Edward Norton Says Fight Club Was a ‘Financial Bomb’ and Was Booed When It Premiered
Edward Norton Says Fight Club Was a ‘Financial Bomb’ and Was Booed When It Premiered
Victoria EdelFri, June 26, 2026 at 5:48 PM UTC
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Bradd Pitt (left) and Edward Norton in 'Fight Club'Credit: Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Edward Norton's journey with 1999's Fight Club took some major twists and turns.
Norton, 56, opened up about the movie in the June 24 episode of the Fly on the Wall podcast, hosted by Dana Carvey and David Spade. Fight Club starred Norton as an unnamed man who can't sleep and has become disaffected and lost. When he meets Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden, who has all the charisma Norton's character lacks, they form a fight club that spirals out of control. The movie was directed by David Fincher and based on the 1996 novel by Chuck Palahniuk.
The film has become a classic in the 27 years since its release, with the poster for the movie becoming a staple of many college dorm rooms, but the movie was not considered a success upon its release.
Edward Norton in 'Fight Club'Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
“Fight Club, it was a total financial bomb,” Norton told the hosts. “I think that movie cost $60 or $70 million bucks to make and I don't even know if it got to $40 million at the U.S. box office.” The movie ultimately made $37 million in the United States and Canada.
Norton said that the movie made the “very strange decision” of premiering at the Venice Film Festival. That “didn't feel like a good fit,” he said — and he was right, because instead of the over-the-top standing ovations the festival is known for, “It got booed,” Norton said.
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“It got booed, and at the hotel beforehand, Brad had said to me, ‘How do you think this is gonna go?' And I said, ‘I don't think this is gonna go well at all,' ” Norton remembered. Pitt agreed.
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Ultimately, the film was poorly received at the festival, with people leaving “in the middle” of the movie, but Pitt, now 62, may have predicted its legacy. “At the end of it, Brad turns to me in the dark, kind of tearful, and he said, ‘I think that's the best movie I'm ever gonna be in,' ” Norton remembered.
“It was a very nervy but very cool feeling,” Norton said of the movie's release.
Edward Norton (left) and Brad Pitt at the World Cup on June 25Credit: Fox
Fight Club also starred Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer, who gets involved with both Norton and Pitt's characters, Meat Loaf as Robert Paulsen, who joins the support group, and Jared Leto as Angel Face, a young member of the fight club.
The movie was especially known for its twist ending, which lent itself to rewatches to check for clues.
Norton has continued to be an in-demand actor since Fight Club's release, with roles in films like 25th Hour, The Italian Job, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. He's also earned two Oscar nominations: for his role in 2014's Birdman and for playing Pete Seeger in 2024's A Complete Unknown. Norton currently stars in Olivia Wilde's The Invite.
Pitt, meanwhile, has been nominated for his acting four times, winning in 2020 for his role as Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Pitt will reprise the role in a second film, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, reuniting him with Fincher. Pitt has also worked as a film producer and won another Oscar in 2014 for producing 12 Years a Slave.
Norton and Pitt reunited on June 25 during the World Cup as the U.S. men's national team took on Türkiye at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which is part of Los Angeles County. The pair were caught on camera during the game, which ultimately saw the U.S. lose, 3-2. Despite the loss, the U.S. is set to move on to the knockout round and will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in its next match.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
