Top 20 Movie Flops of the Last Decade
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Movie Flops of the Last Decade. For this list, we’ll be looking at movies released in the past ten years that cost a fortune to make, but couldn’t recoup their production and marketing costs at the box office. Aside from the numbers, we’re basing our picks on just how far these movies fell below studio expectations and what their failure means for the state of cinema. Which flop do you think deserved to perform better? Let us know in the comments.
#20: “Black Adam” (2022)
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Just because you have one of the biggest stars in the world playing a DC superhero doesn’t guarantee a billion-dollar hit. “Black Adam” fell just below grossing $400 million, which would’ve been solid for a film that cost $100 million. However, “Black Adam” was originally budgeted at $190 million, which skyrocketed to $260 million after reshoots. Taking its marketing into consideration, numerous outlets deemed the film a flop. Star Dwayne Johnson argued otherwise, although the figures he pointed to were called into question. Even if there is a road to profitability, “Black Adam” was far from the game changer that was supposed to reinvigorate the DCEU. Despite Johnson’s initial claims that Black Adam will “absolutely” fight Superman, James Gunn seems to have other plans.
#19: “The 355” (2022)
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We’re not going to act like COVID hasn’t factored into more than a few recent flops. The Omicron surge didn’t do this espionage ensemble piece any favors. Given the lackluster reviews, though, we’re not convinced that “The 355” would’ve been a box office success even in a pre-pandemic world. As much as we like Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, and the rest of the cast, there’s only so much they can do with a forgettable script and a director who, quite frankly, is better off as a producer. Nevertheless, Universal was confident enough in the picture to pay $20 million out of Cannes. “The 355” made about $7.8 million more than its distribution rights with the budget falling between $40 million and $75 million.
#18: “Amsterdam” (2022)
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“Amsterdam” proved two things: star power isn’t what it used to be and neither is director David O. Russell. After a lengthy hiatus, Russell returned with this starstudded revisionist history… mystery comedy… period picture… that’s also a political thriller. Yeah, you can tell from this description that “Amsterdam” doesn’t know what it wants to be. Since the film can’t pick a tone, the actors struggle to unearth any chemistry. Too ambitious for its own good, “Amsterdam” could’ve used a critical boost, but reviews unsurprisingly weren’t so forgiving. Costing $80 million to produce and an estimated $70 million to promote, the film got off to a disastrous $6.5 million opening weekend with its final worldwide total amounting to $31.2 million.
#17: “The Last Duel” (2021)
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With a price tag of $100 million, “The Last Duel” got better reviews than some other award season hopefuls. Even if you took COVID out of the equation, though, it would’ve been a tough sell. In addition to the uncomfortable subject matter, the film clocks in at 2-and-a-half hours, limiting the number of potential showings and alienating those turned off by long runtimes. With older demographics still hesitant about returning to theaters, Scott’s latest historical epic opened with $10.9 million, ultimately grossing about three times that amount. Scott pinned the blame on millennials who “do not ever want to be taught anything unless you are told it on the cell phone.” We’d love to see Scott’s TikTok remake that appeals to the younger crowd!
#16: “West Side Story” (2021)
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Unlike “The Last Duel,” “West Side Story” at least managed to win over Academy voters. In terms of box office, however, the pandemic’s effects were once again felt. By December 2021, audiences were starting to return to theaters, although most of them were flocking to see “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” “West Side Story” could’ve provided an alternative for the older crowd, although that demographic was still steering clear of theaters with Omicron on the rise. It didn’t help that another adaptation of the classic musical already exists, leading many to question if a remake was necessary. Steven Spielberg hasn’t lost his touch as a director, but with a gross of $76 million against $100 million, his reign as box office king may be over.
#15: “Dark Phoenix” (2019)
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While the previous “X-Men” movies had been critically hit-and-miss, all of them were financially successful. So, when Fox gave “Dark Phoenix” the go-ahead, it seemed like another guaranteed blockbuster. Unfortunately, the film faced a storm of unforeseen obstacles. What was originally supposed to be a two-part movie suddenly had to be squeezed into one. Reshoots were ordered due to negative test screenings and tweaks were allegedly also made to avoid comparison to an MCU movie. Meanwhile, Disney was in the midst of acquiring Fox, which was partially blamed for the film’s poor marketing. Horrible reviews were the final nail in the coffin for “Dark Phoenix,” which made roughly $250 million on a $200 million budget. Reportedly, it lost $100 million in total. Until “New Mutants” came along and made just $49 at the Box Office, it was the lowest-grossing X-Men movie.
