Hollywood is a strange beast. Sometimes, the movies that seem like surefire hits—packed with A-list stars, massive budgets, and built-in fan bases—end up face-planting harder than a stuntman in an unchoreographed fight scene.
These are the films that had every reason to succeed. They were hyped, heavily marketed, and backed by studios with deep pockets. And yet, when they finally hit theaters, they flopped spectacularly.
Box office bombs come in all shapes and sizes. Some were too ambitious for their own good, others were victims of poor marketing, and a few were simply released at the wrong time. But the one thing they all have in common? No one expected them to fail as badly as they did.
Let’s take a look at 20 films that Hollywood thought would be blockbuster gold… but turned out to be expensive lessons in disappointment.
20. The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Eddie Murphy was one of the biggest comedy stars in the world, so a sci-fi action-comedy with him in the lead should have been an easy win.
Set in a futuristic lunar colony, The Adventures of Pluto Nash followed a club owner who gets tangled up with gangsters and a sinister conspiracy. On paper, it had all the makings of a fun, high-energy blockbuster.
Unfortunately, audiences weren’t buying what Pluto was selling. The film’s humor felt forced, the visual effects weren’t groundbreaking enough for the era, and Murphy himself seemed oddly subdued.
Worse, the production was plagued by rewrites and reshoots, pushing its budget to an astronomical $100 million—yet it only scraped together a humiliating $7.1 million at the box office.
It became one of Hollywood’s biggest financial disasters, vanishing from theaters so fast that many people forgot it even existed.
19. John Carter
Disney had high hopes for John Carter, based on the classic A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The story of a Civil War veteran transported to Mars, where he discovers incredible powers and leads a rebellion, had inspired everything from Star Wars to Avatar. It should have been an instant hit.
But despite its ambitious world-building, John Carter never found its audience. The marketing campaign was baffling, stripping away the “of Mars” from the title and making it unclear what the movie was even about.
Plus, while the film had a staggering $263 million budget, much of it was spent on effects-heavy spectacle that didn’t translate into strong word-of-mouth. By the time it limped out of theaters with $284 million worldwide—far short of profitability—it was clear that Disney had a major flop on its hands.
18. The Lone Ranger
Disney was riding high on the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, so it made perfect sense to reunite director Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp for another swashbuckling adventure—this time, in the Wild West.
The Lone Ranger was meant to be a stylish revival of the classic character, with Armie Hammer in the title role and Depp as his eccentric sidekick, Tonto.
However, the film suffered from an identity crisis. Was it a gritty western? A wacky action-comedy? A social commentary? It tried to be all three, and the result was a bloated 149-minute movie that left audiences exhausted.
With a budget ballooning to $225 million (thanks to delays and costly reshoots), The Lone Ranger needed to be a monster hit to break even. Instead, it stumbled with a disappointing $260.5 million at the global box office, making it one of Disney’s biggest losses.
17. Speed Racer
When the Wachowskis announced they were adapting Speed Racer, fans expected something groundbreaking.
The directors of The Matrix were known for pushing visual effects to new heights, and their take on the classic anime promised a high-speed, neon-infused spectacle unlike anything seen before.
And visually, Speed Racer delivered. The film was a kaleidoscope of candy-colored action, with dizzying races and stylized combat sequences that felt like a live-action cartoon. But while some appreciated its ambitious aesthetic, mainstream audiences found it overwhelming and exhausting
With a production cost of $120 million, it needed strong word-of-mouth to survive, but it crashed out of the gate, earning just $94 million. Over time, Speed Racer has developed a cult following, but at the box office, it was a spectacular wipeout.
16. The 13th Warrior
Hollywood loves a grand, sweeping historical epic, and The 13th Warrior had all the right ingredients: Antonio Banderas in the lead, Viking battles, and a story inspired by both Beowulf and a Michael Crichton novel. Directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator), it should have been an action-packed hit.
But behind the scenes, disaster was brewing. The film was plagued by delays, extensive reshoots, and even a last-minute director swap, as Crichton himself took over to rework the final cut.
These issues sent the budget skyrocketing to an astonishing $160 million—far more than anticipated. By the time it finally hit theaters, audiences were indifferent. With weak marketing and stiff competition, The 13th Warrior barely mustered $61.7 million, making it one of the biggest historical flops ever.
15. Cutthroat Island
Before Pirates of the Caribbean, Hollywood considered pirate movies box office poison—thanks largely to Cutthroat Island.
The film starred Geena Davis as a swashbuckling heroine leading a quest for buried treasure, with her then-husband, director Renny Harlin, pulling out all the stops to make it a high-seas adventure for the ages.
Unfortunately, the production was a shipwreck from the start. The budget ballooned to nearly $100 million as Harlin insisted on elaborate practical effects, and behind-the-scenes clashes led to cast changes and delays.
When it finally debuted, audiences stayed far, far away. With a disastrous $10 million box office haul, it didn’t just flop—it bankrupted its studio, Carolco Pictures.
The failure of Cutthroat Island convinced Hollywood to avoid pirate movies for nearly a decade—until Pirates of the Caribbean finally reversed the curse.
