Top 10 Movies That Surprisingly Bombed

We were all Jack’s sense of complete surprise when we found out that this dark comedy didn’t do that well at first. “Fight Club” boasted an impressive cast that featured stars like Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter. Its subversive humor and quotable lines made it memorable. And “Fight Club’s features one of Hollywood’s best twists. Despite all of the film’s advantages, it lost somewhere around 24-28 million dollars. This may have been because critics were extremely split on the film’s quality upon its release. Or maybe audience members didn’t talk it up because they were following the first rule of “Fight Club”. Either way, this Fincher film managed to stay relevant after losing the battle for the top of the box office.

It turns out that the 8-bit hero of this film had to fight seven evil exes and low box office returns.
On a budget that ranged from 60-85 million dollars, “Scott Pilgrim” sadly made less than $50 when it was first released. It’s likely that audiences were just too unfamiliar with the character to give it a shot. If more moviegoers had shown up, they’d find fast-paced editing, unique visuals and extremely catchy songs. They’d also see a cast that was jam packed with future superstars. Since the film’s release, the property had found massive success in mediums like video games and tv. It’s hard to nail down why the world was against Scott Pilgrim when he first stepped on the stage.

After the young Charlie Bucket found a golden ticket, he took us on a journey unlike any other. His chocolate factory tour captured our imaginations because of great production design and the unforgettable characters he found along the way. Speaking of icons, Gene Wilder’s pitch perfect performance as Willy Wonka managed to unnerve us and make us smile in equal measure. But this sweet treat wasn’t savored right away. While it cost a relatively small $4 million dollars to make, it failed to double its original budget. The strong reviews didn’t help bring people in either. Since “Willy Wonka” achieved massive popularity after tv airings and a major re-release, it’s almost impossible to imagine a time when this movie was a financial failure.

Nearly a decade after “Fury Road” raced its way into moviegoer’s hearts, Warner Bros. released a high-octane prequel. The 2024 Furiosa-focused film delivered with an engrossing story that fleshed out the tough anti-heroine. It also contained impressive set pieces that could compete with Fury Road’s best moments. Surprisingly, neither the well reviewed story nor thrills were enough. As of May 2024, the film stands to lose at least 100 million dollars. Did Furiosa arrive too long after the initial hype for the franchise had died down? Or was it a mistake to give it a slightly higher budget than its predecessor since “Fury Road” barely turned a profit? Whatever the reason, “Furiosa’s” stunning failure could spell trouble for the future of the “Mad Max” franchise.

The simultaneous release of “In the Heights” in theaters and on streaming is likely what caused that well-reviewed musical to flop at the box office. But it’s much harder to figure out why “West Side Story” met a similar fate. Since the previous version of this tale of two star crossed lovers won Best Picture the last time it was in theaters, it was far from an obscure musical. And while it had the legendary Steven Speilberg behind the camera, young stars shone in the cast. The new “West Side Story” also made great updates that served as great additions for longtime fans. But even Oscar buzz couldn’t help this movie earn back its $100 million dollar budget.

In 2012, Karl Urban starred as the violent and no-nonsense Judge Dredd. Whenever this officer went after a criminal, we knew we were in for brutal and stylized action. Dredd was also surrounded by wonderful allies and truly intimidating villains. Although good word of mouth allowed the movie to open at #1, it still lost approximately 20 million dollars. A good chunk of the audiences may have avoided the film because the 1995 Dredd FILM was so campy and terrible. At the same time, it’s still a mystery as to why the 2012 movie was only showered with love from legions of fans after it left the theaters.

A hefty price tag of 200 million dollars meant the odds were stacked against this historical drama as soon as the budget was approved. However, there was a lot of faith that they could make it back. While Martin Scorsese was behind multiple aspects of production, talents like Robert De Niro, Leonardo Dicaprio and Lily Gladstone were busy giving towering performances. Their efforts seemed to be for naught when the film lost around 100 million dollars. The poor returns were especially shocking in a year where the historical drama “Oppneheimer” broke box office records. Even though “Killers of the Flower Moon” earned more money after Oscar buzz surrounded it, the production couldn’t recoup all of their losses.

Although the first film in this sci-fi universe failed to light the box office on fire, no one was expecting history to repeat itself. Unfortunately, “Blade Runner 2049” couldn’t break even on its reported $150 million dollar budget. The film’s failure stunned so many because it gave audiences more of what they loved from the first go around. Not only did the writers expand upon the futuristic world, but we also got to see it through a completely new point of view. The long-awaited sequel also answered lingering questions while setting enticing new mysteries. Sadly, none of the praise for “2049”s production design or main performances translated into big box office receipts.

Whenever people talk about the greatest sci-fi films of all time, this John Carpenter masterpiece inevitably ends up in the conversation. The tense story followed a crew of researchers that discovered that a brutal and shapeshifting creature was hiding amongst them. Thanks to practical effects and skillful direction, the sci-fi tale felt surprisingly realistic. But the merits of this dark tale initially kept people away. Both critics and audiences weren’t fans of the violence, paranoia, and slow burn plot. The negativity around “The Thing” also caused it to get frozen out of a prime box office spot. Thankfully, moviegoers were willing to give it a second chance after its stunning early failure.

This beloved Stephen King adaptation simply couldn’t win when it was first released. In early test screenings, audiences showered the movie with heaps of praise. The prison struggles, plot twists, and character journeys all stuck with the early viewers. “Shawshank Redemption” seemed poised for a great opening before a horrific box office opening brought it all crashing down. During the initial theater run, “Shawshank Redemption” didn’t make its 25 million dollar budget back. A big Oscar campaign and successful tv reruns brought it back into the public consciousness in the next few years. Decades later, it still routinely tops many lists of must watch films for critics and audiences. It’s safe to say “Shawshank Redemption” overcame its shockingly bad debut.


Which of these movies deserved better box office returns? Let us know in the comments!