10 Blockbusters That Still Bombed At The Box Office

Sometimes, even hugely popular movies that make a lot of money initially can ultimately fail financially when all costs are considered. Figuring out how much a big Hollywood movie really costs is complex, and studios usually don’t share the full financial picture of their major releases.

The cost of actually making a movie is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to film financing. Often, the final cost of a movie is double the announced production budget because of expensive marketing and advertising. Sometimes, costs can even exceed that, depending on the film. Many of the biggest box office failures happen because of these high marketing and advertising expenses.

It’s easy to get confused about which movies are truly successful. A film might earn a lot of money but still be considered a failure because of high costs beyond just making the movie itself. While many films earn more than their production budget, they often can’t cover expenses like marketing, payments to actors and staff, and the share of ticket sales that goes to theaters. These rising costs mean we’re seeing more and more movies labeled as box office failures these days.

Fantastic Four (2015)

The 2015 Fantastic Four reboot was a complete failure. The movie received a dismal 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While attempting a darker, more realistic take on the classic Marvel heroes, the film suffered from a weak story and uninspired visuals, especially compared to the exciting movies the Marvel Cinematic Universe was releasing at the time. As a result, it performed poorly in theaters.

Despite earning $168 million at the box office on a $120 million budget (according to Box Office Mojo), Fantastic Four was considered a financial failure. Rising costs meant the movie actually lost between $80 and $100 million (Variety), and plans for a follow-up film were quickly cancelled.

Dolittle (2020)

While many films struggled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolittle wasn’t one of them, as it was released in January. Despite starring Robert Downey Jr. and featuring lots of computer-generated imagery, the movie suffered from a dull story and a lack of humor. Downey Jr.’s performance felt uninspired, and the film ultimately failed to live up to expectations as a blockbuster.

Although the movie earned $251 million at the box office, it cost $192 million to make (according to Box Office Mojo). Surprisingly, this meant the film actually lost $60 million (Forbes). It’s difficult to know the exact financial impact, though, because movie financing is complex. As a result, Dr. Dolittle was retired after the 2020 film’s poor performance.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

It’s always risky to make a sequel to a movie that wasn’t a hit, but Blade Runner 2049 surprisingly succeeded. Decades after Ridley Scott’s iconic, visually striking sci-fi film, director Denis Villeneuve created a thoughtful, large-scale movie that captured the essence of the original Blade Runner series.

Despite a large budget of $185 million, Blade Runner 2049 only made $276 million in theaters (according to Box Office Mojo). The Guardian reported the film actually needed to earn $400 million just to cover its costs, meaning it lost more than $100 million. While many expected it to be a big hit, the high production costs ultimately prevented Blade Runner 2049 from achieving financial success.

Battleship (2012)

Before the success of the Barbie movie, the early 2010s saw a trend of films based on toys, including the surprisingly effective Battleship. While only using the name of the board game, the movie was a CGI-heavy sci-fi action film that also featured a role for singer Rihanna. Despite its unusual premise, it managed to find an audience.

Despite receiving negative reviews, the movie Battleship earned $300 million worldwide, exceeding its $220 million production cost (according to Box Office Mojo). However, Bomb Report indicates that Universal Studios only profited around $167 million after theaters took their share, meaning Battleship ultimately lost a significant amount of money. While 2012 saw several box office failures, Battleship was among the most substantial.

Rise Of The Guardians (2012)

DreamWorks was incredibly successful in the 2000s and early 2010s, but the movie Rise of the Guardians almost led to the animation studio’s downfall. The film featured Jack Frost joining forces with popular holiday characters to fight a villain who wanted to destroy children’s belief in them. While reviews were generally okay, the movie wasn’t set up for success.

Despite earning $300 million at the box office, Rise of the Guardians wasn’t profitable because of its very high $145 million production budget. This resulted in an estimated $87 million loss for DreamWorks and led to significant layoffs, according to The Wrap. However, the studio recovered quickly and wasn’t permanently damaged.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

There have been many versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but the 2009 animated film using CGI isn’t one of the better ones. While Jim Carrey played Scrooge and the movie realistically brought Victorian London to life using motion capture, it was ultimately too unsettling and didn’t offer anything new compared to other adaptations.

Despite earning $325 million at the box office on a $200 million budget, Disney’s A Christmas Carol ultimately failed to turn a profit due to high costs. According to the Los Angeles Times, the film, starring Jim Carrey, lost over $100 million. As a result of this financial disappointment, Mark Zoradi, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group, was forced to step down from his position.

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

While Disney and Pixar still make great films, the poor performance of The Good Dinosaur in 2015 really surprised people. The movie offered a sweet take on prehistoric times, telling the story of a Neanderthal boy and a young dinosaur becoming friends. It had the typical Pixar quality, but didn’t feel as special or memorable as classics like Toy Story.

Despite earning $332 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), The Good Dinosaur was Pixar’s first film to underperform at the box office, costing $200 million to produce. While Pixar continued to create successful films afterward, it signaled a potential weakness in the studio’s previously consistent track record. Pixar has since released other films that didn’t perform as well.

Black Adam (2022)

As a huge cinema fan, I’ve always felt DC has chased Marvel, but never quite caught up when it comes to consistently delivering hit movies. Honestly, Black Adam felt like a missed opportunity. It was clearly a passion project for The Rock, but it didn’t feel like the kind of film DC needed to turn things around. While it definitely made money at the box office, it just didn’t seem to be enough to really break their streak of underperforming films.

Despite earning a significant $393 million worldwide, Black Adam didn’t make a profit because it cost over $260 million to produce (according to Box Office Mojo). Deadline suggested marketing deals might have helped it break even, but ultimately, the film’s performance in theaters was a major disappointment.

The Mummy (2017)

Universal Pictures has tried several times to launch a new monster movie series, but 2017’s The Mummy was a particularly disappointing effort. While starring Tom Cruise and aiming for the action-adventure style of the early 2000s Mummy films with Brendan Fraser, it ended up being a predictable and uninspired movie.

Despite earning $410 million worldwide, the movie still lost around $95 million due to its high $195 million production cost (according to Box Office Mojo and Deadline). Similarly, the 2014 film Dracula Untold only made a small profit and failed to launch a series. The Mummy was expected to be a big success, but even Tom Cruise’s popularity couldn’t save it.

Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Despite earning over $500 million worldwide, Transformers: The Last Knight was considered a failure, highlighting how expensive big-budget Hollywood films have become. The movie received very poor reviews – only a 16% rating on Rotten Tomatoes – and was packed with lengthy CGI sequences and complicated, technical dialogue. Ultimately, it was typical of many large-scale action films.

Despite earning $605 million worldwide with a $200 million production cost, The Last Knight actually cost Paramount $100 million, according to MovieWeb. However, this significant loss didn’t hurt the overall Transformers franchise, which quickly recovered with later films. Large box office successes often help to offset losses in the film industry.

2025-11-24 01:31