#14: “Fantastic Four” (2015)
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A couple years before Disney came along with $71 billion to burn, Fox made a last-ditch effort to prove that they could make a watchable “Fantastic Four” movie. Did audiences embrace Fox’s gritty take on the colorful superhero team? Well, by the end of its opening weekend, the film came in second at the domestic box office to “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”... which had already been out for over a week. In North America, “Fantastic Four” grossed $56.1 million, which is about how much its 2005 predecessor made in its opening weekend alone. With an overall intake of $167.9 million, the film lost nearly $100 million on a budget of no less than $120 million. We guess their loss was the MCU’s gain.
#13: “Monster Trucks” (2017)
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A film about monster trucks that are literally monsters living inside trucks doesn’t exactly scream, “bonafide hit!” Nevertheless, we guess the idea offers a few possibilities for tie-in merchandise. Maybe this could’ve actually turned a respectable profit with a modest budget of $25 million. The studio unwisely decided to throw $125 million at “Monster Trucks,” however. We can only assume one of the studio heads thought that this was going to be the next “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Where “Ninja Turtles” built a fanbase with comics, toys, and a cartoon, though, “Monster Trucks” went blindly charging into the fast lane without any driving experience. Grossing $64.5 million worldwide, what was intended to jumpstart a franchise instead lost an estimated $123.1 million.
#12: “Justice League” (2017)
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After Marvel broke records with “The Avengers,” DC seemed destined to do the same. Where the MCU took its time establishing its heroes, though, the DCEU accelerated things to catch up. Along the way, they churned out five films that ranged from awesome to “Suicide Squad.” As if that wasn’t enough to make moviegoers skeptical, Zack Snyder left during post-production due to a family tragedy with Joss Whedon stepping in. When “Justice League” hit theaters, it was about as tonally inconsistent and rushed as people expected. Its $658 million gross would’ve been passable for a middle-tier superhero movie, but for a $300 million tentpole, it didn’t reach the break-even point. At least Snyder eventually got to finish his version, although measuring its profitability is tricky.
#11: “The BFG” (2016)
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On paper, “The BFG” appeared to be too big to fail. It was being distributed by Disney, it was based on a cherished book by literary legend Roald Dahl, and it marked director Steven Spielberg’s return to family-friendly entertainment. Unlike some of the other films on this list, “The BFG” also had mostly positive reviews on its side. For whatever reason, though, more people went to see “The Purge: Election Year” and “The Legend of Tarzan” over the Fourth of July weekend. Making just over $55 million in North America and $183.3 million in total, “The BFG” had much smaller returns than expected. Like “Willy Wonka,” “BFG” could become a cult classic someday, but it likely won’t recoup its $140 million budget anytime soon.
#10: “Chaos Walking” (2021)
People like Spider-Man. People like “Star Wars.” We think they still like dystopian YA adaptations? Let’s throw them all together and let the money flow in! If only the formula for success was that simple. Even before the pandemic was delaying most big-budget movies, “Chaos Walking” was already in release window limbo as poor test screenings and reshoots spelled doom. When “Chaos Walking” was finally released in February 2021, four years after principal photography started, it felt like the film had been sent adrift on an ice floe. Nobody expected it to survive the cold critical reception. With an intake of $27.1 million against at least $100 million, the studio could only take solace in one thing: the almighty write-down.
#9: “Terminator: Dark Fate” (2019)
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Considering that “Terminator 2” was the highest-grossing movie of 1991, we can understand why Hollywood would want to recapture that magic. After “Rise of the Machines,” “Salvation,” and “Genisys,” though, studios should’ve learned by 2019 that it’s not going to happen… ever. Regardless, they made another attempt with “Dark Fate,” which marked the return of Linda Hamilton and James Cameron (albeit not as a director). Although better received than some other sequels, it rehashed most of the same tired plot points with several questionable new ideas thrown in. The budget of nearly $200 million bit off more than it could chew, reportedly losing the studios $122.6 million. And if you think this is truly the end, Cameron says that a reboot is “in discussion.”
#8: “Lightyear” (2022)
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How could a “Toy Story” movie possibly flop? Well, by removing most of the toys, substituting the playful tone with gritty realism, and not even bringing Tim Allen back to voice Buzz Lightyear. To its credit, “Lightyear” featured some stunning animation and intriguing ideas that might’ve worked fine in another sci-fi picture… just not necessarily one about Buzz Lightyear. What was supposed to be Pixar’s grand return to theaters only grossed $226.4 million. That would’ve been great for the original “Toy Story,” which cost $30 million in 1995, but this 2022 spinoff came with a $200 million price plus marketing and distribution costs. Following its failure, Pixar CCO Pete Docter deduced that the film “asked too much of the audience.”
