Big budgets and major marketing expenses often lead a movie down a bad path. Some productions are lucky enough to have mega budgets, but sometimes they can get overly complicated and have mega expectations, too, making the film destined to flop at the box office. From animated films to major action pictures, box office flops come in all shapes and sizes.
Regardless of the star power and technical effects, some pictures are just doomed to bomb at the box office. Check out the box office flops in the slides to come, and let us know if you think they deserved better! Please SHARE this post with all your movie-loving friends!
'John Carter'
The action film John Carter was ambitious from the start. The film had a budget of $350 million, and spent $100 million on marketing. It was a hit overseas, but not enough of a hit for the studio to make back its money. Disney lost $150 million on the film, prompting the resignation of Walt Disney Studio head Rich Ross.
'Jupiter Ascending'
With the Wachowski siblings directing, viewers thought Jupiter Ascending would be a hit. However, the movie opened to very negative reviews, only garnering positive comments for its visual effects. The movie cost Warner Bros. more than $176 million to create, yet the film only grossed $47 million domestic and $136 million overseas. The studio lost about $80 million overall.
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'The Adventures Of Pluto Nash'
Even Eddie Murphy could not save The Adventures of Pluto Nash from being a box office disaster. The action-comedy starred Murphy as a lunar nightclub owner who was on a mission for revenge after his nightclub was blown up by man who wanted to take over the moon. Along with the shifty plot, the movie lacked both action and comedy. The $100 million film only grossed $2.1 million during its opening weekend. Overall, the film made $7 million, making it a major loss for the studio.
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'Green Lantern'
With Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively at the center of the film, Green Lantern was expected to be a major hit. The film had a huge budget of around $200 million, and needed to gross more than $500 million to make a suitable profit. The film didn’t sit well with viewers, and it grossed $219 million, leaving Warner Bros. in a bit of a lurch investment-wise.
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'Speed Racer'
When Larry and Andy Wachowski signed on Speed Racer, it was expected to be a hit; they are known for V for Vendetta and The Matrix. However, they couldn’t capture the same magic when it came to Speed Racer. The film was expected to open as an immediate success, but it quickly shattered those high expectations. The $120 million film grossed less than $19 million.
'The Alamo'
Even with a star-studded cast including Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jason Patric, The Alamo ended up being a flop. The historical film cost the studio $107 million dollars to create. Unfortunately, that budget didn’t translate into historical accuracy, and it left audiences looking for more. The film went on to gross about $30 million domestically and $26 million worldwide. Overall, the studio lost $94 million on The Alamo.
'Treasure Planet'
Treasure Planet did not get the Disney stamp of approval, and went on to be a major flop at the box office. The animated film cost the studio more than $140 million to produce and millions more in marketing. The movie opened to mixed reviews, but it still couldn’t swing a success at the box office. Ultimately it grossed only $38 million during its short run in theaters.
'How Do You Know'
With director James L. Brooks and a stellar cast including Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Owen Wilson, and Paul Rudd, Sony had high hopes for How Do You Know. However, the film was doomed from the start, due in part to the cast’s high salary demands. The film had a budget of $120 million, but it only grossed around $48 million domestically and overseas.
'47 Ronin'
Not even Keanu Reeves could make a success out of 47 Ronin. The $225 million film had problems setting a release date and could not find its footing. It opened up Christmas weekend, facing a slew of competitors that included The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Wolf of Wall Street. The film ended up grossing $151 million, but even that wasn’t enough to be considered a success.
'Pan'
Disney may have set its sights a little high with the production of Pan. The movie told the origin story of Peter Pan and Captain Hook, but ultimately it did not connect to audiences like the previous films in the same world did. The budget for the film ended up being $150 million, not including a $125 million marketing budget. Audiences did not connect with the film domestically or overseas, leaving Disney with a multimillion-dollar loss.
'Stealth'
Before Stealth even went into production, it faced an uphill battle. The movie had a stereotypical plot, average actors, and expensive action scenes. As if that wasn’t enough, it also opened up against Wedding Crashers and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The $135 million dollar film only grossed around $75 million worldwide.
'Mars Needs Moms'
Mars Needs Moms got lost in the shuffle and could not land an audience. The film was made using 3-D motion capture and animation, yet it did not have the technological flair it needed. The film only made $6.8 million during its opening weekend, making nowhere near enough to catch up to its $150 million budget.
