Bruce Willis’ Worst Movie Gave Us His 2 Best? 🤯

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As a passionate cinephile, the 2025 film lineup has me buzzing with eagerness, eagerly awaiting both the upcoming films and the star-studded cast gracing our screens. For years now, this feeling has been a constant in my life, and I must confess that as a child, the prospect of a new Bruce Willis movie was quite delightful. Back then, movies like “The Fifth Element” and “The Jackal” were right up young Mike’s alley!

However, there’s a film that missed its opportunity to shine, all due to a chaotic convergence of artistic disagreements leading to its cancellation. But through a tale where the Die Hard legend found himself compelled into an unfavorable agreement, it brought about the creation of two masterpieces that are now among Bruce Willis’s most celebrated films.

The Bruce Willis Rom-Com That Was Cancelled After 20 Days Of Shooting

As a devoted enthusiast, I’ve come across Broadway Brawler only because of Channel Serfer’s video titled “The Death of Cinergi Pictures.” This captivating narrative delves into the downfall of the production company that collaborated with Disney on movies like Judge Dredd and Deep Rising, among others with more adult themes. It’s one of the key stories revealing how this collapse unfolded.

It’s surprising, as when contemplating how this Bruce Willis film might have unfolded, I could somewhat visualize it making sense. The general premise of the movie is detailed on the Wikipedia page for “Broadway Brawler“. Essentially, we learn that Eddie Kapinsky (Willis), a retired hockey player, is attempting to cultivate a relationship with a character portrayed by Maura Tierney.

It’s clear that this idea echoes Willis’ time on the TV show “Moonlighting,” giving him another chance to explore the romantic comedy genre which he became famous for. Unfortunately, the production of “Broadway Brawler” was cut short after only 20 days of filming on February 28th, 1997.

Broadway Brawler Collapsed Pretty Early In Its Shoot For Some Heated Reasons

According to a 1997 Variety report, the demise of “Broadway Brawler” occurred when Bruce Willis failed to appear for work on the Wilmington, Delaware set as stated by director Lee Grant. Additionally, it was reported that both Grant and several other crew members were dismissed from the project on the same day.

In simple terms, Lee Grant’s spouse, as well as the producer of Broadway Brawler named Joe Feury, articulated the predicament in this excerpt from a letter addressed to Wilmington, as reported by Delaware Online.

The outcome turned out to be a dreadful ordeal. After 20 days of filming, we believed we were creating an exceptional movie, but Bruce wasn’t satisfied. Consequently, the production was halted. The remnants of our two-year effort are so staggering that even now, as I convey this to you, the full extent of the damage hasn’t fully sunk in.

It’s said that there were several crew members of the Broadway Brawler production who had conflicts with the Die Hard actor; Lee Grant and her husband being among the most notable. By the time filming ended, over half of the $28 million budget (equivalent to around $53 million in 2025) had been spent, as reported in the Variety article referenced earlier. This wasn’t until after the actor allegedly enlisted an old friend from his Moonlighting days to help resolve the issues on set.

Bruce Willis Tried, And Failed, To Rescue Broadway Brawler With Another Director

Following the reported disputes with Bruce Willis’ “Broadway Brawler” team, the actor from “12 Monkeys” believed he had a secret weapon. As detailed in The Los Angeles Times’ 1997 article “The Fight Over ‘Broadway Brawler'”, Willis sought director Dennis Dugan to intervene and help resolve the issues.

From a fellow film lover’s perspective, I firmly believe that decision was unwavering, considering the striking resemblance between Dugan’s 1996 blockbuster, “Happy Gilmore,” starring Adam Sandler, and this supposed replacement. Regrettably, this promising newcomer, “Broadway Brawler,” managed to film just a single day on set, effectively consigning it to the category of elusive cinematic treasures that could have been. At this juncture, Cinergi Pictures was teetering on the brink, and Disney was eagerly seeking ways to recoup its losses. A potential lawsuit against Bruce Willis was one such attempt.

Broadway Brawler’s Legal Dispute Resulted In A Subpar Deal For Bruce Willis

Following the cancellation of “Broadway Brawler”, it became crucial to determine a solution for Disney to recover the substantial amount of funds they had invested. Essentially, a large portion – more than half – of the budget for the incomplete romantic comedy had already been spent, which is quite significant.

In such a scenario, as you might expect, having friends proves beneficial once again. As Deadline reported in 2010 regarding Bruce Willis’ later business transaction, that friend would be Joe Roth, who at the time served as former Fox chairman and subsequently as chairman of Walt Disney Studios during the tumultuous period of Broadway Bomber. It was during this tenure that he made the notorious deal.

In light of a lawsuit and having to shoulder an estimated 17.5 million dollars to abandon the movie project, Willis was convinced by Roth to sign a three-picture contract, a move that the actor later acknowledged as one of the wisest decisions outside of agreeing to Die Hard. Willis stepped in for Sean Connery as the lead actor in Armageddon, pocketing roughly 3 million dollars upfront (the rest of his regular pay was used to cover the expenses related to Broadway Brawler).

Sure thing!

I’ll temporarily set aside the story of how Sean Connery was offered the role in Armageddon, but I have to say that deal sounds like a significant step down. On the other hand, at least we weren’t discussing a Marvel-style contract with all its restrictions and obligations.

Three films might seem insignificant in comparison to larger events, but they were certainly a wiser decision than Mr. Willis’ alternative of pursuing legal action. The article mentioned that this move was quite astute, and its success would be evident over the next two summers at the box office.

The Iconic Bruce Willis Hits Disney Forced Him To Make

As a die-hard fan, when I hear about a star like Bruce Willis being pinned down by contractual obligations, it’s often assumed that the movies produced under these circumstances will be dreadful. However, surprisingly, some of his greatest triumphs emerged from this predicament, hailing from the Garden State itself.

If Broadway Brawler had succeeded, it’s possible that Mr. Willis might not have starred in Armageddon, The Sixth Sense, and Disney’s The Kid. There’s no doubt that these first two movies are among fans’ favorite Willis films, and for good reason. In fact, Ben Affleck’s critically acclaimed commentary for Michael Bay’s 1998 blockbuster Armageddon has become just as popular as the film itself.

Although I’ve watched all three, I highly recommend you take a look at “The Kid” as its playful humor shares a likeness with the amusing curiosity I mentioned when contemplating the “big ‘what if'” in “Broadway Brawler“.

I’m just as eager as you are to imagine how that shelved romantic comedy might have unfolded, but unfortunately, it seems unlikely we’ll get to witness the scenes ourselves. In other words, the remnants of Bruce Willis’s unfinished movie can only be found on the IMDb page for Broadway Brawler, through rumored set photos and a speculative Eddie Kapinsky trading card mock-up.

Although there’s a glimmer of possibility left, if director Lee Grant’s statements from 1997 remain valid, and she indeed has moved on from the project, she expressed her desire to assemble the footage shot over 20 days by saying, “I can’t wait to put it all together.” In light of the events following “Coyote vs. Acme,” more intriguing opportunities might arise.

Regardless of the conflicts and disputes that arose following the conclusion of “Broadway Brawler,” it’s challenging to refute that this outcome represents an optimal resolution for a potentially disastrous situation. Unfortunately, Bruce Willis’ 2022 retirement, brought about by his diagnosis with frontotemporal dementia, means he will no longer grace our screens with the signature charm that made him an icon in action-comedy films. Despite the numerous drawbacks in this tale, the most profound loss is undoubtedly not having the opportunity to witness that unique Willis charm again on our televisions.

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2025-04-29 22:10