WHAT WENT WRONG

WHAT WENT WRONG

What Went Wrong covers Hollywood’s most notoriously disastrous movie productions, digging into the behind-the-scenes insanity of everything from massive flops to record-breaking blockbusters. In each episode, hosts Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer dive into a new film to explore the mind-blowing (and sometimes numbing) reasons why making a movie is nearly impossible (especially a good one). Produced by David Boman. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or PATREON for monthly bonus episodes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

January 16, 2026 72 mins

Chris, Lizzie, and special guests Henry Zebrowski and Ed Larson from the 'Last Podcast on the Left' investigate the extraordinary life and untimely death of River Phoenix. We dig into Phoenix’s complicated family dynamics, his deep discomfort with fame, and the pressures that followed him. Find out how his childhood - including a stint in the Children of God cult - informed his meteoric rise as one of Hollywood’s most sensitive and...

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How did 'Don’t Worry Darling' become one of Hollywood’s biggest misfires since 'Ishtar'? Chris and Lizzie investigate how Olivia Wilde’s highly anticipated sophomore film began falling apart long before it reached theaters.


From Shia LaBeouf’s hotly disputed exit and last-minute replacement with Harry Styles, to how Wilde’s personal life hijacked the press tour, the off-screen drama proved far more compelling than the movie itse...

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January 5, 2026 86 mins

In 2000, Christopher Nolan had to believe in a world outside his own mind... even though no one seemed interested in what his imagination had wrought. Join Chris & Lizzie as they ring in the New Year with a dive into the early aughts' seminal neo-noir cult classic, Memento, and sleuth out how Nolan's breakout film was nearly forgotten. Plus, how Stephen Tobolowsky's penis snagged him the role of Sammy Jankis, the Hollywood hunk...

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December 29, 2025 67 mins

Chris and Lizzie join Chelsea Devantez on Glamorous Trash to reveal some of their favorite moments from movies and memoirs we've covered on our shows. Find out what Barbra Streisand had to say about Lady Gaga, revisit Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor's bonkers antics on Cleopatra, and much more!


Listen to more of Chelsea's show: Glamorous Trash: A Celebrity Memoir Podcast


Hosted on A...

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December 26, 2025 21 mins

Lizzie and Chris candidly reflect on James Cameron's newest tale from Pandora, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Join us for a discussion that covers story vs. special FX, the evolution and current status of the saga, whether even the great Sigourney Weaver can pull off being an underage alien, and much more.


To enjoy the full episode and all other WWW Bonus Episodes, subscribe to Special Features on Apple Podcast, or join us on Patreon at...

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December 22, 2025 111 mins

Would you make love to an alien? Because James Cameron wants to know. Lizzie & Chris cap a James Cameron Christmas with perhaps his most polarizing film, Avatar. From epic spats to studio subterfuge and accusations of plagiarism, the journey to Pandora (and box office glory) begs the question: was it worth a seemingly self-imposed exile to a world that doesn't exist?


*CORRECTIONS: Contrary to Lizzie's assertion, Zoe Saldaña ...

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December 15, 2025 83 mins
On camera it was Ripley vs. the Alien Queen… off camera it was James Cameron vs. everyone else. Mutinous crews, studio interference, and seemingly impossible creature builds were just the beginning of the chaos behind 1986’s action-packed classic 'Aliens'. This week, Chris and Lizzie uncover why no one called Ridley Scott, how Sigourney Weaver almost didn’t make the cut, and why you should never—ever—argue with James Cameron.

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In this bonus episode Chris and Lizzie share their unfiltered thoughts on Rian Johnson’s ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’, and discuss the surprising (and potentially mis-marketed) message of the film. Find out which stars stood out in an all-star cast - we’re looking at you Josh O’Connor & Daryl McCormack - and which were completely unnecessary. We also discuss how the impending Warner Bros./Netflix or Paramount merger...

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December 8, 2025 95 mins

The Christmas classic that was never intended to be a Christmas classic! This week, Chris & Lizzie explore the many versions of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life that we were nearly gifted, complete with adultery, murderous doppelgängers, and political intrigue. Plus, why Jimmy Stewart worried Hollywood had passed him by, the invention of a new kind of snow, and suspicions of a communist agenda.


