Not every movie is a hit when it comes to bringing in the money - some of the best box office flops were doomed to slack a bit behind the budget costs. A movie's first goal might be to entertain the audience, but the second one is to meet and exceed the costs of the budget. However, box office flops are not always horrible movies. Some of the greatest films released once got labeled as flops.
Just because the movie is a box office failure doesn't automatically mean it's a bad film. Great and beloved movies, like The Shawshank Redemption to Mulholland Drive, flopped hard at the box office. The list of the biggest box office flops has a lot of loved movies on it. Usually, they fail to garner enough money at the box office due to the poor marketing decisions taken during the promotion of the final product.
A box office flop is like a diamond in the rough — great after some time. Below, we have compiled a list of the movies that couldn’t dominate the box office and flopped. They are the complete opposites of the forgotten box office hits. Be sure to upvote the biggest box office flop that should have earned more. On the other hand, share your thoughts on why the movie didn't meet the required break-even point with a comment below.
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#1 The Shawshank Redemption – $73.3 Million
1994 | 2h 22m | Directed by Frank Darabont | IMDB: 9.3/10 |
Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman and Bob Gunton
While The Shawshank Redemption might have been a flop in the short term, it has become one of the greatest movies ever in the long term. Due to competing with other great movies, like Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, the film couldn't cover the budget costs, plus marketing. It did become one of the most rented movies ever.
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34points
#2 Fight Club – $101.2 Million
1999 | 2h 19m | Directed by David Fincher | IMDB: 8.8 |
Starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Meat Loaf
Fight Club received mixed reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office compared to the studio's projections. With a budget of $65 million and a $20 million marketing investment, it only brought in $101.2 million from the box office earnings. After being released on home video, the movie became one of the most popular movies ever.
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30points
#3 The Big Lebowski – $46.7 Million
Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Julianne Moore
When The Big Lebowski was first released, reviews were conflicting. The movie has gained cult status due to praise that has grown over time. The film got chosen for inclusion in the US National Film Registry. The film grossed just $18 million in the United States, with a budget of $15 million. It did earn a lot of money back in other markets.
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23points
#4 The Thing – $19.6 Million
1982 | 1h 49m | Directed by John Carpenter | IMDB: 8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Starring Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley and Keith David
When The Thing was made available on home video and television, it quickly attracted a lot of viewers. It has since received new recognition as one of the best science fiction and horror movies ever produced and developed a cult following. It grossed just $19.6 million at the box office on a $15 million budget when it played at theaters.
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21points
#5 The Iron Giant – $31.3 Million
1999 | 1h 26m | Directed by Brad Bird | IMDB: 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Starring Eli Marienthal, Vin Diesel and Jennifer Aniston
With a $50 million production budget and $31.3 million in international box office receipts, The Iron Giant failed to reach the break-even point. Warner Bros’ extremely subpar marketing strategy and its misgivings about the viability of animated films got cited as contributing factors. The movie received 15 nominations for awards and received nine Annie Awards.
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20points
#6 Children Of Men – $70.5 Million
2006 | 1h 49m | Directed by Alfonso Cuarón | IMDB: 7.9/10 |
Starring Julianne Moore, Clive Owen and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Children of Men garnered positive reviews and got acknowledged for its accomplishments by being nominated for three Academy Awards, despite its restricted distribution and the distributor's lack of a clear marketing plan during awards season. The movie brought in a sizable amount at the box office but not enough to cover the $76 million cost of production.
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19points
#7 The Suicide Squad – $169 Million
2021 | 2h 12m | Directed by James Gunn | IMDB: 7.2/10 |
Starring Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena
On August 5, The Suicide Squad was released at the theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service. Critics gave the movie favorable reviews and appreciated the acting. Despite becoming the most-watched DCEU movie on HBO Max, the film only made $168.7 million globally, falling short of its $185 million production budget.
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18points
#8 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – $49.3 Million
2010 | 1h 52m | Directed by Edgar Wright | IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kieran Culkin
Critics praised Scott Pilgrim vs. the World for its visual flair and comedy despite the film being a box office flop that failed to repay its $85 million production budget. As a result, it gradually developed a cult following. It has received lots of attention in academic study as a transmedia tale.
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18points
#9 Tomorrowland – $209 Million
2015 | 2h 10m | Directed by Brad Bird | IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
Starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson and Hugh Laurie
Critics gave Tomorrowland a mixed bag of reviews, praising its unique idea, acting, action scenes, visual effects, and themes but also feeling that it lacked emphasis on the titular realm and criticizing the narrative. Despite its $280 million production and marketing budget, the movie only made $209 million globally, costing Disney about $120-150 million.
