Hollywood dreams don't always translate to box office success! Join us as we count down the most spectacular financial failures to hit theaters in recent years. From superhero flops to franchise disappointments, these films had all the ingredients for success but still managed to lose studios millions of dollars.
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00:00You should see it out there. They're all going crazy for you.
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo and today, we're counting down our picks for the biggest box office flops of the last decade.
00:11Some spoilers will be mentioned, so this is your official warning.
00:15Oh, we need you to figure this out, otherwise we're doomed.
00:20Number 10, Madam Web.
00:21This is 210 with a 42-year-old female, Code 3.
00:25Cassia lost the pulse from starting compressions now.
00:27Ben, what are you even doing back there?
00:29Oh, you want to come take over? I can drive.
00:31There's not going room temp on my wife.
00:33As a franchise, Spider-Man has usually done well at the box office, with the live-action and animated versions netting hundreds of millions.
00:41Madam Web, unfortunately, didn't see the same success.
00:44Based on the origin story of supporting character Cassandra Web, it was the studio's attempt at expanding the universe.
00:50Leading up to its wide theatrical release, a wave of negative reviews from critics rippled throughout the fanbase.
00:56As a result, countless pre-order tickets were cancelled before it even premiered.
01:01It opened to disappointing numbers, and things didn't get better from there.
01:04When all was said and done, it just barely recouped its budget.
01:11It didn't even crack 50 million dollars in the U.S., making it a flop in every sense of the word.
01:20Who says we like you now?
01:22Number 9. Strange World
01:23Hey, Dad! What about these plants? There's literally power surging through them.
01:27Huh?
01:28Well, Searcher, I do love your inquisitive spirit, but our crew didn't come all this way just to get distracted by some sparkly plants.
01:34Some movies seem to have all the odds stacked against them.
01:39Between the COVID-19 pandemic, a lack of advertising, and backlash to inclusive characters, Strange World never had a fighting chance.
01:44It's in your blood. Hmm. He kinda looks like you. Except for...
01:54Hey, Diazo!
01:55Centered around a family of explorers tasked with saving their society's energy source, the film was initially thought to do well, with many predictions quoting a minimum of 30 million dollars for its opening weekend. It missed that mark.
02:10Not even making half of its projected amount.
02:17The numbers didn't get much better from there, leading to the studio losing nearly 200 million dollars.
02:22It performed better on the show.
02:23It performed better on the show.
02:24No!
02:25Hey, Diazo!
02:26Centered around a family of explorers tasked with saving their society's energy source, the film was initially thought to do well, with many predictions quoting a minimum of 30 million dollars for its opening weekend.
02:35It missed that mark, not even making half of its projected amount.
02:39It performed better on Disney+, although streaming might have been partly why families didn't see the film in theaters.
02:45Alright, next stop. No power, cold coffee, and angry masses. Who's ready to go home?
02:51Number 8, Cats.
03:00With the original stage show making billions during its tenure, you'd think that the film adaptation would do similarly well.
03:06That wasn't the case at all for Cats.
03:08Though the cast was stacked with popular musicians and actors, it wasn't enough to distract from the underwhelming visuals and music seen in the trailers.
03:13The final result wasn't much better, with audience numbers dropping significantly each weekend after its premiere.
03:20The lackluster product combined with a gargantuan competitor releasing at the same time ultimately sealed its fate.
03:25When the smoke cleared, Cats was a bona fide bomb, falling short of recouping its budget by almost 20 million dollars.
03:37The net loss was even more shocking, making it one of the worst performing movies of 2019.
03:52You bow and taking off your hat.
03:59Number 7, Joker Fully Adele.
04:01You got a joke for me today?
04:03The first film in this ill-fated series managed to defy all expectations and become one of the highest grossing releases of 2019.
04:07The sequel did the same but in the opposite direction.
04:24Despite casting Lady Gaga and having an established fanbase, Joker Fully Adele was a financial disaster.
04:30Originally predicted to easily clear the 100 million mark in its first weekend, that estimation dropped by a significant amount each passing week.
04:38Lost my heart, but what of it?
04:42She is cold, I agree.
04:51Eventually, it was revealed that it hadn't even cleared 40 million dollars, a fraction of what was once projected.
