“Unlike Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner’s $80M Gamble Crashed—and He Knows Why”
Kevin Costner’s $80M Flop The Postman Was Fueled by Ego, Not Just Ambition
Kevin Costner’s remarkable talent is undeniable, especially with his portrayal of John Dutton in the Yellowstone universe. He’s long been one of Hollywood’s most respected actors. However, even his star power hasn’t always guaranteed success—something he learned the hard way when The Postman, a project he poured his heart into, turned into one of his biggest failures.
Costner took on multiple roles in The Postman—actor, director, and creative force behind the vision. Released in 1997, the film came with a hefty $80 million budget and high expectations. Instead, it bombed at the box office and earned the infamous Razzie Award for Worst Picture. Critics panned it, audiences ignored it, and industry insiders pointed to one central issue: Kevin Costner’s ego.
The Postman: When Creative Control Backfires
Costner’s ambition for The Postman was enormous. He was determined to direct and star in the film with minimal outside input. While some actors have successfully juggled both roles, Costner’s control over the production was reportedly excessive. Crew members claimed he dismissed input from collaborators and made the creative process unnecessarily complicated.
According to Costner’s former agent, Ron Mardigian, the original script was much simpler and more straightforward. Costner’s rewrites added complexity that ultimately hurt the storytelling. On top of that, he insisted on doing his own stunts—including a particularly dangerous sequence involving a zipline descent from the Boundary Dam in Washington.
Despite warnings from insurance experts and safety personnel, Costner pushed forward. “Because that’s Kevin,” one insider remarked, “the $80 million gorilla. Just trying to do his version of Tom Cruise or something. I think a lot of it was ego.”
Unlike Cruise, whose action films often thrive thanks to tight direction and audience-focused execution, The Postman became a cautionary tale of unchecked creative control.
A Passion for Westerns—and a Price to Pay
Costner has always had a passion for Western and frontier dramas, with acclaimed successes like Dances with Wolves and Yellowstone to prove it. But The Postman strayed too far from what made his other projects resonate with audiences. The narrative lacked focus, and his desire to make a grand artistic statement ultimately fell flat.
While the failure of The Postman was a blow, Costner has since bounced back and continued to enjoy critical and commercial success. Still, the experience served as a humbling moment in his career—a reminder that even the most respected talents aren’t immune to missteps.
Kevin Costner Pays Heartfelt Tribute to the Late Gene Hackman
Amid his own career highs and lows, Kevin Costner recently took time to honor a fellow Hollywood legend. Following the passing of iconic actor Gene Hackman, Costner shared a touching tribute on Instagram. The two had worked together on the 1987 thriller No Way Out, and Costner credited Hackman as one of the greatest influences on his career.
In the tribute, Costner recalled a moving memory from the set. He had insisted on relocating a scene just so Hackman could be included—a gesture the veteran actor deeply appreciated. Costner shared that Hackman later approached him privately to express how much it had meant to him.
Alongside a clip from a 2017 interview with Rich Eisen—where he praised Hackman’s brilliance—Costner called him his “favorite actor” and said he was honored to have worked alongside him. He ended the post by offering condolences to Hackman’s family and expressing his gratitude for the lessons he learned from the late actor.
Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs were found deceased in their Santa Fe home earlier this week, marking a tragic loss for the entertainment world.
