List of biggest box-office bombs explained

In the film and media industry, if a film released in theatres fails to break even by a large amount, it is considered a box-office bomb (or box-office flop), thus losing money for the distributor, studio, and/or production company that invested in it. Due to the secrecy surrounding costs and profit margins in the film industry, figures of losses are usually rough estimates at best, and there are often conflicting estimates over how much a film has lost. To accommodate this uncertainty, the losses are presented as ranges where this is the case, and the list is ordered alphabetically in the absence of a definitive order. Because the films on the list have been released over a large span of time, currency inflation is a material factor, so losses are adjusted for inflation using the United States Consumer Price Index to enable comparison at equivalent purchasing power.

Some films on this list grossed more than their production budgets yet are still regarded as flops. This can be due to Hollywood accounting practices that manipulate profits or keep costs secret to circumvent profit-sharing agreements,[1] but it is also possible for films to lose money legitimately even when the theatrical gross exceeds the budget. This is because a distributor does not collect the full gross, and the full cost of a film can substantially exceed its production budget once distribution and marketing are taken into account. For example, tax filings in 2010 for Cinemark Theatres show that only 54.5 percent of ticket revenues went to the distributor, with the exhibitor retaining the rest. While the distributor's cut will vary from film to film, a Hollywood studio will typically collect half the gross in the United States and less in other parts of the world. Marketing often represents a substantial share of the overall cost of the picture too: for a film with an average sized budget the promotion and advertising costs are typically half that of the production budget, and in the case of smaller films it is not unusual for the cost of the marketing to be higher than the production budget.[2] In some cases, a company can make profits from a box-office bomb when ancillary revenues are taken into account, such as streaming, home media sales and rentals, television broadcast rights, and licensing fees, so a film that loses money at the box office can still eventually break even.[3]

There are some films notorious for large production budgets and widely seen as box-office bombs that have either broken even or turned a profit. Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox with production and marketing costs of and numerous delays.[4] [5] It was among the top ten films of the 1960s,[6] but still failed to recoup its investment during its theatrical release.[4] It eventually broke even in 1966 when Fox sold the television broadcast rights to ABC for $5 million.[7] The total costs for Waterworld (1995) exceeded $300 million and it was perceived as a disaster at the time, despite grossing $264 million worldwide. It also eventually broke even through other revenue streams.[8] [9] Such films are still cited as high-risk examples in evaluating the prospects of future productions.[8] For example, Cleopatra is blamed for a decline in big-budget epic films in the 1960s.[10]

The COVID-19 pandemic, starting around March 2020, caused temporary closure of movie theatres, and distributors moved several films to premier to streaming services such as HBO Max, Disney+, and Peacock with little to no box-office takes. While these films may have had successful runs on these services, the viewership or revenue from these showings are typically not reported and excluded from the box office. As a result, several films from 2020 to 2022 are included on this list, despite potentially having been profitable for their studios through streaming.[11]

Biggest box-office bombs

The following is a partial list of films that lost the most money, based on documented losses or estimated by expert analysis of various financial factors such as the production budget, marketing and distribution costs, gross box-office receipts and other ancillary revenues. The list is limited to films that are potentially among the top one hundred box-office losses, adjusted for inflation (approximately upper-bound losses of $100 million or higher).

§ indicates a film released for streaming less than 30 days after it was released theatrically.