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15points
#10 Cloud Atlas – $130.5 Million
2019 | 2h 52m | Directed by Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski | IMDB: 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant
Based on the book of the same name, Cloud Atlas appeared on several "Best Picture" and "Worst Film" lists as a result of the conflicted opinions of critics. The final box office tally for the movie was $130.5 million, which included $27.1 million from domestic sales and $103.4 million from overseas. The budget reached as much as $146.7 million.
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15points
#11 Mulholland Drive – $20.1 Million
2001 | 2h 27m | Directed by David Lynch | IMDB:7.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring and Justin Theroux
Lynch received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for Mulholland Drive. The movie significantly raised Naomi Watts image in the industry. With a $15 million budget, the film's initial box office took in $7 million. Luckily, it did make an additional $13 million outside the US and Canadian markets.
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15points
#12 Blade Runner 2049 – $267.5 Million
2017 | 2h 44m | Directed by Denis Villeneuve |IMDB:8.0/10 |
Starring Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas
Critics appreciated Blade Runner's 2049 performances, directing, cinematography, editing, musical score, production design, visual effects, and fidelity to the source material, although many questioned its length. It turned out to be a box office disaster, earning $267.5 million globally while having a $185 million budget. The break-even point was $400 million.
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14points
#13 Hugo – $185.8 Million
2011 | 2h 06m | Directed by Martin Scorsese | IMDB: 7.5/10 |
Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Lee
Hugo garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, more than any other movie that year, and it took home five of them. Although the movie received favorable reviews from reviewers, it was seen as a box office failure because it only made $185 million on a massive budget of $150 million, plus marketing.
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14points
#14 The Lone Ranger – $260.5 Million
2013 | 2h 30m | Directed by Gore Verbinski | IMDB: 6.4/10 |
Starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and William Fichtner
The Lone Ranger, with a $225–250 million budget and an additional $150–190 million in marketing expenses, received largely unfavorable reviews from critics. It only made $260.5 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest box office flops and costing Disney $160–190 million.
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14points
#15 Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas – $80.8 Million
2003 | 1h 26m | Directed by Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson | IMDB: 6.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 45%
Starring Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Joseph Fiennes
Sinbad, a box office flop that made $80.8 million on a $60 million budget, cost DreamWorks $125 million in losses, almost driving them into bankruptcy. This movie was the penultimate DreamWorks Animation movie to employ traditional animation before switching to computer animation.
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14points
#16 Wet Hot American Summer – $300,000
2001 | 1h 37m | Directed by David Wain | IMDB: 6.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 38%
Starring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce and Michael Showalter
Despite being a critical and financial disaster, Wet Hot American Summer has gained cult status as several of its cast members have gone on to act in well-known roles. It was produced with a $1.8 million budget but only brought in around $300,000 in revenue, incurring a significant loss for the studio.
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14points
#17 Three Thousand Years Of Longing – $20 Million
2022 | 1h 48m | Directed by George Miller | IMDB: 6.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Starring Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba and Erdil Yasaroglu
On May 20, 2022, the movie garnered a standing ovation for six minutes at its Cannes Film Festival debut. Although the reviews from critics were quite favorable, mainly praising the aesthetics and performances, the movie bombed at the box office, making only $20 million on a $60 million budget.
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13points
#18 Ad Astra – $135.4 Million
2019 | 2h 03m | Directed by James Gray | IMDB: 6.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Starring Blake Lively, Richard Brake and Elly Curtis
On August 29, 2019, Ad Astra debuted at the Venice Film Festival. Critics gave it favorable reviews and praised Pitt's performance. It received a Best Sound Mixing nomination for the 92nd Academy Awards. Despite having a $100 million budget, the movie made only $135 million worldwide.
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13points
#19 Battleship – $303 Million
2012 | 2h 11m | Directed by Peter Berg | IMDB: 5.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Brooklyn Decker and Taylor Kitsch
Battleship failed to meet expectations at the box office, earning just $303 million worldwide on a $209–220 million budget, costing Universal and Hasbro $150 million. The 33rd Golden Raspberry Awards gave it six nominations, including one for Worst Film. Rihanna won the Worst Supporting Actress "award."
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13points
#20 Office Space – $12.2 Million
1999 | 1h 29m | Directed by Mike Judge | IMDB: 7.6/10 |
Starring Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston and David Herman
As far as office comedies go, Office Space is the funniest and most realistic one (sadly). With a budget of $10 million, not accounting for the marketing costs, it earned $12.2 million at the box office. After its release, thanks to word-of-mouth marketing, it has become a cult classic and the subject of multiple online memes (somebody has the case of the Mondays, for example).
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13points