Tinseltown spends a ton of cash each year on movies hoping they’ll be mega hits! With all that money and promotion, you’d think every movie would be a winner. But nope! Sometimes, even the biggest stars and fanciest effects can’t make a movie a success. Get ready for a look at some real movie duds that lost millions!
20. Mars Needs Moms
Ouch! “Mars Needs Moms” wasn’t a hit at the movies. It only made $39 million around the world, but it cost a whopping $150 million to make! That means they lost over $100 million! Bummer!
19. Shazam: Fury of the Gods
The movie received mixed reviews from critics, who considered it inferior to its predecessor. Estimated loss: 122 million
18. Light year
Lightyear did alright for a movie, bringing in $226 million around the world! But for a big movie from Pixar, that wasn’t quite enough. They needed way more to cover all the costs, and they ended up losing over $100 million in the end. Bummer!
17. Monster Trucks
Monster Trucks wasn’t exactly a hit. Making a movie with monster trucks sounded cool, but it seems like things got confusing during filming and advertising. In the end, the movie only made a little bit of money, but it cost a whole lot to make – like $125 million! That means they lost over $100 million. Ouch!
16. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
Uh oh! This DreamWorks adventure movie wasn’t a smash hit. It had some tough competition and didn’t bring in enough money at the theaters. In the end, they lost over $100 million! Bummer!
15. Terminator: Dark Fate
Terminator tried to blow things up again in 2019 with a new movie that followed right after Terminator 2: Judgment Day, pretending all the other Terminator movies never happened. It was directed by Tim Miller, but this time robots and explosions weren’t enough to win over audiences. The movie didn’t make enough money to cover its costs, and they ended up losing over $100 million! Ouch!
14. The Matrix Resurrections
The new Matrix movie, “The Matrix Resurrections,” wasn’t a huge hit at the theaters. It even came out on HBO Max at the same time! Even though it made $159 million around the world, it wasn’t enough to cover all the costs of making the movie. In the end, they lost over $100 million.
13. A Wrinkle in Time
Big stars weren’t enough to save this movie! Even though it had Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Chris Pine, not enough people went to see it in theaters. They lost over $100 million in the end. Bummer!
12. Wish
A young girl named Asha wishes on a star and gets a more direct answer than she bargained for when a trouble-making star comes down from the sky to join her. The film received bad reviews and grossed roughly 255 million worldwide on a production budget of 200 million. Estimated loss: 131 million.
11. John Carter
John Carter wasn’t a hit movie, even though it cost a ton of money to make! It was one of the most expensive movies ever, but the story and all the special effects were kinda confusing for audiences. In the end, not enough people went to see it, and Disney even had to cancel a whole bunch of other planned movies based on the same story. They lost over $100 million on John Carter alone! Oofta!
10. Moonfall
Moonfall aimed for the stars but landed with a thud! This sci-fi disaster movie, by the same director who brought us Independence Day and 2012, cost a ton of money to make – like $138 million! Unfortunately, the movie wasn’t a hit, and they lost over $100 million in the end. Bummer!
09. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
This movie was a super expensive flop! It cost a whopping $300 million to make, but the critics and moviegoers didn’t love it. In the end, they lost over $100 million! Ouch!
08. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
This movie swung for the fences and struck out. It was supposed to be the first of a whole series, six movies in all! But it didn’t do well enough in theaters, and Warner Bros. lost a ton of money – over $150 million! So that was the end of that!
07. Battleship
Battleship! The board game is a classic, but the movie…not so much. Even though it had cool actors like Alexander Skarsgard, Liam Neeson, and Rihanna, the critics and moviegoers gave it a thumbs down. In the end, the movie sunk like a battleship, losing over $150 million! Bummer!
06. Jungle Cruise
This movie was a super expensive gamble that didn’t pay off. It cost a ton of money to make, way more than $500 million! They needed people to pack the theaters to make back all that cash, but it just didn’t happen. In the end, they lost over $150 million! Bummer!
05. The Flash
The Flash couldn’t quite catch a lightning bolt! This superhero movie had a rough time from the start, with delays, behind-the-scenes drama, and even changing actors. In the end, it became the biggest superhero movie flop ever, losing over $150 million! Ouch!
04. The Lone Ranger
This Western movie with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer wasn’t a hit. Folks who watch movies (critics) weren’t big fans, and it didn’t make nearly enough money. They lost over $100 million in the end!
03. Mortal Engines
This movie, “Mortal Engines,” had a cool steampunk world and starred Hera Hilmar and Hugo Weaving, but it wasn’t a hit. Even though it looked amazing, not enough people went to see it in theaters. In the end, they lost over $175 million! Bummer!
02. Strange World
The film grossed only $73.5 million at the worldwide box office, against its massive production and marketing costs. This resulted in an estimated total loss of $197 million for Disney.]
01. The Marvels
Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe. “The Marvels” grossed $206.1 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing film in the MCU and one of the few MCU films not to break even in its theatrical run. Estimated loss: 237 million.