Budgets in showbiz are expanding by the day, all thanks to a bigger and better star cast and the use of the latest tech and gadgets. When they hit the audience right, studios are rewarded with millions in profit.
Yet, sometimes the luck is so bad that they cannot even recover what they’ve spent on the movie. While many would think it to be rare, the reality says otherwise. It happens to the best of them, even with cream of the crop actors and world-class directors. Some producers are able to scrape by and get back on their feet. But, the newbies are forced into closure or bankruptcy overnight just because a movie ends up being a box office flop.
It’s getting abundantly clear that when it comes to Tinseltown, audiences can really make or break an artist. So here’s the ‘Great Hollywood Flop List,’ that barely left their studios a penny behind. Let’s see which films made the not-so-glamorous cut.
City of Lies, 2018
‘Global Road Entertainment’s movie, ‘City of Lies,’ had many obstacles come its way before the scheduled release. Eventually, it ended with the production-people having to close down and restructure, with the film’s fate hanging in the balance.
The whodunnit weaved around rappers, Biggie Smalls and Tupac’s passing, and had the potential to get the production off its knees. Mostly because Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker were cast in the lead roles, but it never saw the light of day, after it’s canceled release in 2018. With hundreds of millions in debt, on various ill-fated ventures halfway across the world, ‘Global Road’ could only take the path of filing for bankruptcy.
The movie was based on journalist Randall Sullivan’s book named ‘LAByrinth.’ Titled by the same name initially, we wish we got the chance to see Depp in this biographical drama. A worldwide release doesn’t seem likely on the horizon soon, though.
John Carter, 2012
Just a year before ‘The Lone Ranger’ became an even bigger nightmare for Disney. ‘John Carter’ cost $350 million and is among the top tier of expensive Hollywood movies.
No one invests that kind of cash without expecting success. So the blow was especially hard for all the crew to stomach. Of course, it hit ‘Walt Disney’ harder, but we suppose their decades long standing as an industry giant gave them enough backbone to weather the storm of losing $200 million just like that. Don’t get us wrong- it wasn’t easy, but the production company did it anyway by banking on other successful projects.
It’s no wonder the lead actor is nowhere to be seen now too. A sequel was in the pipeline, but unsurprisingly, following the flunk of great proportions, it was canceled. Here’s hoping they all recover soon and continue making movies we all love!
It’s A Wonderful Life, 1946
The 40s was a decade to remember in the film industry, and among the classics it produced, was ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’ a heartwarming Christmas story about a man who lost all hope in life.
Liberty Films spent a lot of money to make this vintage movie a reality, but it fell flat in the box office after earning only half of the movie's entire budget. If that wasn’t enough, it was released at an unusual schedule. Christmas movies are more well-received when they are launched along with the season, so when this picture was released in the summer of July, people found it odd and skipped it instead.
It proved too much for the company, and the losses made it difficult for them to bounce back. The ending for Liberty Films may not be as pleasant as the film’s title, but at least this particular production still found popularity years after its release.
Rise of the Guardians, 2012
Thanks to companies like Dreamworks Animation, people get to enjoy an all-new cinematic experience through 3D graphics. Movie-goers adored ‘Shrek’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ so critics predicted that their 2012 offering would do reasonably well globally.
‘Rise of the Guardians’ is based on a book by William Joyce, and fans were excited to see how the story would unfold onscreen. Sadly, it failed to hit the mark and was considered as Dreamworks’ first official flop. Despite earning more than half of the original budget, the profit was not adequate as they had hoped. The company ended up restructuring and downsized a few employees to make up for the film’s huge loss.
Allotting a substantial budget for a project won’t necessarily equate to its success. A low-budget movie will make headlines as long as it has interesting characters and storyline. Dreamworks learned that lesson the hard way and changed their strategy for future movies.
47 Ronin, 2013
Universal Studios made a bold move when they decided to hire a director without much experience in feature films. Carl Rinsch took the lead in directing ‘47 Ronin,’ and it turned out to be a failure.
