It’s not every day that an independently produced film becomes the No. 1 movie on Netflix. And it’s even rarer when the indie film in question isn’t a hot festival title, but an action film produced outside the U.S. on a shoestring budget. But that’s exactly what happened on July 18, when William Eubanks’ Land of Bad shot to the top of the streaming service’s charts seemingly out of nowhere.
In the military thriller, Russell Crowe plays a drone pilot who must provide remote assistance to bring the sole survivor (Liam Hemsworth) of a brutal firefight to safety. The film was produced for just $20 million, but became a streaming and VOD phenomenon that countless producers with much bigger budgets can only dream of.
How do you make so much out of so little? In a recent conversation with IndieWire, “Land of Bad” producers David Frigerio and Michael Jefferson revealed some of their secrets to success.
Would you like to increase your budget a little? Then head to Australia!
Much of the film’s success is due to the fact that it looks much more expensive than it actually is. From massive explosions to helicopter scenes, Eubank and his team were able to deliver a spectacle that feels more like a mid-range studio release than a low-budget indie film.
Much of this is down to talent and creative craft, but Frigerio and Jefferson also chose a location that offered them the best value for money. A favorable exchange rate and filmmaker-friendly incentives in Australia allowed them to shoot 50% longer than would have been possible in America – the convenient location for Australian stars Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth was just an added bonus.
“We looked at several places,” Jefferson said. “We actually looked at Thailand at first to get more bang for our buck. And then Australia. So when we saw the first budget from Australia and the number of shooting days we could get, as opposed to shooting in, say, the U.S. or anywhere else, we were just amazed. And we just knew it was going to be the right home, which led to us being able to shoot this movie on the budget we had in 45 days. That’s a statement. Because if we had shot in the U.S., we probably would have been in the $25 to $30 (million) range.”
You need star power – but it has to be used creatively
When it comes to getting a movie greenlit, stars are king. This is true in all areas of the entertainment industry, but especially in independent action films, which often rely on the pre-sales they get from casting big names from the ’80s and ’90s. It can be a profitable business model, but it doesn’t always produce exciting work.
Hollywood history is replete with stories of independent producers cobbling together huge salaries for aging A-listers, leaving them with virtually nothing for the rest of the film. This practice has led to some actors having a reputation for spending their retirement years making terrible movies for a quick buck – but Frigerio and Jefferson say that Land of Bad was so successful because Crowe did things differently. While both men claim that Crowe’s involvement was crucial to getting the film off the ground, they stress that his dedication to selecting quality roles is what allows him to land hits like Land of Bad.
“We’ve all seen the movie star be in a crappy movie, get paid a lot of money, and the production gets about $5 for a terrible movie. We’ve all seen those movies,” Frigerio said. “Russell is very particular… He’s still a master of his craft. He’s still very invested in the movies he makes. This isn’t a financial decision for him. He loved the role and that’s the best you can hope for when you’re casting these movies, especially as independent filmmakers like Jefferson and I.”
Even a modest theatrical release can pave the way to VOD fame
The legacy of Land of Bad will likely always be tied to its streaming and VOD success. But Frigerio and Jefferson have learned the same lesson as so many other independent producers in recent years: theatrical releases give you a kind of streaming credibility that can rarely be manufactured. Although their theatrical release was cursed by last-minute marketing blowouts that left them with just $300,000 for a 1,100-theater release, the film’s performance was still respectable under the circumstances (it grossed $6.5 million at the box office and made the top 10 in its opening weekend). But the real success was the legitimacy and exposure the theatrical release gave the film when it finally hit Netflix.
“The word got out. And the word got out. Because people saw the movie and then started talking about it and saying, ‘Hey, why didn’t I know about this?'” Jefferson said of the release. “And it gave us an opportunity to get involved. And I think it really helped jumpstart things. Because then when it hit Netflix, everyone was waiting for it. And then it shot to number one and stayed at number one on Netflix for four and a half days, which is probably pretty good for an independent film that came out of the blue. And then we stayed up there for a couple of weeks. We were in the top five for three weeks. The theatrical release definitely helped with the grassroots effort.”
“Land of Bad” is now available on PVOD platforms and streaming on Netflix.