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2"
YearNet production budget
Worldwide gross
Estimated loss
NominalAdjusted for inflation
1999$[12]
2013$$96[13]
2022$40–75$$93[14]
2002$100$$96[15]
2000$$63.5[16]
2004$107$$94[17]
Alexander2004$155$$71[18]
Ali2001$107$$63[19]
2016$85$[20]
Amsterdam2022$80$$108[21]
Around the World in 80 Days2004$110$$74[22]
1999$75$$65[23]
2002$70$$70.1[24]
Battlefield Earth2000$$73.3[25]
Battleship2012$$150[26]
Beloved1998$80$$68.5[27]
Ben-Hur2016$100$[28]
2016$140$[29]
Black Adam2022$[30]
Blackhat2015$70$[31]
2020$[32]
Cats2019$[33]
Chaos Walking2021$100$$112[34]
Chill Factor1999$34–70$$64[35]
2009$[36]
2004$[37]
Cowboys & Aliens2011$163$[38]
Cutthroat Island1995$98$$105[39]
Dark Phoenix2019$200$[40]
2016$[41]
Dolittle2020$175$[42]
Driven2001$94$$67[43]
Dudley Do-Right1999$70$$65[44]
Evan Almighty2007$175$$87[45]
1964$18.4$$14.3[46]
Fantastic Four2015$[47]
Fathers' Day1997$85$$67[48]
2001$137$$94[49]
The Flash2023$200$271.3$155[50]
2019$138$$111.1[51]
Ghost in the Shell 2017$[52]
Gigli2003$75.6$$72[53]
Gods of Egypt2016$140$[54]
2015$$85[55]
2005$80$$75[56]
Green Lantern2011$200$[57]
Hard Rain1998$70$$60[58]
Hart's War2002$$62.7[59]
Haunted Mansion2023$150$117.4$117[60]
Heaven's Gate1980$44$$40.5[61]
How Do You Know2010$100$$104[62]
Hudson Hawk1991$65$$47.8[63]
Hugo2011$$91[64]
Inchon1982$46$$40.8[65]
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny2023$326$384$143[66]
Instinct1999$80$$63[67]
2007$80$$71[68]
Ishtar1987$$40.6[69]
Jack Frost1998$$68[70]
Jack the Giant Slayer2013$$103[71]
John Carter2012$263.7$[72]
2024$[73]
Jungle Cruise §2021$200$$150[74]
Jupiter Ascending2015$175$[75]
2002$100$$67[76]
2017$175$[77]
Krull1983$27$$33.5[78]
2021$100$$99[79]
2022$200$$106–122[80]
Lolita1997$62$$61[81]
2013$[82]
2015$75$$80[83]
Mars Needs Moms2011$150$[84]
The Marvels2023$270$206.1$237[85]
§2021$190$$130[86]
Missing Link2019$102.3$$101.3[87]
Monkeybone2001$75$$71[88]
Monster Trucks2016$125$[89]
Moonfall2022$138$[90]
Mortal Engines2018$110$$174.8[91]
Mulan §2020$200$$141[92]
2017$195$[93]
2010$90$$82[94]
Onward §2020$175–200$$130[95]
Osmosis Jones2001$70$$63[96]
Pan2015$150$[97]
Peter Pan2003$130.6$$70[98]
Poseidon2006$160$$83[99]
1997$80$$70[100]
2016$90$[101]
R.I.P.D.2013$$92[102]
Red Planet2000$80$$63[103]
Rise of the Guardians2012$145$$87[104]
Robin Hood2018$100$$83.7[105]
Sahara2005$160$$78.4[106]
Seventh Son2015$95$$85[107]
2003$60$$125[108]
Soldier1998$$60[109]
2005$80$$74[110]
§2021$150$$111[111]
Speed Racer2008$120$$88[112]
Sphere1998$$61[113]
Stealth2005$135$$96[114]
Strange World2022$180$[115]
§2021$185$$120[116]
Supernova2000$90$$83[117]
Tenet 2020$200$[118]
2019$[119]
Titan A.E.2000$$100[120]
Tomorrowland2015$[121]
Town & Country2001$90$$85[122]
2017$217–260$[123]
Treasure Planet2002$140$$85[124]
Turning Red §2022$175$[125]
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets2017$$82[126]
West Side Story2021$100$$104[127]
Windtalkers2002$[128]
Wish2023$200$254.9$131[129]
2010$150$$76[130]
Wonder Woman 1984 §2020$200$$100–137[131]
2018$125$$130.6[132]
xXx: State of the Union2005$113.1$$78[133]
Zoom2006$75.6$$69[134]