The fantasy action picture was granted a sizeable budget of $175 million, so viewers hoped it would be an extraordinary cinematic journey. Instead, it was a disaster and received negative reviews. It was expected to at least gain positive reception in Japan due to its cultural significance; however, Japanese viewers did not give their approval either. Overall, the sales were way below the total film's costs despite casting a big-name celebrity like Keanu Reeves.
Achieving a historically accurate movie will always be a feat, so getting a seasoned director would be the safest bet. Making the story closer to the actual event will also make a difference. Otherwise, one can expect a low turnout in the cinema.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, 2001
Adapting video games to a movie is often a miss rather than a hit, and this is precisely what happened to the ‘Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.’ The film was a letdown despite the fandom it already had prior to its showing.
With a budget of $137 million, it boasts an impressive display of special effects. One could even say it set the bar for other computer-animated films with its realistic depiction of the characters like Aki Ross. But it was not sufficient to capture the audience as the story was lackluster and emotionless. Square Pictures eventually decided to pull the plug from other movie projects but retained the gaming business.
It goes to show that some video games are better left as they are. Be it an animated or live-action interpretation, it is still a risky move. But then again, perhaps people will change their minds about game adaptations in the future.
Hotel Artemis, 2018
It’s not unusual for film studios to aim for a wider reach every time a new movie is released. Global Road production house also hoped to market films both in China and the United States.
One of the company’s attempts was the dystopian thriller starring Jody Foster called ‘Hotel Artemis.’ The flick received mixed reviews, and it only made $13.3 million in sales, which is just a few millions shy from its original budget. Acting analysts even admired Jody’s performance. It was supposed to be the movie that would possibly save Global Road from its financial woes, but it failed to do so. A few months after its release, the studio filed for bankruptcy.
A series of unreleased and tanked movies pushed the company to its breaking point. One can commend them for doing what they could to save the studio, but even with the best cast, there is no sure way to know whether a film will flourish.
Sonic the Hedgehog, 2020
What happens when the movie-makers take a few liberties redesigning an already beloved video-game character? Spoiler Alert! It does not end well.
Sonic is a popular video game character, and it was subsequently decided to release a film based on it. 2019 saw the release of the trailer, directed by Jeff Fowler. The backlash from the fans was almost instantaneous, given the terrible animation of the Hedgehog and how drastically different the whole look was. The trailer was pulled from the market, and the character was redesigned. As a result, the animators of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog,’ Moving Picture Company, had to shut down.
If a formula works then, it is common sense not to change it because the success of a project depends on it. 'Sonic the Hedgehog' might have turned out a commercial success after its release. Still, due to negative reviews from fans on redesigning the character, the animation company closed down, this resulted in many people losing their jobs.
The Adventures of Pluto Nash, 2002
The movie was a critical failure from start to finish and ended up bleeding the production company millions of dollars. A lot of factors were responsible for the debacle.
Starting with the reception of the audience, ‘The Adventures of Pluto Nash’ has been awarded a meager 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. The reviewers' general opinion was that the script was bland, and overall views were overwhelmingly negative. The total budget was $120 million, and the film only earned back $7 million, which is quite the gap. Even though the film involved some big-ticket names, it failed to generate buzz, and the quality of every element just did not gel well. It regularly features on the biggest flops list, and we can see why.
‘The Adventures of Pluto Nash’ was supposed to be Eddie Murphy’s big foray into the sci-fi genre. Considering how the film flopped and lost close to $110 million, perhaps the actor should have stuck to his strengths.
Bangkok Dangerous, 2008
The film is probably a thorn in an otherwise impressive portfolio of the talented actor Nicolas Cage. It also managed to single-handedly shut down the production company.
‘Bangkok Dangerous’ was produced jointly by Virtual Studios and Warner Bros. After the film’s release in 2008, only a few elements of the movie were appreciated. Still, it was majorly criticized for choppy editing, bad directing, and a weak screenplay. Incidentally, the movie was a remake of a blockbuster film of the same name but failed to reach the similar hype. It was the last film financed and distributed by Virtual Studios as after the picture flopped and they lost money, the company had to close down.
