In 2014, the sports drama United Passions gained notoriety as the world’s most significant box office disaster. Created to tell the origin story of football’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), this English-language film was produced in France with the majority of its funding—approximately 90%—supplied by FIFA itself. The intention was to spotlight FIFA’s early days and achievements. However, the final product was marred by criticism and controversy, ultimately earning it the reputation as cinema’s largest financial failure.

Directed by Frédéric Auburtin, United Passions featured prominent actors like Tim Roth, who portrayed the controversial FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Despite a hefty budget of $29-32 million, the film grossed an incredibly low $918 in its opening U.S. weekend, making it one of the worst-performing releases in American box office history. This failure was not limited to the United States, as the film struggled to gain traction globally. Even in markets where it was released, it performed poorly, barely crossing $100,000 in Russia and surrounding countries. In other regions, it failed to secure any theatrical distribution, often going directly to home media or receiving no release at all.

The project’s disastrous performance was compounded by the fact that no streaming platform has picked it up, an unusual outcome for a film with a well-known cast and subject. The lack of distribution interest from major streaming services, combined with its low box office returns, has secured United Passions as a unique case study in cinematic failure.

Criticism and Controversy: Why United Passions Faced Backlash

United Passions was widely condemned for its portrayal of FIFA as an organization driven by honorable intentions, completely overlooking the persistent accusations of corruption, fraud, and underhanded deals within the governing body. The film was released during a turbulent period for FIFA, as the organization became embroiled in a massive corruption scandal in 2015, resulting in the resignation of top executives, including Sepp Blatter himself. The scandal exposed FIFA officials’ involvement in a series of financial misdeeds, casting a long shadow over the organization’s global influence.

The timing of United Passions proved disastrous, as audiences and critics alike were aware of the unfolding scandal and were quick to label the film as a propaganda piece. According to The Guardian, it was “cinematic excrement” and self-serving. Other reviews were equally unflattering, with many pointing out that the film appeared to be FIFA’s attempt to repair its public image through cinema. This negative reception is reflected in the film’s 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a rare feat indicating not a single favorable review from critics.

The backlash wasn’t limited to the portrayal of FIFA alone. Tim Roth, who played Sepp Blatter, expressed frustration with the production. In a candid interview with the BBC, he shared his concerns about the script’s lack of transparency around FIFA’s internal issues, questioning the absence of any depiction of corruption or ethical breaches. Roth stated, “I asked them, ‘Where’s all the corruption in the script? Where is all the back-stabbing, the deals?’” Although Roth tried to convey some of these undertones through his performance, he admitted that the film’s direction left little room for honest critique of FIFA.

The Fallout and Director’s Response

The negative reception and accusations of whitewashing put immense pressure on the film’s director, Frédéric Auburtin. Facing criticism from both the public and within the film industry, Auburtin eventually distanced himself from the project, almost disowning it. In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained that his vision was to strike a balance between a light-hearted narrative akin to a Disney film and a hard-hitting, investigative piece in the style of Michael Moore. However, the final product heavily leaned toward FIFA’s preferred portrayal, largely ignoring the scandals that plagued the organization.

Auburtin revealed his disillusionment with how the project turned out, saying, “Now I’m seen as bad as the guy who brought AIDS to Africa or the guy who caused the financial crisis. My name is all over [this mess], and apparently, I am a propaganda guy making films for corrupt people.” His statements reflect the frustration of an artist whose work, initially intended as a nuanced account, became a tool for an organization desperate to salvage its reputation amid controversy.

Today, United Passions remains unavailable on any streaming platform, as no service was willing to purchase the digital rights following its poor critical reception and association with FIFA’s tarnished reputation. The film’s unavailability and lack of distributor interest underscore its status as a cinematic misstep that failed both financially and reputationally.

For more updates on entertainment news, tune in to Vviptimes.

Sources:
The Guardian, BBC, The Hollywood Reporter