22 unexpected box office bombs

Some films are produced with enormous budgets, with studios expecting massive returns, yet they end up as major financial disappointments. Pixars 2025 animated feature Elio was labeled catastrophic for the studio, highlighting the decline in its box office dominance after years of success.

In 2019, Joker became a global hit, grossing over $1 billion and earning Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award. However, its 2024 sequel, Joker: Folie Deux, earned only a fifth of the originals revenue, joining a list of high-budget films that audiences surprisingly ignored.

Pixar faced a similar setback. After a decade of dominating box offices, the release of Elio in June 2025 earned only $154 million worldwide, marking the studios lowest non-pandemic opening and overall gross by $64 million. The films story about a lonely boy abducted by aliens failed to attract viewers, with a debut weekend of just $20.84 millionlower than Toy Storys opening in 1995. Industry sources described the films financial performance as catastrophic.

Warner Bros. also faced losses with Joker: Folie Deux, which earned around $200 million against high expectations. The sequel received a rare D rating from CinemaScore, signaling strong audience dissatisfaction. Variety estimates the studios losses ranged from $125 to $200 million.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe encountered its first major setback with 2023s The Marvels. Despite Disneys franchise success, the films $65 million opening led to a reported $237 million loss.

Other historical box office failures include:

• Ali (2001) Will Smiths biopic of Muhammad Ali cost $118 million to produce but earned just $87.8 million worldwide, leaving Sony with losses over $100 million.
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) DreamWorks lost $125 million on the animated adventure despite its star-studded cast.
• Alexander (2004) The epic historical film featuring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie reportedly lost $71 million.
• Around the World in 80 Days (2004) Jackie Chans adventure adaptation earned $72 million against a $110 million budget.
• Stealth (2005) Navy pilot action film lost at least $56 million.
• Sahara (2005) Starring Matthew McConaughey, the treasure-hunting film lost $78 million.
• Poseidon (2006) Kurt Russell disaster movie lost an estimated $69 million.
• Evan Almighty (2007) The Noahs Ark comedy lost around $50 million.
• Hugo (2011) Martin Scorseses film went $80 million over budget and lost the same amount.
• Green Lantern (2011) The superhero movie lost approximately $75 million despite Ryan Reynolds star power.
• Pan (2015) The Peter Pan reboot reportedly lost up to $150 million due to poor reception and controversial casting.
• Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) Sequel to Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland lost about $70 million.
• The BFG (2016) Steven Spielbergs adaptation lost an estimated $90 million.
• King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) The historical fantasy grossed only $148 million on a $175 million budget, losing around $150 million.
• Justice League (2017) Warner Bros. faced losses between $50 and $100 million on the superhero ensemble.
• A Wrinkle in Time (2018) Disney lost between $86 million and $186 million on the sci-fi fantasy adaptation.
• Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) Ron Howards installment made $392 million on a $275 million budget, losing $76 million.
• Cats (2019) The musical adaptation lost $71113 million, despite its Broadway success.
• Dolittle (2020) Robert Downey Jr.s family film needed $500 million to break even but earned only half, marking a major flop for Universal.

Even with big budgets and famous casts, many films fail to meet expectations, proving that box office success is never guaranteed.

Author: Sophia Brooks