Top 50 Movie FLOPS of the Last Decade

#50: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Back in 2018, youd be insane for saying a major tentpole in the galaxy far, far away would be anything less than a smashing success. But, despite the allure of Star Wars, Solo had just about everything going against it. To start, most people didnt want a Han Solo spinoff without Harrison Ford. Pair that with a very troubled production, and Disney wound up with a film no one bothered seeing in theaters. But, Solos low returns didn't just sink its own series. It also made Disney put a hold on all future theatrical Star Wars spinoffs in general. Yeah, thats gotta sting.

#49: The New Mutants (2020)

20th Century Fox had a good idea putting superheroes in the horror genre. It might have worked, too, if Disney hadnt bought Fox and all their Marvel characters. What did Disney do with this leftover project, you ask? Cancel reshoots, delay it past the point where anyone cared, and dump the movie in theaters during a global pandemic. Thats what. The reviews were bad, but the box office was even worse. Then again, what else did Disney expect? This whole situation reeks of an out with the old, in with the new mentality. Its just a shame that meant throwing The New Mutants out to the wolves.

#48: Devotion (2022)

Say what you will, but this movie has one important thing going for it that most bombs dont - good reviews! Now, if only the marketing could have actually shown that. Unfortunately, the goofy poster and over-the-trop trailers only succeeded in making it look like a straight-to-DVD ripoff of Top Gun: Maverick. As a result, Devotion didnt command much attention over the crowded Thanksgiving weekend. The numbers were so bad, in fact, that the 2022 holiday frame became one of the lowest-grossing in decades. At the end of its run, this war film cost its distributor nearly $100 million dollars. So, any devotion here was clearly misplaced.

#47: The Call of the Wild (2020)

With solid scores, beloved source material, and the ever-reliable Harrison Ford, there was a good chance The Call of the Wild could turn its meager opening weekend into a slow-burn success story. But, well never know for sure. A few weeks after its release, theaters shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By that point, the movie had still yet to recover its hefty production budget. And, given how long it took theaters to reopen their doors, odds are it never did. Reports estimate The Call of the Wild ended as a big write-down for 20th Century Studios. Like, the kind with a whole lot of zeros.

#46: Gods of Egypt (2016)

Theres nothing divine about these box-office numbers. Despite a blockbuster budget, Gods of Egypt only got yawns and backlash when it rolled into theaters. Many found the white-washing of historical Egyptian figures completely unacceptable. Everyone else was simply bored to tears by the lackluster story. All together, that led to pitiful numbers for Gods of Egypt, which had to be disappointing given that the movie cost around $140 million dollars to make. There is some light at the end of the tunnel though. The movie allegedly broke even eight years later after a whole lot of home-video releases. Better late than never, right?

#45: Snake Eyes (2021)

Expensive spinoffs are always a roll of the dice. And yet, the only snake eyes G.I. Joe got here came in the form of its box-office. The poor reviews failed to convince moviegoers this was worth a trip to the theater. Considering it was released in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic, that was a major issue. Anyone who did want to see Snake Eyes - and that was probably a low number - most likely waited until it hit streaming. As a result, domestically, Snake Eyes couldnt even recoup a third of its production budget. While overseas numbers were stronger, they couldnt save this snoozefest from becoming a box-office bomb.

#44: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

It's a sad bit of irony that the most expensive European and independent film of all time is also one of the biggest box-office fails of the 2010s. Yeah, were looking at you, Valerian. While the original comics inspired much of the sci-fi genre we know today, this long-awaited film adaptation came way too late for anyone to care. Instead of fresh or nostalgic, The City of a Thousand Planets just looked generic. Evidently, most people agreed, with the movie struggling to connect across the globe. With a budget around $180 million dollars, not even the dazzling special effects could hide the financial losses.

