The Lawnmower Man (1992) – WTF Happened to This Horror Movie?

It’s time for a new episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? video series, and in this one we’re looking back at the 1992 sci-fi horror movie The Lawnmower Man (watch it HERE) – which was initially marketed as being an adaptation of a short story by Stephen King, until King sued to have his name taken out of the marketing materials because the movie “bore no meaningful resemblance” to his story. To find out all about it, check out the video embedded above!

Directed by Brett Leonard, who also wrote the screenplay with producer Gimel Everett, The Lawnmower Man has the following synopsis: The eccentric Dr. Lawrence Angelo puts mentally disabled landscaper Jobe Smith on a regimen of experimental pills and computer-simulated training sequences in hopes of augmenting the man’s intelligence. In time Jobe becomes noticeably brighter and also begins to fare much better with the opposite sex. But, as he develops psychic powers, he realizes that those around him have taken advantage of his simplicity his whole life, and he plots a bloody revenge.

The film stars Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeremy Slate, Dean Norris, Austin O’Brien, and Troy Evans.

This is what the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie series is all about: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?

The The Lawnmower Man episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Eric Walkuski, Edited and Narrated by Tyler Nichols, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A couple of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

What do you think of The Lawnmower Man? Let us know by leaving a comment!