On its 40th anniversary, we reassess 1986's SpaceCamp
Key points
- And into that post-Challenger disillusioned summer of 1986, Hollywood brought us SpaceCamp.
- It had all the right ingredients: A stacked cast with a solid leading duo (Kate Capshaw and Tom Skerritt), tons of real NASA location footage, and a big, brassy score by none other than John Williams.
- The film was completed before the Challenger disaster, leaving 20th Century Fox with something of a nightmarish choice on their handsâto shelve the film and lose millions, or send it to theaters and risk a PR disaster.
- For better or for worse, Fox chose to release the film, which ultimately made about $9.6 million on a reported $25 million budget.
- Audiences, it seemed, werenât really interested in watching a bunch of kids in peril on a space shuttle.
Quick Summary
And into that post-Challenger disillusioned summer of 1986, Hollywood brought us SpaceCamp. It had all the right ingredients: A stacked cast with a solid leading
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Key Takeaways
- And into that post-Challenger disillusioned summer of 1986, Hollywood brought us SpaceCamp.
- It had all the right ingredients: A stacked cast with a solid leading duo (Kate Capshaw and Tom Skerritt), tons of real NASA location footage, and a big, brassy score by none other than John Williams.
- The film was completed before the Challenger disaster, leaving 20th Century Fox with something of a nightmarish choice on their handsâto shelve the film and lose millions, or send it to theaters and risk a PR disaster.
- For better or for worse, Fox chose to release the film, which ultimately made about $9.6 million on a reported $25 million budget.
- Audiences, it seemed, werenât really interested in watching a bunch of kids in peril on a space shuttle.
đ Source: Eric Berger & Lee Hutchinson
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