#43: Deepwater Horizon (2016)

A final tally north of $150 million is pretty darn strong for an adult-skewing, biographical drama. The issue is Deepwater Horizon had the budget of a summer tentpole. To break it down, blockbusters are supposed to have broad appeal to make up for their large price tags. Deepwater Horizon, however, did not. Apparently, almost 70% of its opening weekend audience was over the age of 35. They left satisfied, but it wasnt enough to mobilize other demographics, which doomed Deepwater Horizon to the choppy waters of box-office infamy. At the very least, it can dry its tears with its pair of Oscar nominations.

#42: Mickey 17 (2025)

A sci-fi comedy with not just one, not just two, but seventeen Robert Pattinsons sells itself. Add in Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho, and Mickey 17 should have been the must-see event of the year. So, what happened? Well, the movie may have been a few degrees too weird for the general public. That wouldnt have been too much of an issue if the reviews were glowing or the budget was kept in check. Sadly, neither of those happened. Mickey 17 isnt a bad movie by any stretch, but with a break-even point somewhere around $250 million, it needed a lot more buzz to avoid losing money.

#41: Gemini Man (2019)

Before the Oscar-slap-heard-round-the-world, there was a good argument to be made that Will Smith was one of the last true movie stars left in Hollywood. Now, what if there were two of him? Paramount Pictures probably thought it would double profits. But, that only works if the movie is actually good. Gemini Man is not. Its only worth seeing for some neat special effects. Otherwise, its a contrived, boring mess that ended up costing its studio upwards of $100 million dollars. As it turns out, double the Will Smiths doesnt mean double the money. If anything, it cuts it in half.

#40: Dolittle (2020)

Its not uncommon for A-listers to take some time off blockbusters to do some personal passion projects. Usually, though, they end up better than Dolitte. Even though Robert Downey Jr. was coming hot off of Avengers: Endgame, bad reviews proved to be the one thing even this doctor couldn't cure. And, unfortunately for RDJ, this particular strain comes with a rare, career-ruining side-effect. See, Dolittle wasnt just a disappointment. It was a bomb of epic proportions. The movie was such a misfire, it forced Downey Jr. to rethink his career, and eventually return to Marvel. That should tell you everything you need to know.

#39: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

This one hurts. Mad Max is one of the most consistently brilliant movie franchises out there. But, for some reason, the films have never been able to reach a very broad audience, and Furiosa suffered the worst of it. Warner Bros. spared no expense with the lavish budget and multimedia marketing campaign. But, it was all for naught when opening weekend numbers came in much softer than anticipated. Furiosa failed to hold onto its already-low turnout, and quickly fizzled into one of the largest fumbles of its year. This is one of the most recent reminders that quality doesnt always translate to profitability.

#38: Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Another day, another great movie lost in the shuffle. Its especially baffling since, on paper, Blade Runner 2049 had all the makings of a four-quadrant hit. The film boasted outstanding marks, a nostalgic story, and this time, they actually got Harrison Ford back, too! And yet, even with all that backing it up, people just didnt show up to see 2049 in theaters. There was a lot of finger pointing; some at the bloated runtime, some at the confusing marketing, and some at the popularity of the original. But, no matter the reason, the fact of the matter is Blade Runner 2049 lost money - and a lot of it.

#37: Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Soured by horrible reviews and seriously diminishing returns, the novelty of giant robots smashing into each other finally wore off in Transformers: The Last Knight. Yes, its extremely cool to see Optimus Prime wave around a massive sword. No, that did not make it a good movie. As the fifth installment in a franchise that only seemed to get worse, people were not fooled into seeing The Last Knight. It was the first of the live-action series to unequivocally flop at the box-office. And, really, thats putting it nicely. With how many special effects these movies have, the poor grosses are more like a cataclysmic disaster.

#36: The Flash (2023)

Youve got to feel at least a little bad for Warner Bros here. The DCEU was already on its last legs long before The Flash tripped at the starting line. But, to make matters worse, the marketing campaign was marred with scandal after scandal involving lead Ezra Miller. Suddenly, the movie wasnt just the last lap of a dying universe. It was a full-on media circus. So, surprising absolutely no one, The Flash ran out of box-office steam fast, with the end-result allegedly costing Warner Bros. as much as $200 million dollars. Even with super-speed, no ones out-running a bomb like that.

