By the mid-'60s, a group of young directors had begun to scrap many of the conventional rules that had governed Hollywood for generations. Therefore many industry insiders were surprised when Columbia Pictures announced that timeworn veteran Fred Zinnemann would direct "A Man for All Seasons". The fact that it was an old-fashioned period piece, adapted from a stage play, seemed to guarantee that the studio had a guaranteed box office flop on its hands.
The film is about King Henry VIII of England, who in 1530 wanted a divorce because his wife could not give him a male heir. However, the king's chancellor, Sir Thomas More, opposed this strongly.
When principal shooting started, Colombia Pictures had begun to be understandably nervous about "A Man for All Seasons" and its box office potential. Consequently, only a minimal budget was allocated to the project. The producer was also more interested in another movie he was responsible for. However, this brought with it some unexpected, positive side effects. It meant that Fred Zinnemann was largely given free rein to make the film exactly the way he wanted.
The director insisted on using Paul Scofield in the male lead role, even though the actor was almost unknown to the moviegoing audience. Like all the other thespians, Scofield then worked well below his usual salary to keep the budget down. In fact, Vanessa Redgrave didn't require any payment at all to play Anne Boleyn.
Against all odds, "A Man for All Seasons" became a big, international hit at the box office. And even though several other films grossed more money overall, executives at Columbia Pictures could still be pleased. With its modest budget "A Man for All Seasons" had the highest return over production cost of any picture that year. Not bad for a clever little movie that nobody really had believed in.
The film is about King Henry VIII of England, who in 1530 wanted a divorce because his wife could not give him a male heir. However, the king's chancellor, Sir Thomas More, opposed this strongly.
When principal shooting started, Colombia Pictures had begun to be understandably nervous about "A Man for All Seasons" and its box office potential. Consequently, only a minimal budget was allocated to the project. The producer was also more interested in another movie he was responsible for. However, this brought with it some unexpected, positive side effects. It meant that Fred Zinnemann was largely given free rein to make the film exactly the way he wanted.
The director insisted on using Paul Scofield in the male lead role, even though the actor was almost unknown to the moviegoing audience. Like all the other thespians, Scofield then worked well below his usual salary to keep the budget down. In fact, Vanessa Redgrave didn't require any payment at all to play Anne Boleyn.
Against all odds, "A Man for All Seasons" became a big, international hit at the box office. And even though several other films grossed more money overall, executives at Columbia Pictures could still be pleased. With its modest budget "A Man for All Seasons" had the highest return over production cost of any picture that year. Not bad for a clever little movie that nobody really had believed in.