'The Lone Ranger'
From the beginning, The Lone Ranger was a movie-making disaster. Having Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer attached to the project only increased expectations. However, the production never found its footing, and the studio was constantly moving the release date back. The film ended up with a mega budget of $375 million, but still struggled at the box office. The Lone Ranger barely made back any of its money, only taking in $260.5 million worldwide. Disney took a $150 million dollar loss for the project.
'Evan Almighty'
With the success of Bruce Almighty, many expected the sequel, Evan Almighty, to be a hit. The film had a massive budget in order to incorporate the plot’s CGI flood and all of the animals. Overall, it cost the studio more than $200 million to complete the film; however, it was not received well at the box office. The film left the studio with an $88 million loss.
'Cutthroat Island'
People in the entertainment industry have always been skeptical about pirate movies, and that is all thanks to Cutthroat Island. The pirate action movie had a budget of $155 million and only grossed $10 million during its release.
'Gigli'
Back when Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were known as “Bennifer,” they starred in a movie together. That movie went on to become one of the biggest train wrecks in Hollywood history. The complicated romantic crime thriller grossed $6 million during its opening weekend, leaving the $54 million movie with a major loss.
'Heaven's Gate'
Heaven’s Gate may be considered the biggest box office flop in history. The $44 million movie only earned $3.5 million at the box office. The results were so bad it ultimately caused the studio, United Artist, to shut down, leaving director Michael Cimino without a career.
'Sahara'
Many people did not expect Sahara to bomb due to the high-quality cast. The film followed Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penelope Cruz though the African desert on a search for a lost Civil War battleship. Sahara opened to average reviews, but due to its insane budget it was considered a failure. The movie cost $211 million to produce and market, and it only took in $128 million worldwide.
'The 13th Warrior'
The 13th Warrior took the book, Eaters of the Dead, to a whole new level. Thanks to the hype of the book, Touchstone Pictures decided to go all out with the film. However, the book was much better than the movie and left fans very disappointed. The studio invested $160 million in the film and grossed $61.7 million, making it a major loss for the studio.
'Jack The Giant Slayer'
People had high hopes for the Bryan Singer-directed picture Jack the Giant Slayer when it went into production. The film starred Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy, and Ewan McGregor, and had a major budget of $185 million. However, the big-name cast and the well-known director couldn’t save the film. Jack the Giant Slayer grossed $7.7 million during its opening, overall causing a loss of $125 million for the studio.
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets
The extremely expensive film saw a devastating opening weekend at the box office, falling in fifth place with only $17 million for a $180 million production budget. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is based on the French comic strip Valerian et Laureline which is much more popular in Europe than in the United States. The film was heavily critiqued due to the lead actors sharing little on-screen chemistry, leaving the main attraction to be the visuals on their own.
'The Flowers Of War'
This Chinese-produced 2011 film starring Christian Bale was set in the years before World War II, and focused on the Japanese invasion of China. The film’s production team thought it would generate Oscar buzz. Suffice to say, it did not.
'Green Zone'
This 2010 Matt Damon vehicle followed a soldier during the Iraq War. The film was a box office dud.
'Bicentennial Man'
After the back to back success of Good Will Hunting and Patch Adams, Robin Williams was on top of the film world in 1999.. until Bicentennial Man. The film, which featured Williams as a robot who yearns to be human, failed to ignite at the box office.
'Ben Hur' (2016)
The first two Hollywood versions of Ben-Hur are two of the most acclaimed films of all time. The third version, released in 2016, not so much. Despite the presence of stars like Morgan Freeman, the film was a commercial and critical dud.
'The Stepford Wives' (2004)
Hollywood’s 1975 version of The Stepford Wives has become a cult classic film. The 2004 film starring Nicole Kidman is… not. The film was a bust at the box office, better remembered for behind the scenes issues than anything else.
'Peter Pan' (2003)
Another slide, another version of Peter Pan that failed to impress at the box office. Maybe, just maybe, studios should stop trying to top the classic Disney version.
'The Wolfman' (2010)
Not even Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro could save this remake from financial ruin. The Wolfman did have great makeup going for it though, as evidenced by an Oscar win.
'The Chronicles Of Riddick'
The Chronicles of Riddick was a passion project for Vin Diesel which –unfortunately for him – bombed. Luckily for Diesel, his later passion project, The Fast and the Furious franchise, has been just a tad more successful.
Catwoman
In the 20+ years since 2000’s X-Men jump-started comic book film’s domination of the box office, there has arguably been no bigger bomb in the genre than 2004’s Catwoman. The Halle Berry vehicle changed the Batman character’s source material considerably, alienating fans and casual movie-goers.
