The Sci-Fi Classic Remake Guy Pearce Regrets Filming

Regrets are a universal part of life. In the case of prolific film stars, those regrets can be magnified by the fact that they're often still running on cable or featured on streaming platforms and in discount DVD bins for years (even decades) after the fact. Guy Pearce isn't immune to this phenomenon, and when you've worked on as many movies as he has, it's only natural to have a few regrets about roles not taken — or, worse, roles that were taken and how certain projects turned out.

As it turns out, one of Pearce's big career regrets stems from starring in a remake of a certain science-fiction classic. And it didn't take long for him to express that regret. Diplomacy often calls for actors to wait a few years before speaking honestly about films they wished had turned out differently, but Pearce was speaking openly about this particular project only a week or so after it opened.

Fans of Guy Pearce may recall that he starred in 2002's "The Time Machine," a remake of the 1960 George Pal film which likewise adapted HG Wells' seminal time travel story. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times published just a week after the film's opening, Pearce expressed that he was conflicted about doing the film all along: "I had this dualistic approach... I thought, 'Oh, wow, that would be fun.' The other side was saying, 'No, you don't make children's movies. Do important things.' But I'm trying to loosen up, to broaden the spectrum."

"The Time Machine" should have been a promising project. Directed by Simon Wells, grandson of the original story's famous author, it was a new take on a familiar classic, with (at the time) cutting-edge special effects. Unfortunately, the film was reportedly plagued by production difficulties, extensive reshoots, and director Gore Verbinski being brought in to replace an "overwhelmed" Wells in order to finish the movie. Though the production was a difficult one, Pearce explained that his regret surrounding "The Time Machine" was a matter of "not being satisfied with what I offered up as a performance."

In the almost 20 years since, Pearce has continued to appear in big budget studio projects, including 2013's "Iron Man 3," so the experience must not have soured him on the practice forever.