A movie is considered to be a “box office failure” if it doesn’t make as much as it cost to produce. This is why spending a lot of money on a single movie is such a big gamble, and why the biggest box-office success stories are often the movies that are relatively cheap to make.
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Not all movies fail because they’re just plain bad. Sometimes they have bad luck when it comes to the competition or more technical issues like editing, poor audio, or studio interference that puts viewers off. All the following science fiction movies are considered box office bombs, but exactly why is a question for the ages.
8The Iron Giant (1999)
Warner Bros. doesn’t really dofull-length animation anymorepartly becauseThe Iron Giantfailed so badly. This was a critically acclaimed film adapted from a popular book that starred several big Hollywood names, and audiences loved it, but on closer inspection, it’s easy to see why it was doomed to fail.
A major issue was the marketing. Cartoons in North America still have to be for kids, so it was sold as a kid’s show when plenty of adults liked it just as much. Like many other good movies that suffered the same fate, a video release eventually gaveThe Iron Giantthe fanbase it deserves.
7Dune (1984)
Maybe not recognized for its greatness at the time, but 30 years of anime and open-world video games have raised the bar when it comes to shock value. Today, this adaptation ofDuneis recognized for some stunning work when it comes to costuming, set design, and special effects.
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David Lynch’sDuneis notorious for several reasons, most of which are negative, with the director himself declaring the production and filming process was a nightmare. Studio mandates also required that the movie fall under a certain run time and had to cover the entire novel, more or less. Given the scope of the story, that’s nigh impossible, and one of the reasons Denis Villeneuve cut his version into two parts.
6Dredd (2012)
Right from the start, this movie had to deal with the inevitable association with the 1995 filmJudge Dredd,which is a poor movie in every conventional sense. However, the two films have nothing to do with each other besides the title character. A serious, dystopian sci-fi movie,Dredd 2012getsthe special effects, action sequences, and occasional humorright where the previous movie flubbed it.
Karl Urban took on the role of Dredd and true to form, never removed the helmet. Lena Headey, the actor behind the equally vicious Cersei Lannister, played the organized crime lord Mama to sinister perfection. Video release helped this movie get the recognition it deserved, and it has evolved into a cult classic.
5Dark City (1998)
The story of the box office failureDark Citystarts in the marketing department. Too many movie producers were trying to get in on the neo-noir crime, adventure, and thriller craze thatThe Matrixhad started, and this is one of the good movies that got lost in this over-saturated mess. Another issue was thecompetition withTitanicthat came out on the same weekend.
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Critics recognized the film’s strengths, such as the cinematography, special effects, and set design. Fans ofThe Matrixfranchise need to see it if they haven’t already because the similarities are interesting, to say the least.
4The Thing (1982)
Horror was popular, so was science fiction,John Carpenter was a popular director, and yes, that’s Ennio Morricone composing the soundtrack. Put all that together, and it’s odd to think of the vintage classicThe Thingbeing a box-office failure in its time.
Forty years later it’s recognized as one of the era’s best movies, but in 1982 it was panned by critics as being too violent and visceral. Other than bad publicity, there was also some competition.The Thingwas in theaters at the same time asPoltergeist, E.T., Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, andAnnie.
3TRON (1982)
Disney was usually dependable for animated movies, so this was a weird deviation outside their usual wheelhouse. The marketing was also confusing, and the special effects were a poor mix of live action and cartoons, which didn’t look very appealing and hasn’t aged very well.
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TRONhas its problems as a movie, but it was too far ahead of its time, which is why it was a box office flop in its day. Watching it today, generations after video games became a common thing, it makes a lot more sense but anyone who lacks familiarity with computers or video games wouldn’t have a frame of reference for watchingTRON.
2Children Of Men (2006)
Perhaps toogritty, too brutal, and too honestfor the movie-going market at the time, few other movies that are considered to be “box office flops” get as many critical and fan accolades. That includes a few Academy Award nominations for screenplay, cinematography, and adaptation.
What went wrong included a theater run that was too short and preceded by little to no marketing. By the time most people read a review ofChildren of Menor heard about any of the awards that it was nominated for or won, it was already gone.
1Bladerunner 2049 (2017)
Of course, it had to fail at the box office after being a hit with critics and fans, just like the originalBladerunnerdid.Bladerunner 2049could be one of the best sequels ever made and received all kinds of love from both fans and critics, but this is a situation where cost is a hurdle the movie has to jump before making a profit.
This box office “failure” made $259.3 million internationally with a budget of about $185 million, so even though it made some money, it wasn’t sufficient to make it a success. The marketing campaign was also strange, at times being deliberately cryptic in certain promo materials while giving away key plot points in the trailer.
