Summary
Box office success has never been a reliable indicator of a movie’s quality, and several cult classics were once financial disasters. By definition, cult movies inspire obsession and devotion among their fan bases, even if they don’t have mainstream appeal. Often, these films are intentionally subversive or experimental, which means that they are unlikely to make a lot of money.
Performing terribly at the box office can often be the first step in a movie’s journey towardachieving cult classic status. Bombing can be a badge of honor for movies with a niche appeal, and this feeling of exclusivity makes fans even more passionate about a movie. When cinephiles become enamored by a movie which they feel is misunderstood or disrespected, cult followings are the next logical step.
25 Biggest Box Office Bombs Of All Time
From Pixar flops to Western catastrophes to CGI messes and franchises that never took off, these are the 20 biggest box office failures of all time.
Scarlett Johansson’s presence wasn’t enough to driveUnder the Skinto box office success, and it failed to recoup its budget. The atmospheric sci-fi film stars Johansson as an otherworldly being who roams around Scotland preying on men, luring them into an ink-black abyss that slowly consumes them. With its stark visuals and a pulsating score from Mica Levi,Under the Skinis a unique delight for sci-fi fans.
Director Jonathan Glazer was recently nominated for an Oscar forZone of Interest,butUnder the Skinremains a relatively obscure gem.
Director Jonathan Glazer was recently nominated for an Oscar forZone of Interest,butUnder the Skinremains a relatively obscure gem. The film uses very little dialogue, and its pacing is deliberately ponderous until it reaches those unforgettable expressionist scenes inside the mysterious black void. This makes it an unusual prospect. It doesn’t appeal to many sci-fi fans, or indeed horror fans, but it has slowly found its audience.
Gene Wilder’s performance as Willy Wonka has now been recognized for its quirky charms, butWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factorywas not an immediate hit. After a notoriously troubled production which saw author Roald Dahl removed from the project, and the final scene being hastily written just as the money was drying up,Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factorymade just $4 million. This constitutes a loss when factoring in the marketing costs.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factorywas never financially successful enough to warrant a sequel, although Roald Dahl’s novels do continue Wonka and Charlie’s adventures together.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factorywas never financially successful enough to warrant a sequel, although Roald Dahl’s novels do continue Wonka and Charlie’s adventures together. Nevertheless,the movie reached a new audience as it was shown many times on TV.Tim Burton’sCharlie and the Chocolate Factoryadaptationin 2005 faced an uphill battle to win over dedicated fans of Wilder’s version.
When it was first released,The Thingreceived a slew of negative reviews. Criticism was mainly directed at the characterization and the plot. The film’s groundbreaking visual effects were its saving grace, and these have held up magnificently over the past four decades. It took a while forThe Thingto gain the recognition that it deserves, and it is now seen as an influential classic of the sci-fi and horror genres.
Many horror movies have been inspired by the creeping sense of paranoia and the ambiguous ending of John Carpenter’s cult classic.
Many horror movies have been inspired by the creeping sense of paranoia and the ambiguous ending of John Carpenter’s cult classic, while othermovies have copiedThe Thingmore blatantly. While the horrific scenes of sci-fi gore are the most eye-catching element ofThe Thing,it’s the sly social commentary and the pervasive sense of dread that lives longest in the memory.
Ridley Scott has had several massive box office hits over the years, inludingAlienandGladiator,but he has also had his fair share of bombs.Blade Runnerwasn’t quite a disaster, but its modest return of $41.8 million explains why it took so long for a sequel to arrive. Unfortunately,Blade Runner 2049also failed to break even. Regardless of its mediocre financial results,Blade Runnerhas gone down as a sci-fi classic.
All self-respecting sci-fi fans knowBlade Runnernow, even though it wasn’t so popular in 1982.
Blade Runner’s eye-catching visual design and its cerebral approach to the subject of artificial intelligence have influenced sci-fi movies for decades.Blade Runner’s scriptis one of its great strengths too. Rutger Hauer’s unforgettable final monologue is the cherry on top of a superb script filled with brilliant quotes. All self-respecting sci-fi fans knowBlade Runnernow, even though it wasn’t so popular in 1982.
Wes Anderson’s moviesare steady money-makers. Aside from the enormous success ofThe Grand Budapest Hotel,his movies mostly deliver a healthy but unspectacular return on investment. This is not the case forThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,which failed to break even. It didn’t help thatthe film’s $50 million budget was far higher than most of Anderson’s other films.
The soundtrack of Portuguese David Bowie songs and the delightful stop-motion creature animations are a joy for anyone.