#35: Missing Link (2019)

When you think about it, this title is pretty apropos considering how much is missing here. Namely, the audience. No one seemed to notice or care about the star-studded animated feature. Reportedly, Missing Link only grossed a paltry $26 million dollars worldwide. For those who struggle with math as much as we do, thats barely a fourth of its budget. Those kinds of numbers arent just bad, theyre studio-shuttering bad. To add insult to injury, Missing Link is, to date, the most expensive stop-motion animated film ever made. Its a shame, but based on the sad turnout, wed wager no ones giving them this big of a budget again.

#34: Wish (2023)

What better way to celebrate one hundred years of Disney than with a good, old-fashioned Disney Princess? Theyre a proven commodity which is why its so strange that Wish couldnt find any magic in theaters. Blame politics, blame Disney+, blame the reviews, whatever. Either way, theres no wish upon a star coming to save Disneys $200 million dollar investment. Its not everyday you see domestic moviegoers outright reject a movie, especially one with such an esteemed legacy behind it. To be fair, Wish did find a decent audience on streaming. But, for Disneys wallet, it came as too little, too late.

#33: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

A long-running franchise with Harrison Ford debuted a new, big-budget installment only to crash and burn Wait, is there an echo in here? Just like other failed nostalgia bait, Dial of Destiny alienated old fans, while failing to appeal to new ones. The result was a lot of disappointment at the box-office. The numbers themselves look decent enough. However, due to the high-costs of shooting a globe-trotting adventure during a pandemic, Indiana Jones turned out to be one of the most expensive features ever produced. It needed to sell a lot more tickets to break-even. But, instead, it will only be remembered as one of Disneys greatest trainwrecks.

#32: Snow White (2025)

Combine an iconic Disney Princess with a well-worn format of live-action remakes, and you get one of the most embarrassing bombs of the 2020s? Yeah, somehow, this modern retelling of Snow White absolutely tanked. There was contention over just about every piece of this movie, from the casting, to the dwarves, to Disneys politics, to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, and more. To say nothing of the film itself, which received reviews ranging from awful to downright unwatchable. We commend Disney for trying to fix Snow White with massive reshoots. But, given how few people were interested, they shouldve just cut their losses.

#31: The Marvels (2023)

You can pinpoint Marvels exact fall from grace in a movie fittingly named after it. While the brand had stumbled before, the poor quality control and reliance on Disney+ finally affected the bottom line when The Marvels hit theaters. There, it didnt make waves. In fact, it barely caused a ripple. At the time, The Marvels had the lowest opening weekend for an MCU film, ever, which was followed by the worst second-weekend drop for the franchise, too. It doesnt take a mathematician to see those numbers dont add up to anything good. All together, The Marvels finished its run hundreds of millions away from earning back its money.

#30: Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

Given the massive hit that was 2019s Joker, we cant fault the filmmakers or the studio for thinking the sequel also had the potential to be a big money-maker. But, it wasnt. In fact, the film grossed just north of its estimated production budget of $200 million, not counting marketing. Projections have the studio losing anywhere from $125-200 million when all is said and done. Folie à Deux translates to madness of two, as in a shared delusional disorder. And it would appear that those who thought a dark Joker jukebox musical was a good idea all shared in a delusion, until reality came and shone a big bright light on it.

#29: Hellboy (2019)

After Guillermo del Toro wasnt given full writer-director powers, and Ron Perlman refused to return to the role without him, what was supposed to be a sequel became a reboot. It also became a big flop. To be fair, we cant be sure that had del Toro and Perlman returned, the film wouldve been a hit. But we can be sure that without them, it only earned $55 million on a $50 million budget. It also earned a measly 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and second place on Digital Spys list of the biggest movie flops of 2019.

