Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" was a famously difficult movie to pull off, a philosophical and spiritual journey featuring a young protagonist (don't work with kids) stranded on the open sea (don't work on water) with his only companion, a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker (don't work with animals).
Throw in a beloved bestselling book whose devoted fans would be comparing the adaptation to the novel, extensive special effects that included a menagerie of largely CG animals, and Lee's decision to shoot in 3D for the first time, and only the truest of true believers would have dared suggest that the movie would end up an international hit with grosses approaching $450 million, and a critical favorite with 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and both sound categories.