Trivia / Ambulance

• Acclaimed Flop: Despite receiving some of the best reviews from critics of Michael Bay's career (with 69% Rotten Tomatoes on it), this movie only grossed a little bit over $50 million worldwide, marking the film as his lowest-grossing at the worldwide box office.
• Box Office Bomb: Budget, $40 million. Gross, $22,309,115 (domestic), $51,706,081 (worldwide). Opening on the same weekend as Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) and the wide expansion of Everything Everywhere All at Once did this film no favours at the box office, and the film dropped out of the top 10 after only four weeks.
• Creator Backlash: In a promotional interview for the film, Michael Bay claimed he was disappointed by some of the film's CGI.
• Early-Bird Release: The film released in most of the world during late-March 2022 in some countries such as the UK, Europe, Mexico, Latin America and China.
• Release Date Change: Originally set for release on February 18, 2022, the film was pushed back two months to April 8 after Sony's own action-thriller Bullet Train was delayed from that date to July 15.
• Throw It In!: The chase scene in the Los Angeles River was added in by Bay when two helicopters became available to use.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, The Bone Collector) was originally attached to direct the project in 2015, but was replaced two years later by directing duo Navot Papushado and Aharon Keshales, before they themselves were replaced by Michael Bay in 2020.
  • Dylan O'Brien was originally announced as part of the cast, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II replacing him.
• Writing by the Seat of Your Pants: Per the press tour, Michael Bay would either film certain set-pieces earlier than intended because he had a new idea, or would make up entirely new scenes on the fly. The chase through the L.A. River mostly came about because Bay got access to two helicopters and two pilots experienced enough to fly safely under the bridges.
  Jake Gyllenhaal: I was like, "How the fuck did you get two helicopters out in the middle of nowhere??" And he's like, "Don't ask questions! We're rolling!"

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