Even the Producers of Transmorphers Were Wary of Cowboys & Aliens

Since its release at the end of July, Cowboys & Aliens has grossed around $110 million worldwide. That’s not a washout on the level of The Worst Movie Ever!, but it’s still a big enough disappointment to possibly dissuade future Hollywood genre mixes — especially ones that deal with cowboy hats. Not that anyone should have been surprised by this underwhelming result — even the guys from The Asylum stayed away from Cowboys & Aliens. Speaking with Adult Swim, the mockbuster mavens behind such films as Transmorphers, Snakes on a Train, Almighty Thor and Battle of Los Angeles, revealed that they kicked the tires on a Cowboys & Aliens film, only to pass. “People ask why we didn’t do Cowboys & Aliens,” The Asylum’s Paul Bales said, “and we considered it for a while, but in the markets we have, genre-mixing doesn’t work.” About those markets: Bales cited Europe as particularly interested in disaster films, rather than creature features. Perhaps that means audiences can expect Fright Night to get the mockbuster from The Asylum in three-to-four months. Ding! Tip your waitress. · How to Make a Mockbuster (in Five Easy Steps) [Adult Swim]