The financier of ‘Bangkok Dangerous,’ Virtual Studio, had previously released successful movies such as ‘V for Vendetta’ and ‘300.’ Sadly, one wrong step proved to be the company’s downfall. Starring Nick Cage, ‘Bangkok Dangerous’ was not well-received by the critics or audiences and failed to bring in good revenue.
Dark Phoenix, 2019
‘Dark Phoenix’ was the final movie in the X-Men franchise that was supposed to wrap up the roller-coaster ride ever since the first movie in 2000. A finale should be legendary and keep us in suspense until the screen comes to a close with a satisfying ending.
Yet, this movie just fell flat and was uninteresting. Unlike most films that surprise fans when they become a flop, the ‘Dark Phoenix’ audience knew what was coming all along. It’s like Fox gave up on perfecting the ending, which reflects quite badly on the whole series. Despite the all-star cast, it grossed the lowest, which is sad when thinking that it’s the studio's last independent production.
This is because ‘20th Century Fox’ was taken over by Disney. Now the production house has twice the capability to produce memorable movies and regain it's previous authority. Let’s hope their next attempt gives ‘Avengers: End Game’ a run for their money.
Twice Upon a Time, 1983
This 1983 animation, 'Twice Upon A Time,' was an unfathomable disaster. In fact, it made 'The Ladd Company' throw all its successful films like 'Chariots of Fire' and 'Blade Runner' out the window.
The production house was at the brink of bankruptcy as it was, and the only saving grace was this limited release animation reel. Instead, it took them further downhill, due to extremely poor audience response, eventually forcing the company to shut its doors. It's pretty unreal to think that the prolific 'Star Wars' creator George Lucas was behind the production of this flop, with his own company 'Lucasfilm' bankrolling it.
While it wasn't well received during its unveiling, the cut-out animation using stop motion and the 'lumage' technique has since gained cult status on viral streaming sites. Who knows? Maybe opting for a worldwide release could have actually saved the producers.
The Rocker, 2008
'The Office' cast, including John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and Ed Helms have transitioned seamlessly into having successful careers in showbiz. But, fellow actor Rainn Wilson has not had the same luck outside of his comfort zone.
Since shooting to fame as the awkward 'Dwight Schrute' on the NBC sitcom, Rainn landed the lead role in the comedy 'The Rocker.' The not-so-lucky rocker does well for himself in the end, but things rolled out differently for the movie itself. Grossing a measly $2.6 million on the opening weekend, 'Fox' faced a 'Titan A.E.' deja-vu when they had to shut down operations of their 'Fox Atomic Studio'- dedicated to comedies.
It could be that since Rainn is so perfect in his role as Dwight, audiences have typecast him and are unable to see him play any other role. Nothing else explains the low audience numbers since he's a brilliant funnyman, and definitely has a loyal fanbase too.
One from the Heart, 1982
A pioneer in the new Hollywood filmmaking movement of the ‘70s, director Francis Ford Coppola could do no wrong in any true movie fan’s eyes back then. So when his musical romance ‘One from the Heart’ took a blow and lost over $25 million, it was a hard pill to swallow.
The doomer here was the fact that Coppola wanted to try out technological advances on-screen, which increased the initial $15 million budget to a staggering $26 million. According to critics, it might have worked in his favor if the characters weren’t so flawed and unlikeable. The biggest blow came when the celebrated director went bankrupt along with his production arm, Zoetrope.
It is interesting to note that after its negative reception back in the ‘80s, recent critics acclaim the movie’s visual appeal and give more credit to Coppola’s genius style. This gives new meaning to the saying ‘beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.’
Raise the Titanic, 1980
It's ironic that the very feature film concerned with raising the RMS Titanic above the water, sunk its own production house, 'ITC Entertainment.' Unlike many other movies based on the passenger liner, this one never went close to being called successful.
