said it was "well-timed to open soon after genome pioneer Craig Venter's announcement of a self-replicating cell." Comparisons to David Cronenberg's body horror work were similarly unavoidable, as were those likening the film to a more self-serious riff on Roger Donaldson's exploitive hit 1995 sci-fi horror thriller "Species." The movie's dour tone and nasty plot twists also made it divisive among critics, with some slamming it as being little more than a lewd B-movie hiding beneath its slick surface and lauded cast and creatives.Īudiences weren't exactly wowed by "Splice," giving it a D CinemaScore when it opened in theaters on June 4, 2010. The relevancy of "Splice" wasn't lost on anyone.
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