See also

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: April 14, 2015 . Gary . Susman . The 19 Biggest Box Office Bombs in Movie History . . August 15, 2015.
  2. Web site: January 31, 2011 . Charlie Jane Anders . Charlie Jane . Anders . How much money does a movie need to make to be profitable? . . July 12, 2013.
  3. Web site: June 26, 2012 . Adam . Davidson . How Does the Film Industry Actually Make Money . . August 15, 2015.
  4. Web site: Hollywood History Questions Answered: What Movie Was the Biggest Bomb Ever? . Stephen . Galloway . September 9, 2019 . September 10, 2019 . .
  5. Book: Hall . Sheldon . Neale . Stephen . Epics, spectacles, and blockbusters: a Hollywood history . 2010 . . 978-0-8143-3008-1 . 166 . With top tickets set at an all-time high of $5.50,Cleopatra had amassed as much as $20 million in such guarantees from exhibitors even before its premiere. Fox claimed the film had cost in total $44 million, of which $31,115,000 represented the direct negative cost and the rest distribution, print and advertising expenses. (These figures excluded the more than $5 million spent on the production's abortive British shoot in 1960–61, prior to its relocation to Italy.) By 1966 worldwide rentals had reached $38,042,000 including $23.5 million from the United States..
  6. News: Susan . King . How 'Cleopatra' Nearly Sank Fox . April 3, 2001 . . May 25, 2023.
  7. Book: Block . Alex Ben . Wilson . Lucy Autrey . 2010 . George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success . . 9780061778896 . 434 & 461 .
  8. Web site: Mike Jr. . Fleming . Isn't It Time To Take 'Waterworld' Off The All-Time Flop List? . August 7, 2013 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150108081038/https://deadline.com/2013/08/isnt-it-time-to-take-waterworld-off-the-all-time-flop-list-557797/ . January 8, 2015.
  9. Stewart . Andrew . August 11, 2012 . B.O. reality gets lost in perception . . July 18, 2016.
  10. Web site: Cleopatra, the film that killed off big-budget epics . John . Patterson . July 15, 2013 . September 10, 2019 . .
  11. Web site: How Covid Wiped Out The Studios' Domestic Box Office Market Share In 2020 . Anthony . D'Alessandro . December 31, 2020 . December 12, 2021 . .
  12. The 13th Warrior
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: The 13th Warrior (1999) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Production budget: Book: Sklar, Elizabeth S. . The Vikings on Film: Essays on Depictions of the Nordic Middle Ages . . 2011 . 9780786460441 . 122 . Despite a lavish production budget for which estimates range from $100 to $160....
    • Estimated loss:
  13. 47 Ronin
  14. The 355
  15. The Adventures of Pluto Nash
  16. The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
  17. The Alamo
  18. Alexander
  19. Ali
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Ali (2001) . . July 21, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  20. Allied
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Allied (2016) . . March 4, 2016.
    • Expected loss:
  21. Amsterdam
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Amsterdam (2022) . . December 16, 2022.
    • Production budget and estimated loss:
  22. Around the World in 80 Days
  23. The Astronaut's Wife
  24. Ballistic
  25. Battlefield Earth
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Battlefield Earth (2000) . . January 20, 2016.
    • Estimated loss and production budget:
  26. Battleship
  27. Beloved
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Beloved (1998) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  28. Ben-Hur
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Ben-Hur (2016) . . November 25, 2016.
    • Expected loss (lower-bound): Web site: Anousha . Sakoui . Hollywood's Summertime Bombs Got a Lot More Disastrous This Year . September 1, 2016 . . . September 8, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160901105156/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-01/hollywood-s-summertime-bombs-got-a-lot-more-disastrous-this-year . September 1, 2016 . subscription.
    • Expected loss (upper-bound):
  29. The BFG
  30. Black Adam
  31. Blackhat
  32. The Call of the Wild
  33. Cats
  34. Chaos Walking
  35. Chill Factor
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget (upper-bound): Web site: Chill Factor (1999) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Estimated production budget (lower-bound): Web site: Chill Factor . . June 27, 2018.
    • Estimated loss (based on upper-bound budget):
  36. A Christmas Carol
  37. The Chronicles of Riddick
  38. Cowboys & Aliens
  39. Cutthroat Island
  40. Dark Phoenix
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Dark Phoenix (2019) . . August 16, 2019.
    • Production budget and estimated loss (upper-bound):
    • Estimated loss (lower-bound):
  41. Deepwater Horizon
  42. Dolittle (2020)
  43. Driven
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Driven (2001) . . July 21, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  44. Dudley Do-Right
  45. Evan Almighty
  46. The Fall of the Roman Empire
  47. Fantastic Four
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Fantastic Four (2015) . . February 17, 2016.
    • Expected loss and production budget:
  48. Father's Day
    • Total worldwide gross: and production budget: Web site: Fathers' Day (1997) . The Numbers . Nash Information Services . June 22, 2015.
    • Estimated loss:
  49. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within (2001) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Production budget: Book: Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction from Origins to Anime . 10 . . 2007 . Bolton, Christopher . Istvan Csicsery-Ronay Jr . Takayuki Tatsumi . 978-0-8166-4974-7.
    • Estimated loss:
  50. Flash
    • Total worldwide gross: 0439572 . The Flash . January 8, 2024.
    • Production budget and estimated loss:
  51. Gemini Man
  52. Ghost in the Shell
  53. Gigli
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Gigli (2003) . . July 16, 2013.
    • Production budget:
    • Estimated loss:
  54. Gods of Egypt
