There were a lot of people dreaming about making films, and they would finance maybe 6 films a year. Because they were funded by the government, the films sort-of had to deal with serious social issues - and, as a result, nobody went to see those films.

Harlin directed the WWE Studios action movie 12 Rounds starring John Cena. X. Instead Harlin made another foray into low-budget horror with The Covenant which was another moderate commercial success.

His film Cutthroat Island (1995) held the Guinness world record for "Biggest Box-Office Flop of All Time". Harlin's movies have earned US$506543064 in the United States as of January 2013 making him the 87th highest-grossing director in the American market.