04:57To break even, it was supposed to earn at least 375 million dollars, missing that mark significantly.
05:03It was a shocking fall from grace, continuing a downward trend for DC.
05:07All we had was the fantasy and you gave up.
05:11Number 6, The Flash.
05:19For some films, the writing is on the wall when it comes to their financial success.
05:23With all the controversy surrounding Ezra Miller and their criminal antics in the year leading up to the release of The Flash,
05:29it seemed clear to many that the repercussions would show in the box office results.
05:33I have to leave.
05:35Okay.
05:36Just grossing under 110 million dollars in the United States and Canada,
05:40it was clear that the projections would be even worse than people had originally thought.
05:44My version of reality, I ended up interning at the Central City Crime Lab in my freshman year.
05:49That's where it happened.
05:51Well, it happened.
05:52Tonight, September 29th, the accident that gives me my powers.
05:55And if you're not there, it's 30 minutes.
05:59Then you won't get the powers.
06:02Warner Brothers was predicted to have lost a staggering 200 million dollars when all was said and done,
06:08with the only saving grace being its release in IMAX theaters.
06:12Even with that slight padding, it still had the third highest sophomore drop in the genre's history.
06:38Hey, hey, hey.
06:39Don't think about them.
06:40Okay, calm down.
06:41We're just gonna start with those guys over there.
06:42And yeah, they're Kryptonian and we won't be able to kill them, but we can slow them down for her.
06:46One at a time.
06:495.
06:50Borderlands
06:51I'm getting too old for this sh**.
06:54Mountie hunting?
06:55It's for the young and stupid, am I right?
06:58You really want me to answer that?
07:01I do not.
07:02You think a film adaptation of a beloved video game series would be a box office cheat code?
07:07Yet, Borderlands barely made back a quarter of its overall budget.
07:11I'm not a scumbag vault hunter.
07:13Actually, she's a scumbag bounty hunter.
07:15No, it's not my fault.
07:16You suck at your job.
07:18Whoever you are.
07:19Who are you?
07:20Commander Knox of the Crimson Lance.
07:21Critics and fans alike were disappointed with the lackluster interpretation of the game's concept and the poor utilization of the cast.
07:28As a result, their already abysmal numbers continue to decrease with each passing week.
07:33While Lionsgate suffered a loss of at least $20 million, the same couldn't be said for the game's developers.
07:39Ladies first.
07:41Don't mind if I do.
07:43Gearbox claimed they saw an increase in their overall sales despite the film's poor performance, making them the only winner in the entire situation.
07:52I have something a man like you will never have.
07:58Enough.
07:594. Dark Phoenix
08:01You are not broken.
08:03For the most part, X-Men has proven to be a valuable franchise.
08:07Since starting in the early 2000s, each new release was successful until this glaring exception.
08:13Strap in.
08:14We're headed home.
08:15Wait.
08:16Our commander.
08:17He's not here.
08:18He was in the airlock working on the thruster.
08:20The heat signature is rising fast.
08:25I can't turn it any longer.
08:27With the third highest budget in the series, it was clear that expectations for Dark Phoenix were high.
08:32They even projected an opening of $50 million, which they ended up missing by a significant amount.
08:38It was the first installment in the series to not top the box office, doing so poorly that it was pulled from over 1,600 theaters by its third week.
08:47This is what you wanted to show me?
08:49It was a huge fall from grace, causing the prequel series to go out with a whimper.
08:54You can't control it.
08:57If you kill me, you'll kill them all.
09:03Number 3.
09:04Megalopolis.
09:05Let us go whither the omens of the gods and the inequity of our enemies cause us.
09:13The die is now cast.
09:15To say this was a bomb would be an understatement.
09:17Francis Ford Coppola, known for legendary works like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, decided to put everything on the line, finally producing Megalopolis after decades of it being in development hell.
09:28You really must have been a rude and spoiled child.
09:33As you are now?
09:36So, do you still have your med school microscope?
09:40No, I sold it when I dropped out.
09:43Divide drops.
09:44He even provided a whopping $120 million of his own money to ensure it was made.
09:49Surrounded by injustice, so much suffering.