The plot surrounded the theory that the sunken giant hid some valuable cargo powerful enough to be used as leverage for the Cold War. For the graphical and technical prowess it took to recreate the Titanic, and its emergence from the body of water, the film's budget went up to $40 million. Next to this number, the complete earnings of $7 million were insignificant, to say the least. A beat-up Lew Grade, the movie's producer, famously said of the misfortune, "it would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic."
The screenplay was based on the 1976 book of Steve Cussler, by the same name. Cussler was so put off by the portrayal of the characters and depiction that he decided not to allow any further screen adaptations of his books.
Howard The Duck, 1986
It seems like ‘Howard the Duck’ was in trouble before it even went into production and spelled more trouble for the financier of the film and the founder of Lucasfilm Ltd., George Lucas.
He is best known for creating 'Indiana Jones' and 'Star Wars,' both billion-dollar franchises. It seemed like Lucas had figured out the formula for success. Even after being in debt of $50 million, Lucas bet his money on this project and hoped for the best. Releasing in 1986, the film is still famous for its disastrous run at the theaters, criticized for inconsistencies in the script, dull humor, and bad performances. The movie only managed to break even, and as a result, Lucas had to sell off some of his assets to repay his loans.
When the film tanked at the box office, Lucas was already in debt. When no money came in from different productions, he had to dispose of his animation company to Steve Jobs. The entity sold would go on to become Pixar!
The Alamo, 2004
Based on the doomed Battle of the Alamo that took place in 1836, the film in question was initially released in 1960 and was a moderate success. Sadly, the producers didn’t leave it alone and tried a strategy that blew up spectacularly in their faces.
In 1960, ‘The Alamo’ was released with multiple problems arising during filming. On the box office, it got mixed reviews, and the film could have been a commercial success, but its budget of $20 million got in the way. The director and producer of the movie, John Wayne, sold his rights to United Artists. In 2004, Imagine Entertainment seemingly got the brilliant idea of remaking the classic film. With a rotten tomatoes rating of 29%, abysmal reviews, and an unnecessary long runtime contributed to the studio losing close to $146 million.
The idea of a remake rarely goes well, and the rehash of ‘The Alamo’ only proved this right. Even though the production company went all out by building the most expensive set that stretched up to 51 acres, it still could not pull audiences to the theater.
Hot Tub Time Machine, 2010
The year 2010 was a dark time for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, more popularly known as MGM to its viewers. Strained finances and an enormous debt resulted in the legendary studio’s bankruptcy.
To avoid company closure, MGM took a much different route and reorganized its structure before the lenders took the company’s reins. One good film that made a little impact to MGM that year, however, was ‘The Hot Tub Time Machine.’ The sci-fi comedy was an unexpected semi-hit, raking in a total of $64.6 million. The modest sales were not enough to rescue MGM, but it still warranted a sequel five years later.
Since then, MGM studios has recovered from their money issues, and moviegoers can look forward to more successful flicks in the years to come. Who knows, a third installment of the ‘The Hot Tub Time Machine’ might be considered very soon.
Mortal Engines, 2018
Need we say what a mastermind, 'The Lord of the Rings' director, Peter Jackson is? Most of us would bet his screenplay alone would guarantee a blockbuster hit, but that was not the case with 'Mortal Engines.'
Directed by Academy award-winning Christian Rivers, bagging years worth of experience from storyboarding for 'The Hobbit' trilogy, the movie had all the ingredients to become a new trademark franchise. Unfortunately, the post-apocalyptic world in the film faced another doom when it made only $83 million against the $250 million production costs. Critics blamed a 'lack of personality' in the plot, and it seemed like the public barely cared for the book on which it was based.
Maybe it's best not to spend millions in excess for a film adaptation of a personal favorite book series, especially when there's barely any evidence to show that the public would love it as much as you do. Being labeled among the biggest box-office failures of 2018 is certainly not what the makers wanted.