Despite its middling initial response,The Life Aquatichas been reappraised in recent years. The movie that came right afterThe Royal Tenenbaumsrepresented a massive leap in Anderson’s signature storybook charm.The Life Aquaticis a melancholy, stylistic treat, and there would be noFantastic Mr. FoxorMoonrise Kingdomwithout it. The soundtrack of Portuguese David Bowie songs and the delightful stop-motion creature animations are a joy for anyone, whether they are a fan of Anderson or not.
Brad Bird has found immense financial success as a director of animated movies, withRatatouilleandThe Incrediblesmovies now under his belt. Before he became one of Pixar’s go-to men, he directed the gorgeous 2D animated classic,The Iron Giant,a Cold War fable about a boy who befriends a gigantic alien robot.The film cost $50 million to make, but it made just over half of that at the box office.
Time has been kind toThe Iron Giant,and it’s now considered a masterpiece of animation.
Time has been kind toThe Iron Giant,and it’s now considered a masterpiece of animation. TV syndication and home video sales eventually helped the movie find its audience. Although it’s about a 50-foot robot,The Iron Giantis a surprisingly universal tale. The themes of friendship and sticking up for what’s right are relatable to anyone, and it takes a hard heart to resist the giant’s unusual appeal.
The Shawshank Redemptionwas nominated for seven Academy Awards, but there was a massive gulf between its critical success and its financial success. The Stephen King adaptation had to compete withPulp FictionandForrest Gumpat the box office, and its initial run in theaters was a big disappointment. After its awards-season success and some positive word-of-mouth,The Shawshank Redemptionwas re-released, and it fared much better.
Columbia Pictures may have made an error by marketingThe Shawshank Redemptionwithout using Stephen King’s name.
Columbia Pictures may have made an error by marketingThe Shawshank Redemptionwithout using Stephen King’s name. They didn’t want to associate the movie with King, who was best known for his work in the horror genre.The Shawshank Redemptionis now seen as one of thebest Stephen King adaptationsever, although it has very little in common with many of his other hits.
After the success ofShaun of the DeadandHot Fuzz, Edgar Wright was given a much bigger budget and a lot of freedom for his next project.His adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s series of graphic novels was a hit with critics, but it didn’t come close to breaking even. Wright incorporates visual elements of comic books and video games intoScott Pilgrim vs. the World,giving it a playful feeling.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Worldhas some creative action scenes and a lot of great jokes, but its style is too quirky for some.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Worldhas some creative action scenes and a lot of great jokes, but its style is too quirky for some. AlthoughScott Pilgrimdidn’t win over mainstream audiences, it has cultivated a passionate fan base. This was enough for the original cast to reassemble for the 2023 animated adaptation,Scott Pilgrim Takes Off,which is just as inventive, and just as popular with the film’s cult following.
Zodiacwas a victim of its misguided marketing, which emphasized the mystery thriller’s qualities as a slasher movie. Although there are a few scenes of brutal murder inZodiac,the story mainly focuses on how the case of San Francisco’s Zodiac Killer inspired deep obsession in the people who followed it. Similarly,Zodiacis designed to draw its audience into the mystery. It’s difficult not to be as fixated as the protagonist.
Zodiachas gained a devoted audience who understand that the film doesn’t play by the rules of a typical mystery movie, a typical horror movie, or a typical crime movie.
Zodiacalso limits its mainstream appeal by refusing to provide an answer to its big mystery. This breaks an important rule of the mystery genre, but it’s far more realistic. There are still no answers about the identity of the Zodiac Killer, and Fincher conveys the frustration of the case brilliantly.Zodiachas gained a devoted audience who understand that the film doesn’t play by the rules of a typical mystery movie, a typical horror movie, or a typical crime movie. Its reasonable box office return still represented a loss, however.
Based on the board game of the same name,Clueprovides an ingenious solution to the problem of adapting something with no real story. Each game of Clue has a different solution to the mystery, so the movie presents multiple endings and asks the audience to choose the one which satisfies them.When it was released in theaters, each showing ofCluehad just one of the three endings.
After it was released on home video, people could see the entire movie, and this allowed audiences to appreciate the idea.
Audiences were put off by this gimmick. Clearly, people didn’t want to pay to see a third of a complete movie. After it was released on home video, people could see the entire movie, and this allowed audiences to appreciate the idea.Cluehas also been praised for its stylistic character designs and the frantic performance of Tim Curry, the butler who acts as a guide for the audience as well as the guests.