14. Battlefield Earth
John Travolta was riding high in the late ‘90s, fresh off Pulp Fiction and a string of box office successes. So when he set out to adapt Battlefield Earth, a sci-fi epic based on the novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, some believed he had the star power to pull it off.
Instead, the film became one of the most notorious disasters in cinematic history. The plot—about aliens enslaving humans—was convoluted, the dialogue was laughably bad, and the excessive use of tilted camera angles made it feel like a bizarre fever dream.
Despite a $73 million budget, it floundered with just $29.7 million at the box office. Critics gleefully tore it apart, and Battlefield Earth quickly earned a reputation as one of the worst movies ever made.
13. Mars Needs Moms
Disney rarely has an animated bomb, but Mars Needs Moms was an exception. Produced by Robert Zemeckis’ ImageMovers Digital, the film used motion capture technology to create its characters—resulting in an eerie, uncanny-valley effect that turned off audiences.
The premise—a young boy traveling to Mars to rescue his kidnapped mother—should have been heartwarming, but the film lacked the charm or emotional depth of Disney’s usual offerings.
With a staggering $150 million budget, it needed to perform well to recoup costs. Instead, it barely managed $39 million, making it one of Disney’s biggest failures.
The financial disaster was so severe that it effectively ended ImageMovers Digital, leading Disney to abandon further motion-capture animation experiments.
12. The Alamo
Nothing hits like a good war epic, and the Battle of the Alamo is one of the most famous last stands in American history.
With a sprawling cast, a $107 million budget, and the backing of Disney, The Alamo was supposed to be a grand retelling of the legendary siege. Instead, it became a cinematic ghost town.
The film had everything working against it: a troubled production, lukewarm performances, and a script that lacked the emotional weight needed to make the tragedy resonate.
Unlike previous adaptations, this version leaned heavily on historical accuracy rather than bombastic action, but it failed to engage audiences. Worse, it was released in the shadow of The Passion of the Christ, which dominated theaters at the time.
Despite its expensive production, The Alamo barely mustered $25.8 million, making it one of the biggest period-piece disasters in modern Hollywood history.
11. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
In 2001, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was poised to revolutionize animation.
With cutting-edge CGI that aimed to create photorealistic human characters, this adaptation of the beloved Final Fantasy franchise had an ambitious vision: a fully digital, ultra-detailed world that could compete with live-action filmmaking.
Unfortunately, technology wasn’t quite there yet, and audiences weren’t ready for it.
While the visuals were impressive for the time, the human characters fell into the dreaded “uncanny valley,” making them look lifeless. Additionally, the story had little connection to the Final Fantasy games, alienating fans who expected something more in line with the series.
The film cost a staggering $137 million to make but only earned $85.1 million, a financial catastrophe that led to the closure of Square Pictures.
10. The BFG
When Steven Spielberg directs a Roald Dahl adaptation, success seems inevitable. The BFG, based on Dahl’s beloved book about a young girl befriending a Big Friendly Giant, had everything going for it: a celebrated director, dazzling CGI, and a heartwarming story.
But instead of towering over the competition, it collapsed under its own weight.
The film struggled with pacing, feeling too slow for younger audiences yet too whimsical for adults. Unlike Disney’s usual animated hits, The BFG was live-action with heavy CGI, and something about the motion-captured giant (played by Mark Rylance) didn’t quite click with moviegoers.
Though it wasn’t a critical disaster, its box office numbers were disastrous—earning just $195.2 million worldwide against a $140 million budget, not enough to cover marketing and distribution. For a Spielberg-helmed Disney film, this was an unexpected flop.
9. The Good Dinosaur
It’s rare for Pixar to stumble, but The Good Dinosaur was one of its few misfires. The film went through a notoriously troubled production, with massive rewrites, director changes, and delays that left its creative direction muddled. The final product was a visually stunning but oddly forgettable film.
The movie told the story of Arlo, a timid dinosaur who gets lost and embarks on a journey to find his way home.
While the backgrounds were breathtakingly realistic, the cartoony character designs clashed with them, creating a strange disconnect. On top of that, the film’s story was one of Pixar’s simplest, lacking the depth and originality of Toy Story or Inside Out.
With a $175 million budget, The Good Dinosaur needed to be a smash hit—but it barely scraped together $332.2 million worldwide, which, after marketing costs, made it Pixar’s weakest performer.
8. The Golden Compass
With a $180 million budget, an all-star cast (including Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig), and cutting-edge CGI, The Golden Compass was meant to launch a blockbuster trilogy.
But controversy and studio interference derailed those plans. The books carried strong anti-religious themes, which were toned down in the film, upsetting both fans of the novels and religious groups alike.
The movie itself felt rushed, cutting out key character development and ending on an abrupt note. While it performed decently overseas, earning $372 million, its weak $70 million domestic box office doomed any sequels.
7. Jupiter Ascending
The Wachowskis tried to recapture their Matrix magic with Jupiter Ascending, a sci-fi extravaganza filled with space royalty, intergalactic politics, and Channing Tatum as a half-wolf, half-human warrior on rollerblades. It had a massive $176 million budget and high expectations.