#7: “47 Ronin” (2013)
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We’re so happy Keanu Reeves made a comeback in the late 2010s because “47 Ronin” looked like a certified career killer. This action samurai fantasy was apparently a production nightmare, as first-time director Carl Rinsch received a $175 million budget and, following reshoots, was excluded from the editing process. One source claimed that the film’s budget rose to $225 million, meaning it’d have to bring in $500 million just to break even. While a Universal executive contested those numbers, “47 Ronin” still needed to make much more than $38 million domestically. It didn’t do much better in Japan where the film opened with $1.3 million US. With a final gross of $151.8 million, Reeves is lucky that “John Wick” was less than a year away.
#6: “Cats” (2019)
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The stage version of “Cats” made almost $4 billion worldwide, breathing new life into the Broadway musical. The cinematic version of “Cats” was such a catastrophic flop that it probably would’ve killed the movie musical if “Frozen 2” hadn’t come out a month earlier. That said, “Cats” was completely overshadowed by the “Frozen” sequel not to mention “Rise of Skywalker.” “Cats” is already developing a “so bad it’s good” reputation, not unlike “The Room.” Where “The Room” cost just $6 million to make, however, “Cats” had a $95 million budget. So, it’s going to take A LOT of late-night screenings and home media sales for this thing to ever show a profit. At the beginning of 2020, Universal is looking at an estimated loss somewhere between $71-$100 million. Me-ouch!
#5: “Moonfall” (2022)
“Aftersun,” “To Leslie,” Roland Emmerich’s “Moonfall,” what do they all have in common? They’re all technically independent movies. Before you say anything, yes, “Moonfall” cost A LOT more than the aforementioned indies with its budget ranging from $138 million to $146 million. However, rather than go the traditional funding route for a disaster picture of this magnitude, Emmerich independently financed “Moonfall” with help from backers like Lionsgate and Huayi Brothers. Did Emmerich’s gamble pay off? Well, “Moonfall” didn’t make back half its budget, bringing in $67.3 million. It didn’t even open #1, losing to “Jackass Forever,” which cost just $10 million. If Emmerich wants to save face, he should produce a documentary about how this movie got made, which sounds far more interesting.
#4: “Strange World” (2022)
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How badly did “Strange World” bomb? It made even less than “Treasure Planet”... which came out 20 years earlier. To be fair, the game has significantly changed since then thanks to the rise of streaming, not to mention COVID. Disney also could’ve done much more to market “Strange World,” not receiving the same fanfare as some of their other films. If “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” proved anything a month later, though, it’s that positive word of mouth can still produce a sleeper hit, even after an underwhelming opening weekend against stiff competition. The word of mouth simply wasn’t there for “Strange World.” While the film has performed better on Disney+, the financial loss of $147 million will forever be tied to its legacy.
#3: “Jupiter Ascending” (2015)
Walking out of “Jupiter Ascending,” audiences asked the same question: “Somebody paid $176 million to $210 million for this?” The high investment makes more sense given the involvement of the Wachowskis, the visionaries behind “The Matrix.” Of course, that revelation comes with another question: “The people who brought us ‘The Matrix’ made this?” While the space opera performed better outside of the U.S. and Canada where it made just $47.4 million, the worldwide total of $183.9 million was a far cry from the franchise starter that the filmmakers were hoping for. We’d like to give the film credit for originality, but the characters, plot, and visuals all feel recycled from superior sci-fi stories. And yet, few modern films are more uniquely bad.
#2: “Pan” (2015)
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Speaking of redundant ideas, “Pan” feels like a Warner Bros. executive said, “We need something to fill the ‘Harry Potter' void and Disney hasn’t done a live-action ‘Peter Pan’ remake (yet). Let’s strike while the iron is lukewarm at best!” “Pan” abides by the mentality that if something is familiar, audiences will show up in droves. While Hollywood sometimes gets lucky with this philosophy, it wasn’t the case for “Pan.” The studio sank $150 million into the production budget alone with at least another $100 million going into its marketing. With the break-even point being in the half a billion dollars range, “Pan” finished with an abysmal $128 million. “Peter Pan” may be timeless, but this movie epitomized several tropes that became dated years earlier.
#1: “Mortal Engines” (2018)
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With a production budget somewhere between $100 and $150 million, “Mortal Engines” was a risky venture for Universal. When Peter Jackson is attached as a screenwriter and producer, though, a risk can start to seem like a sure thing. Plus, the film was based on a beloved YA novel by Philip Reeve, inviting plenty of franchise potential. The studio knew it was in trouble when “Mortal Engines” only brought in $7.5 million over its opening weekend. Things only went downhill from there as the film plummeted 77% during its second weekend. Grossing just $83.7 million worldwide, “Mortal Engines” crashed and burned thanks to unenthusiastic reviews and a crowded holiday season. High post-production costs further contributed to the studio’s monumental loss of $174.8M.
