# movie jail

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/movie-jail
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A state of derailment of a career or limited opportunities to which a film industry professional is seemingly relegated, usually as a result of making an unsuccessful film.

## Examples

- The director is in movie jail after his last film failed.
- After the studio lost millions on his latest project, the actor found himself in movie jail for several years.
- Following a string of critical and commercial disasters, the once-celebrated filmmaker languished in movie jail, unable to secure funding for his passion projects.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.