Jane Seymour has revealed that the 1980 romantic fantasy Somewhere in Time almost never saw the light of day, yet it later exploded into a global cult phenomenon.
At a Glance
- Universal initially refused to promote the film and an actors’ strike blocked all interviews
- Critics panned the movie, giving it what Seymour calls “the worst reviews of all time”
- Hong Kong audiences turned the film into a number-one hit, inspiring fans to watch it 20 times
- Devotees created INSITE, an annual Grand Hotel gathering where attendees dress as the lead characters
- Why it matters: The story shows how fan passion can resurrect a dismissed film and turn it into a lasting cultural touchstone
The 74-year-old actress, who starred alongside Christopher Reeve in the time-travel love story, told News Of Losangeles at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards on January 10 that studio indifference and critical scorn nearly buried the project.
“The movie was almost not put out. Universal did not publicize it [at] all. There was an actor’s strike, so Chris and I weren’t allowed to even promote it. And then it got the worst reviews of all time,” Seymour said.
From Studio Rejection to Overseas Sensation
While American audiences stayed away at first, the picture struck a chord abroad. A friend alerted Seymour to its unexpected popularity in Hong Kong.
“‘You have no idea. Your movie is the number one movie in Hong Kong. People watch it 20 times,'” she quoted the friend as saying.
The actress traveled to the city and encountered Beatlemania-level hysteria.
“I went to Hong Kong and was mobbed. Mobbed. I thought I was one of the Beatles. I had 10 armed guards around me while people were crushing me,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘What? That movie that nobody wanted to see?’ And it just got bigger and bigger.”
Fans Forge Their Own Legacy
After production wrapped, Seymour and Reeve made a personal pact to revisit Mackinac Island, Michigan, the picturesque locale where filming took place. They eventually discovered that admirers had taken matters into their own hands.
“The fans, who finally found Somewhere in Time, decided to start an organization called the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, called INSITE,” Seymour explained.
The group produced detailed magazines devoted to the film. When Reeve returned to the island he phoned Seymour, astonished.
“‘You’re not going to believe what’s going on. People are coming here. They’re dressing up like us. They’re playing the roles. They’re doing all of that,'” she remembered him saying.
Annual Celebration at the Grand Hotel
Curiosity finally lured Seymour back to Mackinac Island, where she experienced the weekend event firsthand.
“They have a weekend every year at the Grand Hotel. And my kids have been with me, and even they love it,” she told News Of Losangeles. “It’s amazing. Extraordinary. The fan base for Somewhere in Time is huge.”
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc, the film features Reeve as a playwright who uses self-hypnosis to travel from 1980 to 1912, where he falls in love with Seymour’s character, a renowned stage actress. The cast also includes Christopher Plummer and Teresa Wright.
Key Takeaways
- Studio neglect and critical derision nearly doomed Somewhere in Time
- International audiences, beginning with Hong Kong moviegoers, rescued the film from obscurity
- Grass-roots fandom created INSITE, an enduring celebration that draws costume-clad devotees to Mackinac Island each year
- Seymour remains stunned that a project once dismissed by Hollywood became a beloved classic
