Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron are two Hollywood giants with eight Oscars and a whole bunch of classic films between them. But for all their box office successes over the decades, no one is impervious to strange swings and both filmmakers have, coincidentally, failed in projects with the same title. And it’s also a pretty generic title: “Dark Angel”.
Coppola was the first to try his luck and this represents one of his less successful ventures. Released from his production company, American Zoetrope, and with the Godfather director as executive producer, “Dark Angel” was a 1996 TV movie starring Eric Roberts as Walter D’Arcangelo, a New Orleans detective on the trail of a serial killer. unusual behavior and mysterious story. The murderer is an obsessive demon carrying a deadly message, preying on adulterous women and leaving clues imbued with religious symbolism.
“Dark Angel” was intended as a pilot for a series and it probably seemed like a good idea at the time, premiering on Fox right in the middle of a fertile period for serial killer movies – there are obvious shades of David Fincher’s “Seven,” which was such an influential hit a few years earlier. Unfortunately, Robert Iscove’s effective direction can’t shake the clichéd nature of John Romano’s script, which hits just about every beat you’d expect for a brooding mystery thriller set in the Big Easy. Roberts was generally praised for his performance but, despite his best efforts, “Dark Angel” received only a lukewarm response from critics and viewers, and the mooted TV show never exited the starting gate.
James Cameron’s Dark Angel was canceled despite its success
Between the Oscar-winning triumph of “Titanic” and the CGI-fest “Avatar,” James Cameron’s “Dark Angel” was also released on Fox in 2000. The idea was pretty good; after already introducing us to female characters like Ellen Ripley in “Aliens” and Sarah Connor in “The Terminator” series, who better to create a TV show about a genetically engineered super soldier starring Jessica Alba?
Taking inspiration from “Battle Angel Alita,” Cameron teamed up with Charles Eglee, the producer and writer with whom he worked on his debut album “Piranha II: The Spawning.” Together, they formed a production company and invested $10 million in a two-hour pilot. Unlike Coppola’s unlaunched franchise, Cameron and Eglee’s “Dark Angel” got the green light, likely helped by Cameron’s blockbuster influence and the fact that the series fit well into the trend of action-based TV series centered on strong female protagonists like “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Set in the dystopian far future of 2019, the first season was well received and even won several awards. Nonetheless, the show’s expenses (which Eglee admitted often exceeded budget) raised concerns at Fox, and “Dark Angel” only reluctantly received a second season. Hampered by competition from “Buffy” spinoff “Angel,” Fox changed its timeslot and viewing figures began to falter, prompting Cameron to step in to direct the 90-minute cliffhanger finale in hopes of getting a third season. However, even his star presence in his TV directing debut couldn’t save “Dark Angel,” and the series was canceled. These examples show that even great talent and immense Hollywood influence don’t guarantee success – and it’s always a good idea to come up with a more original title.
