What happens when great actors collide with what some consider the worst script ever written?
Tommy Wiseau’s original The Room (2003) infamously burned through $6 million and months of shooting with no-name actors.
And now, an all-new reimagining flips the myth on its head — reportedly filmed in under 12 hours, on virtually no budget. Bob Odenkirk leads the cast, with Greg Sestero (from the original Room) stepping up to co-star. Even horror master Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) plays a role, in addition to serving as executive producer.
With no rehearsal and only teleprompters to guide them, the cast was able to transform “cinematic disaster” into unpredictable spectacle — for a good cause.
The reimagining will premiere in Los Angeles on June 26, and all proceeds benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and Blue Collaborative (501.C3). Click here for ticketing info.
The production comes from Acting for a Cause, which has raised money for various charitable causes by asking for donations tied to digital performances, Variety reports. In June 2024, the organization released a statement emphasizing on behalf of the director that “this adaptation is not a studio remake of the original film, but a heartfelt indie tribute to Tommy Wiseau’s creative genius and independent spirit.”
Slashfilm first reported on the project in March 2023, with Odenkirk, 63, then confirming the details via his Twitter account.
“This is real. This is true,” he wrote in a post on March 8, 2023. “And let me tell you, I tried my best to SELL every line, as honestly as I could…and I had a BLAST.”
This is real. This is true. And let me tell you, I tried my best to SELL every line, as honestly as I could…and I had a BLAST https://t.co/v261E1DKnG
— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) March 9, 2023
Wiseau’s original 2003 effort — often cited as the “worst film ever made” — is now a beloved, cult phenomenon. Let’s not forget the making of The Room was brought to life with The Disaster Artist (2017), which won James Franco a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Wiseau, 70. For his acceptance speech, Franco, 48, brought the filmmaker onstage as a show of appreciation.
