Popular video games almost never translate into popular movies. Despite the huge number of failed films based on games, studios keep making the same mistake by trying to buck the trend, and it frequently ends up with box office devastation for the companies foolish enough to make them. One of the biggest money losers which stands as a testament to that fact is 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.'
You could argue that the best time to release this movie had already been and gone by the time it was released. 'Final Fantasy VI' had been one of the biggest video games in the world, but that was years before the film came out in 2001. The audience had already moved on, and they weren't motivated to come back for this. From a $137 production cost, it made $85m back. From that point onwards, Square decided to keep their focus on making video games, and away from films.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.