Mila Kunis is no stranger to the limelight. With a career that took off as a child actress in the Fox sitcom “That ’70s Show,” she quickly ascended to Hollywood stardom.
She has been a part of major box office successes like “Max Payne,” “The Book of Eli,” and “Friends with Benefits,” among others. Her experience and intuition in the industry are well-honed, which is why it’s particularly noteworthy that she knew “Jupiter Ascending” was destined to flop even before the cameras started rolling.
In an interview on the Happy Confused podcast, Kunis revealed that the film’s budget was slashed in half, serving as a red flag for her.
The Original Budget Was Nearly Double
According to Mila Kunis, the original budget for “Jupiter Ascending” was almost twice the amount that was eventually allocated for the film. “When did we know [the movie would , because our production got slashed in half,” Kunis said.
This drastic reduction in funding was a significant concern for her, as she understood that a film’s budget often directly correlates with its quality and potential for success. She added that a higher budget allows for a more intricate storyline, better special effects, and overall higher production values, which are crucial elements in making a blockbuster film.
Kunis explained that the budget cut significantly impacted the film’s potential. “The original budget was twice as much, and you can do a lot more with a lot more money, and oftentimes those types of scripts have a very good storyline, but extraordinary other things,” she stated. “Right before pre-production, for a multitude of reasons with studios and other things, the budget got cut, and the movie was different.”
Other Cast Members Also Struggled
It wasn’t just Mila Kunis who had reservations about the film. Channing Tatum, who also starred in the movie, described the experience as a “nightmare from the jump.” Eddie Redmayne, another cast member, admitted that his performance in the film was subpar and even won him a prize for “The Worst Performance of the Year.”
A Complex Path Ahead for Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher
While Mila Kunis has navigated the ups and downs of Hollywood, including predicting the failure of “Jupiter Ascending,” she and her husband Ashton Kutcher are now facing a different kind of challenge. The couple is in the midst of a reputational crisis after their letters supporting Danny Masterson, a former co-star convicted of rape, were made public.
Initially, it seemed that these letters would remain under seal, but Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo had other plans, releasing the documents and exposing the couple’s perplexing words of praise for Masterson.
The judge was unambiguous in her 30-year sentencing of Masterson, making it clear that she had no time for any nonsense in the case. This has put Kutcher and Kunis in a difficult position, as they scramble to repair their tarnished reputations. It’s a complex and sensitive situation that has many questioning how the couple will navigate the path ahead.
As for Mila Kunis, who once had the foresight to predict a film’s failure, the question now is how she will recover from this fiasco—a challenge that even her seasoned intuition may not have prepared her for.
More: Here’s How Ashton Kutcher Turned $30M Into a $350M Fortune in Just 5 Years