#28: Mulan (2020)

Disney has seen huge box office numbers with live-action remakes of their classic animated movies, and no one thought Mulan would be any different. After its premiere in March of 2020, the film looked ready to take home plenty of box office dollars when it hit theaters later that month. But then COVID-19 hit and everything changed. Instead of a huge theatrical push, the film went to Disney+ Premier Access, and only into theaters in countries without Disney+. Money-wise, the film took home about $70 Million from theaters and an estimated $6293 million from Premium VOD. At best thats $160 million or so, which aint very good on a $200 million budget.

#27: The Goldfinch (2019)

When Warner Bros. bought the rights to Donna Tartts Pulitzer Prize winning novel in 2014, they probably thought they had a hit on their hands. Or at least an emotional and thought-provoking drama that would bring with it a few Oscar nominations. Well, if thats what they thoughtboy, were they wrong. Not only did the movie receive a critical lashing, but audiences werent interested either. The film took home a paltry $10 million at the box office. Estimated losses for the studio came in at around $50 million. And the cherry on top: Tartt hated the movie so much she fired her agent and said she would never sell the rights to anything she wrote in the future.

#26: Haunted Mansion (2023)

2023s Haunted Mansion was the second time Disney had made a film based on their similarly-named theme park attraction. One thing it had in common with the 2003 version is that both were disliked by the critics, with 38% and 13% Rotten Tomatoes scores respectively. However, while the first movie was a mild success at the box office, the 2023 one bombed hard! Were looking at $117 million on a $150 million production budget. Taking all the expenses into account, Disneys losses on the movie have been estimated at almost $120 million. Now thats scary!

#25: Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Following the unbelievable success of 2017s Wonder Women, the prospects looked great for the sequel to be another massive hit. But it wasnt, or at least not in the same way. And that was because of Covid. Wonder Woman 1984 was another cinematic victim of the pandemic. The film delayed its opening multiple times before finally dropping in December of 2020. However, with so many theaters shut down, the film didnt come close to the numbers of the first film, regardless of the lesser reviews. In the end, it took in $170 million on a budget of $200 million. It did, however, also release on HBO Max at the same time, and was the most-streamed movie of 2020.

#24: Robin Hood (2018)

The Robin Hood story has been made into a movie many times over the years, but it seems like Mr. Hood has been trending down over the last three decades. You see, Kevin Costners Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves made $390 million in 1991. Then in 2010,

Russell Crowes Robin Hood made $321 Million. Eight years later, Taron Egerton took on the Robin Hood role and brought in just $86 million on a $100 million budget. Taking all expenses into account, 2018s Robin Hood is estimated to have lost the studio somewhere around $83 million dollars. Theres gotta be a take from the rich joke there somewhere, right?

#23: A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

Following the success of 2014s Selma, director Ava DuVernaywas a hot commodity in Hollywood. The talented filmmaker used that new clout to get her hands on $100+ million to make A Wrinkle in Time in 2018. Based on a beloved sci-fi fantasy novel and with big stars like Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon on board, a lot was expected from this one. Unfortunately, what they got was a not-so-great 42% Rotten Tomatoes score, a box office haul of just $133 million, and estimated losses in the staggering $130 million range.

#22: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Guy Ritchies King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was supposed to be the first in a planned six-film franchise. If youre wondering when the next five films are coming outThey arent. After this first one flopped as hard as it did, the studios put the kibosh on the franchises future. The film only made about $148 million at the box office, which isnt great for a franchise starter. But its even worse when they spend $175 million to make it, and even more to market it. In the end, the studios were looking down the barrel of $150 million in losses.

#21: Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)

2019s Shazam! probably surprised a lot of people with its 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and $367 million box office. What wasnt a surprise, though, was that Warner Bros. started planning a sequel the instant the film became a hit. But unfortunately, said sequel didnt live up to the first film in either quality or box office. Shazam! Fury of the Gods holds a 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes and its box office haul was a rather unimpressive $134.1 million. The production budget alone was $110125 million. The studio was definitely not Shazaming a profit out of this one.

