Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan's latest flick, the Daniel Craig starring thriller Dream House, has not done very well critically or commercially; it's box office stands at just over $14 million after 2 weeks of release and it was slaughtered by critics. Apparently Sheridan saw this coming, as the multiple Oscar nominee asked to have his name taken off the film months before it came out - according to The LA Times.
Sheridan (no relation) apparently began to change the script from very early on in shooting, and the studio, Morgan Creek, panicked. It's not clear if Sheridan was then removed from the film in post-production, but he obviously felt strongly enough about the situation to not have his name attached to it anymore. If The Director's Guild had agreed to his request, it would've carried the dreaded "Directed by Alan Smithee" tag, which is what happens when a helmer feels that he was screwed during the production process and wants out. The Guild wouldn't take his name off on this occasion because Morgan Creek funded some reshoots after a disastrous test screening.
The trailer for Dream House is one of the worst I have ever seen. It basically gives away the whole film, and makes purchasing a ticket seem pointless. There was obviously something there initially to attract the likes of Craig, Rachel Weisz and Naomi Watts - even if it was just the presence of the much respected Sheridan.
Sheridan last directed the sporadically powerful remake, Brothers, and is the man behind the classic likes of The Name of the Father, My Left Foot and In America.
