Blumhouse CEO Haunted by Jem and The Holograms, The Hunt Flops

In the midst of Blumhouse's horror franchise dominance, CEO Jason Blum is still grappling with the ghosts of two major failures from the past decade. While the production company has become synonymous with blockbuster horror hits like The Purge and Halloween, Blum recently opened up about the lingering impact of two high-profile flops - 2015's Jem and The Holograms and 2020's The Hunt.

Jem and The Holograms, a music-driven film about a shy teenager forming a girl group, was written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu but ultimately proved to be a critical and commercial disaster. Despite the talent involved, the movie failed to connect with audiences and was quickly pulled from theaters. Blum admits this is still a sore spot, as the project seemed promising on paper but simply didn't work in execution.

The Hunt, a politically-charged satire about wealthy elites hunting lower-class individuals, faced an even more challenging path. Originally slated for a 2019 release, the film was delayed due to the poor timing of mass shootings in America. When it was finally released in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had shuttered theaters, and the politically-divisive subject matter struggled to find an audience. Blum acknowledges this was a case of circumstances beyond the creative team's control, but the failure still haunts him.

Despite these high-profile misses, Blum's track record of success at Blumhouse remains unparalleled. The producer continues to be one of the most sought-after figures in Hollywood, with a knack for identifying horror franchises and other genre films that resonate with mass audiences. While the sting of Jem and The Holograms and The Hunt lingers, Blum's ability to consistently deliver hits has cemented his status as a true master of modern entertainment.