09:54It barely made a tenth of that, with the worldwide growths clocking in at just over $14 million.
10:00The interest simply wasn't there, even with a cast stacked with successful actors like Adam Driver and Laurence Fishburne.
10:07With all the years spent bringing it to fruition and a fortune loss, we can't help but wonder if it was worth it.
10:262. Snow White
10:36Predictions for this film's failure began long before it was even released.
10:39The first trailer alone had a staggering amount of dislikes, making it clear that it would have an uphill climb ahead.
10:45It didn't help that it's one of the studio's most expensive films to date, having to make at least $500 million to break even.
10:56It was already going to have trouble reaching that goal, even without the changes to fundamental aspects of the original and the controversial political views from its two biggest stars.
11:05Two factors that led to its eventual demise.
11:07Poised to lose nearly $100 million, this was Disney's true folly.
11:12It's time to restore our kingdom, follow me.
11:21Before we unveil our topic, there are a few honorable mentions.
11:24Mortal Engines
11:25The post-apocalyptic steampunk flick lost the studio almost $175 million.
11:31What are you waiting for?
11:32Come here.
11:33Come here.
11:34Come here.
11:35Come here.
11:36Come here.
11:37Dark Fate
11:38It flopped so hard that it ended the film franchise entirely.
11:39You know what would give meaning to his death?
11:44This will be very hard to explain to Alicia.
12:00It's a Terminator.
12:03Chaos walking.
12:04It made so little that the studio had to write it off as a loss.
12:07Todd, you gonna dock and sleep next door with my dad?
12:09I'm gonna see if I can get you some clean clothes and the two of you need to wash up.
12:13I don't need clean clothes.
12:14Yes.
12:15Yes, you do.
12:16The Crow.
12:17The remake didn't even make half of the original's opening numbers.
12:20I can't tell you.
12:21If you knew, you'd leave me.
12:26And if you left me, I'd die.
12:31If I left you, I'd already be dead.
12:34Kraven the Hunter.
12:36Did so poorly that it dropped from the box office top ten by week three.
12:40If you show weakness, you will give our enemies an opening.
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13:021.
13:03Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
13:06Pouring large amounts of money into a film is always a risk, even when it's part of a once beloved franchise.
13:12The fifth installment of the Indiana Jones series wasn't just the most expensive of the franchise.
13:17At almost $300 million in production alone, it's one of the most expensive films of all time.
13:22It's not yours.
13:23You stole it.
13:24Then you stole it.
13:25And then I stole it.
13:26It's called capitalism.
13:27The bid is $160.
13:28$160.
13:29$170.
13:30You should have stayed in New York.
13:31$170.
13:32You should have stayed out of Poland.
13:33$170.
13:34Anyone?
13:35Anyone?
13:36Going!
13:37Going!
13:38Gone!
13:39It needed to make at least twice that to break even and reach $800 million to profit.
13:44A goal the series hadn't surpassed even in its heyday.
13:47Did you know the Wright brothers?
13:49What?
13:50The Wright brothers.
13:51Orville and Wilbur.
13:52They invented the airplane.
13:53They lived in Indiana.
13:54Wilbur was born in Indiana.
13:56I'm not from Indiana, Teddy.
13:59And the Wright brothers were born during the Civil War.
14:02Oh, I thought maybe you went to school with them.
14:04Oh, come on, Indy.
14:07That was funny.
14:08Needless to say, it didn't even come close.
14:10Disney bore the brunt of the cost, losing $143 million in the process.
14:15If that isn't a sign to finally hang up Indy's whipping hat, we don't know what
14:20is.
14:21Hang on!
14:22Come on!
14:23Let's go!
14:25Give me the parachute!
14:28Hang on!
14:29Hang on!
14:30Hey, Danny!
14:32Hang on!
14:33Hang on!
14:34Hang on!
14:35Hang on!
14:36Hang on!
14:37Hang on!
14:38Hang on!
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14:40Hang on!
14:41Hang on!
14:42Hang on!
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14:45Hang on!
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14:47Hang on!
14:48Hang on!
14:49Hang on!
14:50Hang on!
14:51Hang on!
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15:00Hang on!
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15:05Hang on!
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15:11Hang on!
15:12Hang on!