A Sound of Thunder, 2005
‘Franchise Pictures’ splashed $80 million on ‘A Sound of Thunder’ starring Sir Ben Kingsley. Unfortunately, the return on investment was just about 10%, making it a profound failure.
Now that’s a lot of money to lose forever, and the production house was forced to declare themselves bankrupt. It could’ve easily been avoided had they stuck to a lower budget, which is quite feasible when it comes to sci-fi thrillers. Yet, upping their game with a star cast and more CGI tricks meant spending a whole lot more of cash. ‘Franchise’ wanted to show their capabilities as a producer, and while the effort was admirable, one should never get in too deep than they can handle.
The movie’s initial budget was set at $55 million, while Pierce Brosnan was to assume the main role. Even on set, the cast and crew had to undergo many trials, ultimately putting the brunt on the producers. The limitations of tech usage due to budget cuts resulted in such mediocre reviews for the film.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action, 2003
‘Looney Tunes’ has become a well-loved cartoon franchise since its inception in the 1930s. As an attempt to introduce this old favorite to the younger generation, Warner Bros. Feature Animation released a movie featuring the characters in 2003.
Many expected it would do well on the big screen, considering it starred Brendan Fraser, who was at the height of his career then. Despite having a massive budget of $80 million, the movie failed to make an impression in the box office. The revenue only amounted to a meager $68 million. Warner Bros. was disappointed with the results and ended up shutting down their animation company.
If fans wants to enjoy their favorite 'Looney Tunes,' they can catch a glimpse through old cable reruns and online streaming services. But without Warner Bros., it’s highly unlikely we will ever get to see them in the cinemas again.
Life of Pi, 2012
The ‘Life of Pi’ was a blockbuster hit globally, earning praises from top critics for its stellar special effects and unique story. Nominations from prestigious award-giving bodies like the Academy and Golden Globe poured to recognize the film.
Amidst all the accolades, the company responsible for its success was facing financial problems. Rhythm and Hues Studios were stuck in a rut after the film’s production, and they were unable to get their share of the $600 million profit. It became such a huge issue that the studio was forced to quit and file for bankruptcy just a year after the motion picture was put out.
Since 'Life of Pi' was a high-budget movie with a lot of people working as cast and crew, the expenses were too much. Closing shop might feel like the end of the world, but ultimately, Rhythm and Hues Studios was left with no choice.
Cleopatra, 1963
Featuring Elizabeth Taylor in the ‘60s was a sure-fire way to guarantee a box office win. Yet, ‘Cleopatra’ took a wrong turn when they splurged $44 million on the production.
If inflated to the current times, that’s approximately an eye-watering $330 million. It sounds ridiculously exorbitant, but that’s how far ‘20th Century Fox’ was willing to go to make the movie of the century. Yet, all it did was bring the company to its knees. They did manage to stay afloat for some time, but it was only because they were the top guns in the industry, and had a security blanket to fall back on.
Had the budget been more economical, the motion picture could’ve gained an edge over competitors, or at least, they could have lived to fight another day. Thankfully, the producers cut back on the original run time, which was six long hours!
The Lone Ranger, 2013
In the film, Johnny Depp’s role as Tonto was captivating, and Armie Hammer was a treat to watch on-screen. At first glance, ‘The Lone Ranger’ looks like the kind of movie to break records. Instead, it lost over $150 million for ‘Walt Disney.’
Budgetary concerns arose throughout the shooting period, and finally, the $250+ million production cost was recovered with great difficulty. The stars themselves, including Depp and Hammer, were subjected to 20% salary cuts, till ‘Walt Disney’ could get things back on track. It easily got a spot among Disney’s most significant fails, when vice president Davis Hollis, called the film ”very disappointing.”
The release dates were changed multiple times as well since production kept dragging with many delays. Despite it all, the amazing visual artistry in the feature was rewarded with two Oscar nominations, and critics even compared it to the western film ‘Wild Wild West.’