*CORRECTIONS: Jimmy Stewart...

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December 1, 2025 82 mins

When 'Bad Santa' hit theaters in 2003, audiences got a filthy, chaotic Christmas classic. What they didn’t get was the movie director Terry Zwigoff or producers the Coen Brothers intended to make.


In this episode, Chris and Lizzie uncover how Bob Weinstein became the real villain of 'Bad Santa'—seizing Zwigoff’s cut, alienating the Coens, and waging war on anyone who tried to protect the film. Plus: why Billy Bob Thornton was no...

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November 24, 2025 99 mins

We are who we choose to be, and if Brad Bird hadn't chosen to be a pain in the ass, we'd never have The Iron Giant. This week, Chris & Lizzie are joined by Alex Steed of the You Are Good podcast to explore the complex history of The Iron Giant. From children's stories to profound loss, The Iron Giant's journey to our homes was one of falling apart and coming back together again.


*Please note that today's episode includes men...

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When the Maysles brothers showed up at Grey Gardens, they thought they were filming a quick piece on Jackie O’s quirky relatives. Instead, they uncovered Big and Little Edie Beale—an isolated mother-daughter duo living in shocking squalor, feeding raccoons in their attic, and completely frozen in time.


In the second episode of Out of Frame, Lizzie and Chris are joined by Watch What Crappens hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam t...

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November 17, 2025 82 mins
There’s no 'Toy Story' without Pixar, and there’s no Pixar without… Steve Jobs. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first computer animated feature film ever, Chris and Lizzie dive into the story behind 1995’s absolutely miraculous 'Toy Story'. Find out why an early version of Woody made Disney almost pull the plug, how Tim Allen changed Buzz Lightyear, and why George Lucas let Pixar slip through his fingers for only $10M.
...

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November 14, 2025 18 mins
Lizzie and Chris discuss Guillermo Del Toro’s newest film, “Frankenstein” - Del Toro's approach to adapting his favorite book of all time, Jacob Elordi's last minute casting, and where it ranks in the Del Toro filmography.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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November 10, 2025 88 mins
What if you got a do-over on the score of a lifetime? Would you take your shot, or walk away? Join Chris & Lizzie as they infiltrate the incredible crew behind 'Heat' and learn how Michael Mann was finally able to pull off his sprawling LA crime drama yet still ended up getting robbed…

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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November 3, 2025 94 mins
Michael Mann meets his match in one of the most dedicated method actors of all time: Daniel Day-Lewis. Join Chris and Lizzie as they chronicle Mann’s obsessively detail-oriented 1992 historical epic ‘The Last of the Mohicans’. Find out how on-set strikes and last-minute firings caused turmoil behind the scenes, and why ‘Dances with Wolves’ inspired Russell Means (Chingachgook) to join the cast… but not for the reasons you might thi...

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October 31, 2025 17 mins

Chris, Lizzie, and David dive deep answering some of our audiences most piercing questions followed by a discussion about the relationship between creative control and financial interest in filmmaking.

For the full episode join the $5 tier subscription or above on Apple Podcasts or Patreon at Patreon.com/whatwentwrongpodcast.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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October 27, 2025 84 mins
Paint your leaves yellow and orange and scatter them across the yard, because it's springtime in Pasadena and Halloween is coming to town! Chris & Lizzie plumb the depths of the real Michael Myers, how John Carpenter's career was saved by UK audiences, and why you should never show anyone your movie without music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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When Natalie Wood drowned in 1981 she was only 43 years old. Thanks to films like ‘West Side Story’, ‘Rebel Without a Cause’, and ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ she was an icon, but she’d been out of the spotlight for almost a decade. Wood was in the midst of filming her comeback, ‘Brainstorm’, when she, her co-star Christopher Walken, and her husband Robert Wagner took their yacht out for Thanksgiving weekend. What happened that night d...

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October 20, 2025 79 mins
In 1999, a found footage documentary showed audiences the terrifying last days of 3 intrepid filmmakers before they disappeared forever. Thanks to the popularity of the film, their mothers received condolence calls and police offered to reopen their case - there was just one problem… they were actors and they were very much alive. ‘The Blair Witch Project’ shattered box office records thanks in no small part to its brilliant viral ...

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