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Gods of Egypt (2016) . . August 25, 2016.
    • Estimated loss (lower-bound):
    • Expected loss (upper-bound):
  55. The Good Dinosaur
  56. The Great Raid
  57. Green Lantern
  58. Hard Rain
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Hard Rain (1998) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  59. Hart's War
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Hart's War (2002) . . January 20, 2016.
    • Estimated loss and production budget:
  60. Haunted Mansion
    • Total worldwide gross: 1695843 . Haunted Mansion . May 4, 2024.
    • Production budget and estimated loss:
  61. Heaven's Gate
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Heaven's Gate (1980) . . January 20, 2016.
    • Estimated loss:
  62. How Do You Know
  63. Hudson Hawk
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Hudson Hawk (1991) . . January 20, 2016.
    • Estimated loss:
  64. Hugo
  65. Inchon
    • Canadian and U.S. gross: Web site: Inchon (1982) . . January 20, 2016.
    • Estimated loss:
  66. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  67. Instinct
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Instinct (1999) . . July 21, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  68. The Invasion
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: The Invasion (2007) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  69. Ishtar
  70. Jack Frost
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Jack Frost (1998) . . July 21, 2013.
    • Production budget: Web site: 'Mail' shows a prophet . Andrew Hindes. Variety . December 20, 1998 . May 19, 2020.
    • Estimated loss:
  71. Jack the Giant Slayer
  72. John Carter
  73. Joker 2
  74. Jungle Cruise
  75. Jupiter Ascending
  76. K-19: The Widowmaker
  77. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
  78. Krull
    • Canadian and U.S. gross, production budget and estimated loss: (1983–1984)
  79. The Last Duel
  80. Lightyear
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Lightyear . . November 8, 2022.
    • Production budget and estimated loss (lower-bound):
    • Estimated loss (upper-bound):
  81. Lolita
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Lolita (1997) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Estimated loss:
  82. The Lone Ranger
  83. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
  84. Mars Needs Moms
  85. The Marvels
    • Total worldwide gross: 10676048 . The Marvels . May 3, 2024.
    • Production budget and estimated loss:
  86. The Matrix Resurrections
  87. Missing Link
  88. Monkeybone
  89. Monster Trucks
  90. Moonfall
  91. Mortal Engines
  92. Mulan
  93. The Mummy
  94. The Nutcracker in 3D
  95. Onward
  96. Osmosis Jones
  97. Pan
  98. Peter Pan
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Peter Pan (2003) . . July 16, 2013.
    • Production budget:
    • Estimated loss:
  99. Poseidon
  100. The Postman
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: The Postman . . Nash Information Services . June 22, 2015.
    • Estimated loss:
  101. The Promise
  102. R.I.P.D.
  103. Red Planet
  104. Rise of the Guardians
  105. Robin Hood
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Robin Hood (2018) . . January 20, 2019.
    • Estimated loss:
  106. Sahara
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Sahara (2005) . . July 12, 2013.
    • Production budget and estimated loss (lower-bound): Web site: April 15, 2007 . Glenn F. . Bunting . $78 million of red ink? . . July 13, 2013.
  107. Seventh Son
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Seventh Son (2015) . . February 16, 2016.
    • Estimated loss:
  108. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
  109. Soldier
    • Canadian and U.S. gross and production budget: Web site: Soldier (1998) . . January 20, 2016.
    • Estimated loss and production budget:
  110. A Sound of Thunder
  111. Space Jam: A New Legacy
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) . . February 27, 2022.
    • Production budget: Web site: Mendelson . Scott . July 18, 2021 . 'Space Jam 2' Tops Box Office With $32M Debut Weekend . limited . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210829225444/https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2021/07/18/box-office-lebron-james-space-jam-2-tops-marvel-black-widow-with-32m-weekend/ . August 29, 2021 . February 27, 2022 . Forbes.
    • Estimated loss:
  112. Speed Racer
  113. Sphere
    • Total worldwide gross and production budget: Web site: Sphere (1998) . The Numbers . March 2, 2016.
    • Estimated loss and production budget:
  114. Stealth
  115. Strange World
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Strange World (2022) . . March 22, 2023.
    • Production budget and estimated loss:
  116. The Suicide Squad
  117. Supernova
  118. Tenet
  119. Terminator: Dark Fate
  120. Titan A.E.
  121. Tomorrowland
  122. Town & Country
  123. Transformers: The Last Knight
  124. Treasure Planet
  125. Turning Red
  126. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
  127. West Side Story
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: West Side Story (2021) . . April 5, 2022.
    • Production budget: Fox Feels the Pressure From Disney as Film Flops Mount . . . Los Angeles, California . Matt . Donnelly . Brent . Lang . August 13, 2019 . August 13, 2019 . August 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190830221649/https://variety.com/2019/film/features/fox-disney-earnings-dark-phoenix-stuber-racing-in-the-rain-1203300260/ . live .
    • Estimated loss:
  128. Windtalkers
  129. Wish
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Wish (2023) . Box Office Mojo . March 13, 2024 . December 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231204151628/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt11304740/ . live .
    • Production budget and estimated loss:
  130. The Wolfman
  131. Wonder Woman 1984
  132. A Wrinkle in Time
  133. XXX: State of the Union
  134. Zoom
    • Total worldwide gross: Web site: Zoom (2006) . . July 16, 2013.
    • Production budget:
    • Estimated loss:

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