Battlefield Earth (film)

Battlefield Earth is a 2000 American science fiction film based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. It was directed by Roger Christian from a script by Corey Mandell and J. David Shapiro, starring John Travolta, Barry Pepper, and Forest Whitaker. The film follows a human rebellion against the alien Psychlos, who have ruled Earth for 1,000 years.

Travolta, a Scientologist, began adapting Battlefield Earth in the mid-1990s. He was unable to obtain major studio funding because of concerns regarding the script and its connections to Scientology. In 1998, it was picked up by the independent production company Franchise Pictures, which specialized in rescuing pet projects. Production began in 1999, largely funded by the German distribution company Intertainment AG. Travolta, as co-producer, also contributed millions of dollars; he envisioned Battlefield Earth as the first in a two-part adaptation of the book, as it only covers the first half of the novel's story.

Battlefield Earth premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on May 10, 2000, and went into general release on May 12. It grossed $29.7 million worldwide against a $44 million budget and was considered a box office disappointment at the time. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and is considered to be one of the worst films of all time and the worst-received film in Travolta's filmography. Audiences were reported to have ridiculed early screenings, and stayed away from the film after its opening weekend. It received eight Golden Raspberry Awards, the most given to any film until 2012. In 2010, it won Worst Picture of the Decade.

In 2004, Franchise Pictures was sued by its investors and went bankrupt after it emerged that it had fraudulently overstated the film's budget by $31 million. This, coupled with the film's poor reception, ended Travolta's plans for a sequel.