Apple TV+ series Severance, which is currently in season 2 for the streamer. Prior to the sci-fi series, Stiller helped develop the miniseries Escape at Dannemora, which was critically acclaimed. In addition to his TV directing, Stiller has also helmed films such as Reality Bites and Zoolander.

While his career in directing and producing is flourishing now, Stiller's most iconic work is the work that he has done as an actor. Sometimes, he is in front of the screen for his own projects, such as when he played the lead in Zoolander. His other famous work has included Meet the Parents and its sequels, Tropic Thunder, and There's Something About Mary. Now, Stiller speaks about his 1990s comedy flop that ended up becoming a cult classic decades later.

Stiller Thinks Disney Forgot About Heavyweights

Heavyweights Flopped In Theaters

Stiller speaks about his 1990s comedy Heavyweights and whether it is one of Disney's most underappreciated works. Released in 1995, the dark comedy tells the story of a group of overweight kids who are pushed into ing a camp to promote their weight loss, only to discover that the ex-fitness instructor running it is an overly intense fanatic. Stiller plays Tony Perkis, the camp leader in the film, whose cast also includes Tim Blake Nelson, Aaron Schwartz, Allen Covert, and Tom McGowan. Heavyweights did not do very well at the time of its release, making just $17.6 million in theaters.

Speaking on social media, Stiller reacts to Heavyweights' change in reception over time. The actor was responding to a post that called Heavyweights "the most underrated Disney movie of all time." While Stiller insists that he had fun making the movie, he writes that he is "not sure [Disney is] aware they made it." And he "doesn't think it will be at the head of the Disney+ queue ever."

However, Disney+ also posted a response to this statement, confirming they the film.

How Heavyweights Made A Comeback

Home Video Helped The Movie

As mentioned, Heavyweights did not do well in theaters. It's $17.6 million gross was based on a budget of $10 million. Though this budget was fairly small, most films need to make 2-2.5x their budget in order to break even, and more than that to turn a profit, because of the added cost of marketing and distribution. As such, Heavyweights likely lost Disney money, and thus was far from a success at the time of its release.

Heavyweights' theatrical performance is far from its full story.

Stiller's career quickly moved on from Heavyweights, ensuring that the movie was not a big knock to his status. He was already heating up by making Reality Bites the year prior, and continued to grow when he was in There's Something About Mary in 1998. As such, the '90s were generally a huge period of growth for Stiller, even though Heavyweights was not necessarily a main contributor. The depth of his career also makes it easier for people to forget about his Tony Perkis performance, because he has been a part of so many more successful films.

That said, Heavyweights' theatrical performance is far from its full story. Though it received mixed reviews from critics at the time, getting a 50% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences later came to appreciate the movie. It developed a greater fan base on home video and TV airings after it was released on VHS in 1995, and later on DVD and Blu-ray in 2003 and 2012, respectively. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes now reflects this growth, as it stands at a respectable 77%. As of 2019, it is also available on Disney+.

Our Take On Stiller's Heavyweights Sentiment

The 30th Anniversary Could Renew Interest In The Movie

Disney has produced a lot of films over the years, so it is unsurprising that there are a lot of flops in their filmography, as they have to dedicate their marketing efforts towards some films more than others. That said, it will be interesting to see if Disney+ makes any more of a promotional effort with Heavyweights as it enters its 30th anniversary year. Given how many hits he has made, Stiller could be a marketable way to get Heavyweights more exposure.

The movie's popularity on home video also shows that the film can survive outside of theaters. It has developed enough of a cult following over time that it could have some streaming success many years later. Given the 30th anniversary year and Stiller's current popularity because of his involvement in Severance, now just might be the time when Heavyweights will get the streaming boost that it is capable of.

Source: Ben Stiller and Disney+