If somebody waltzed into a studio office in 2022 and pitched a $60 million fantasy blockbuster with Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, and Gerard Butler in the lead roles, you can virtually guarantee they’d be leaving with a green light. Sadly, though, audiences didn’t care quite so much when the demented Reign of Fire hit theaters 20 years ago.
Next week marks exactly two decades since the humans vs. dragons apocalyptic actioner was released, when it could only rustle up a disappointing $82 million at the box office. Reviews from critics and audiences weren’t particularly encouraging, either, but Reign of Fire has long since cemented its reputation as an unabashed camp cult classic.
Whether it’s the ludicrous premise, self-serious approach to everything besides McConaughey’s deranged scenery-chewing performance, or the surprisingly solid CGI that just about holds up when viewed today, film fans over on Reddit have been reappraising Reign of Fire for the gloriously over-the-top slice of cheese that it is.
There were once plans for a sequel, but any franchise ideas were canned once the disappointing ticket sales were revealed. It’s the sort of broad, wide-ranging premise that’s ripe for a reboot, and should the upcoming plans for a Dungeons & Dragons multimedia universe on film and television go off without a hitch, then there’s no reason why somebody wouldn’t at least float the notion of rebooting, reinventing, or dusting off Reign of Fire for a modern-day update.
Of course, folks could always just revisit the original and enjoy the film for what it is, but that would be leaving money on the table, which isn’t something the industry is too keen on doing.