The Fall of the Roman Empire, 1964
Sophia Loren used to steal the show in the '60s, which is why 'Samuel Bronston Productions' had a reason to bet on the historical film 'The Fall of the Roman Empire.' Along with Alec Guinness and Christopher Plummer, they planned to go really big.
That's where they went wrong. With only $4.75 million returning to them, a $14 million loss hit the production house hard. The ball drop was so high that it wouldn't have survived in today's economy as well, and without a doubt, it was much worse in that era. That is possibly why we never heard of this film house again; thanks to their 'all my eggs in one basket move,' which made them go bust!
With that cast of top golden age stars, it's hard to imagine people didn't embrace the movie. Maybe success was really just not written in the stars for these producers. A remake might bring in the bucks, though, considering how well history biopics have fared more recently.
How Do You Know, 2010
The seemingly harmless romantic comedy turned out to be the most disappointing release of 2010. The film had the right formula for a blockbuster, but something went wrong.
‘How Do You Know’ portrayed a love triangle between the roles essayed by a stellar cast, including Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, and Paul Rudd. It was written and directed by James Brooks, a man who was considered to have a Midas touch as he also curated ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and ‘The Simpsons.’ All of the A-listers came with a hefty price tag, and the combined salary of these celebrities alone took up half of the budget. A lukewarm response from the audience and meek ratings did not help the film, and it flopped.
A movie with a budget of $100 million, giving most of it away as the salaries of actors and director, is a sure shot recipe for disaster. Precisely what happened with ‘How Do You Know’! The picture failed to generate enough excitement and managed to earn only $48.7 million.
Mars Needs Moms, 2011
The brawns behind the massively successful ‘Back to the Future Trilogy’ – Robert Zemeckis undertook a new venture in 2011 and was hoping to strike gold a second time, but alas! things did not go as planned.
Zemeckis adopted a 'go big or go home' strategy and started his film production company, ImageMovers Digital. Since Robert’s track record was in his favor, Disney also got involved in the production as a partner. The main focus of the entity was to create 3D animated movies via motion capture technology. ‘Mars Needs Moms’ was a brave endeavor, and incidentally their first release. The film was an ambitious project with a whopping $150 million budget. Unfortunately, it only managed to rake in $39 million, and bombed at the box office. ImageMovers Digital went bust and had to be liquidated.
While it is good to aim high, but things can have severe consequences if one loses sight of reality. Robert's production company made this mistake and had to be dissolved after the disappointing run at the box office, and 450 people lost their jobs.
The Golden Compass, 2007
What happened with 'The Golden Compass' goes to show how hurried decisions can really bring about a myriad of unwanted consequences. We're referring to the New Line Cinema's quick sale of their international rights to raise a whopping $200 million for the project.
They saw the end of the road for their productions when the domestic ratings plummeted for the fantasy adventure, generating only less than half of the investment. What really got them, though, was the fact that it actually made over $300 million worldwide. But the sold-off rights meant 'New Line' couldn't pocket a penny of it. If that's not bad luck, we don't know what is.
The massive loss meant that the production house could barely manage to operate, prompting 'Warner Bros.' to acquire the company after the debacle. We're sure the restructuring definitely helped mitigate the damage of what was supposedly an ill-thought choice.
Titan A.E., 2000
'Fox' has always been a winner in the film industry with numerous hits over the years. But the animated adventure movie, 'Titan A.E,' which released at the turn of the millennium, made them seriously review their ways.
Costing a thumping $90 million for its excessive computer-generated imagery, but raking in only $36 million, the sci-fi film proved to be a huge miss. Apparently, having America's sweethearts, Drew Barrymore, and Matt Damon voicing the leads wasn't enough to save this film's opening weekend, at the least. With continuous low rankings, the production giant actually made the decision to close its newly formed anime arm, 'Fox Animation Studios,' for good.
The plot revolving around the spaceship Titan, in a ravaged Earth, may have flunked at the box office, but it received numerous accolades for the ahead-of-its-time graphics, editing, and other theatrics. It even contended for the 'Best Sci-Fi Film' at the 2000 Saturn awards!