Instead, it became one of the biggest cinematic oddities of the decade. The film’s convoluted plot, over-the-top performances (Eddie Redmayne’s whisper-shouting villain is particularly infamous), and cheesy dialogue made it impossible to take seriously.
While it gained a cult following for its sheer weirdness, it was a commercial disaster, earning just $183.9 million worldwide.
6. 47 Ronin
A samurai epic starring Keanu Reeves should have been a surefire hit, but 47 Ronin turned out to be anything but.
Based on the legendary Japanese tale of samurai avenging their fallen master, the film added unnecessary fantasy elements—think demons and dragons—that alienated fans of the real historical event.
The production was chaotic, with script changes and reshoots pushing the budget to a staggering $175 million. Despite Keanu’s star power, the film lacked a compelling narrative, and its mix of Eastern and Western storytelling styles didn’t blend well.
The box office reflected that confusion—while it made $151 million worldwide, it failed to recoup its bloated budget. In Japan, where the story is well-known, audiences were especially unimpressed.
5. Pan
Hollywood keeps trying to reinvent Peter Pan, but Pan was one of the most disastrous attempts. This origin story featured Hugh Jackman as a flamboyant Blackbeard and a strange plot that reimagined Neverland with a mix of steampunk and fantasy.
The $150 million film was a tonal mess, failing to capture the magic of the classic tale. Worse, it was released to a market that simply wasn’t interested in yet another Peter Pan movie.
The result? A humiliating $128 million worldwide gross.
4. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Guy Ritchie, known for his fast-paced, slick storytelling style, attempted to give the legend of King Arthur a Sherlock Holmes-style makeover, complete with modern dialogue, rapid-fire editing, and a streetwise, roguish take on the classic hero.
The film starred Charlie Hunnam as Arthur, a reluctant warrior-king raised in the streets, and Jude Law as the villainous King Vortigern.
With a $175 million budget, Warner Bros. had high hopes that this would be the start of a new franchise. Unfortunately, Legend of the Sword failed to connect with both casual audiences and die-hard Arthurian legend fans.
The film took bizarre creative liberties, inserting supernatural elements, giant war elephants, and a chaotic mix of styles that felt like a medieval version of Snatch rather than an epic tale of knights and kings.
Critics were unimpressed, and audiences were even less interested, leading to a dismal $148 million worldwide box office. Plans for a sequel were immediately scrapped, and Hollywood once again learned that Arthurian legends don’t always translate into box office gold.
3. Robin Hood (2018)
It’s hard to imagine how Hollywood could still be getting Robin Hood wrong after so many adaptations, yet the 2018 version proved that not every story needs a gritty reboot.
Starring Taron Egerton as a hoodie-wearing, arrow-shooting rebel and Jamie Foxx as his mentor, this take on the classic outlaw felt more like a wannabe superhero origin story than a medieval adventure.
Instead of embracing the folklore charm that made previous versions beloved, Robin Hood tried too hard to modernize the tale—complete with machine-like bows, slow-motion action sequences, and an aesthetic that was closer to The Hunger Games than Sherwood Forest.
Despite its $100 million budget, the film lacked a compelling story or memorable characters, and its desperate attempts at being edgy only made it feel out of place. Critics called it forgettable, and audiences agreed, leading to a disastrous $86 million worldwide box office.
2. Tomorrowland
Disney bet big on Tomorrowland, hoping it would become the next great sci-fi adventure franchise. With Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) directing and George Clooney starring, the film had serious pedigree.
Inspired by the optimistic, futuristic vision of Walt Disney’s theme park attraction, it told the story of a teenage girl and a former child prodigy who discover a hidden utopia filled with scientific wonders. The concept was bold, and with a massive $190 million budget, Disney expected it to soar.
Instead, it crash-landed. While visually stunning and filled with ambitious ideas, Tomorrowland suffered from a muddled plot that tried to juggle too many themes.
It wanted to be a grand sci-fi adventure, a cautionary tale about environmental destruction, and a love letter to human innovation—all at the same time. But rather than inspiring audiences, it came off as preachy and overstuffed.
While it made $209 million worldwide, that wasn’t nearly enough to justify its budget and marketing costs.
1. The Mummy (2017)
Universal had grand plans for its “Dark Universe,” a cinematic franchise that would bring back classic monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Invisible Man in interconnected, blockbuster-style reimaginings.
And they kicked it all off with The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise as a modern-day adventurer who stumbles upon an ancient Egyptian curse.
This wasn’t just supposed to be a single movie—it was meant to be the foundation for an entire shared universe, with big-name actors like Russell Crowe (Dr. Jekyll), Johnny Depp (The Invisible Man), and Javier Bardem (Frankenstein’s Monster) already signed on for future installments.
But The Mummy wasn’t the thrilling start Universal had hoped for. The film suffered from an identity crisis, trying to be part horror, part action, part comedy, and part franchise setup—without excelling at any of them.
Despite Tom Cruise’s star power and a hefty $195 million budget, the film’s worldwide gross of $409 million wasn’t enough to justify its existence. Universal scrapped its entire Dark Universe project, quietly abandoning its interconnected monster movie dreams.
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