Howard the Duck (film)

Howard the Duck
The words "More adventure than humanly possible" and a giant egg with a beak holding a cigar.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWillard Huyck
Written by
Based onHoward the Duck
by Steve Gerber
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyRichard H. Kline
Edited by
  • Michael Chandler
  • Sidney Wolinsky
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • August 1, 1986 (1986-08-01)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30–37 million[2][3]
Box office$38 million[2]

Howard the Duck (released in the United Kingdom as Howard... A New Breed of Hero[1]) is a 1986 American superhero comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and starring Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, and Tim Robbins. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film was produced by Gloria Katz and written by Huyck and Katz, with George Lucas as executive producer. The screenplay was originally intended to be an animated film, but the film adaptation became live-action because of a contractual obligation. While several TV adaptations of Marvel characters were aired, this was the first theatrical release since the Captain America serial of 1944.

Lucas proposed adapting the comic book following the production of American Graffiti (1973). After multiple production difficulties and mixed response to test screenings, Howard the Duck was released in theaters on August 1, 1986. Upon its release, the film was a critical and commercial failure and was criticized for its humor, performances, inconsistent tone, and appearance of the title character, though the effects and soundtrack were mostly praised. In the years since, it has been considered among the worst films ever made, but has also developed a cult following.[4][5] It was nominated for seven Razzie Awards (winning four), and made about US$38 million (US$16.3 million domestically) compared to its US$30–37 million budget.[3][6]

  1. ^ a b "HOWARD...A NEW BREED OF HERO (PG) (!)". British Board of Film Classification. October 28, 1986. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Howard the Duck (1986)". The Numbers. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  4. ^ Chipman, Bob. "DUCK FAILS HOLLYWOOD BETS IT ALL ON DUCK BONERS". Primer&Co. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Bizarre Reason 'Howard the Duck' is Suddenly Trending". October 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Tim Dirks. "Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Film Flops: The Most Notable Examples 1985-1986". FilmSite.org. Retrieved October 11, 2016.