#20: Black Adam (2022)

Just because you have one of the biggest stars in the world playing a DC superhero doesnt guarantee a billion-dollar hit. Black Adam fell just below grossing $400 million, which wouldve 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 Johnsons initial claims that Black Adam will absolutely fight Superman, James Gunn seems to have other plans.

#19: The 355 (2022)

Were not going to act like COVID hasnt factored into more than a few recent flops. The Omicron surge didnt do this espionage ensemble piece any favors. Given the lackluster reviews, though, were not convinced that The 355 wouldve 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, theres 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)

Amsterdam proved two things: star power isnt 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 thats also a political thriller. Yeah, you can tell from this description that Amsterdam doesnt know what it wants to be. Since the film cant pick a tone, the actors struggle to unearth any chemistry. Too ambitious for its own good, Amsterdam couldve used a critical boost, but reviews unsurprisingly werent 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)

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 wouldve 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, Scotts 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. Wed love to see Scotts TikTok remake that appeals to the younger crowd!

#16: West Side Story (2021)

Unlike The Last Duel, West Side Story at least managed to win over Academy voters. In terms of box office, however, the pandemics 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 couldve provided an alternative for the older crowd, although that demographic was still steering clear of theaters with Omicron on the rise. It didnt help that another adaptation of the classic musical already exists, leading many to question if a remake was necessary. Steven Spielberg hasnt 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)

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 films 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 million at the Box Office, it was the lowest-grossing X-Men movie.

#14: Fantastic Four (2015)

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 Foxs 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 MCUs gain.

#13: Monster Trucks (2017)

A film about monster trucks that are literally monsters living inside trucks doesnt exactly scream, bonafide hit! Nevertheless, we guess the idea offers a few possibilities for tie-in merchandise. Maybe this couldve 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)

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 wasnt 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 wouldve been passable for a middle-tier superhero movie, but for a $300 million tentpole, it didnt reach the break-even point. At least Snyder eventually got to finish his version, although measuring its profitability is tricky.

#11: The BFG (2016)

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 Spielbergs 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 wont 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? Lets 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)

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 shouldve learned by 2019 that its 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)

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 mightve worked fine in another sci-fi picture just not necessarily one about Buzz Lightyear. What was supposed to be Pixars grand return to theaters only grossed $226.4 million. That wouldve 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: Tomorrowland (2015)

You can never guarantee a hit movie, but Tomorrowland seemed to have all the pieces needed to be one. You had director Brad Bird, whod seen loads of box office dollars with previous films that included The Incredibles to Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. Then you had co-writer Damon Lindelof, best known as one of the creators of Lost. And finally there was George Clooney in the starring role. And yet, with all those pieces, the film only brought in $209 million. Set against the film's production and marketing budget, that meant a $120150 million loss for Disney. But hey, the film did pick up three Teen Choice Award nominations. So Silver lining, right?

#6: Cats (2019)

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 wouldve killed the movie musical if Frozen 2 hadnt 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 its good reputation, not unlike The Room. Where The Room cost just $6 million to make, however, Cats had a $95 million budget. So, its going to take A LOT of late-night screenings and home media sales for this thing to ever show a profit. Universal is looking at an estimated loss somewhere between $71-$100 million. Me-ouch!

#5: Moonfall (2022)

Aftersun, To Leslie, Roland Emmerichs Moonfall, what do they all have in common? Theyre 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 Emmerichs gamble pay off? Well, Moonfall didnt make back half its budget, bringing in $67.3 million. It didnt 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)

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 couldve 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, its 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 wasnt 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. Wed 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)

Speaking of redundant ideas, Pan feels like a Warner Bros. executive said, We need something to fill the Harry Potter' void and Disney hasnt done a live-action Peter Pan remake (yet). Lets 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 wasnt 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)

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 studios monumental loss of $174.8M.

Are there any box-office duds you think would thrive in a re-release? Let us know in the comments below!