List of films: U.S. box office bombs
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The following is a partial list of U.S. box office bombs, films with low box office revenue.
Studios almost always make films to make money. One measure of the success of a film is to look at the budget of the movie and then see what the gross income of that film was. Studios expect that a film's "domestic" (which the film industry defines as the United States and Canada) box office gross revenue will exceed production costs.
If it recoups this cost, then it can be considered a success; otherwise if it fails to do so by a significant margin, it is referred to as a box office bomb, even though international distribution, sales to television syndication, and home video releases often mean many films considered flops in North America eventually make a profit for their studios. For example, Head, a 1968 film featuring The Monkees, was a flop which became profitable for the studio years later when its cult film status led to its sale to Rhino Entertainment and its re-release in various video formats.
Different genres of film are subject to different standards of success. For example, action movies typically have higher production and promotion costs than love stories. Typically, the most notorious flops are summer blockbusters, which often entail huge costs to produce and face a highly competitive market. Advertising costs are not included in a movie's production costs, and can make a bomb's failure all the more crushing for the studio.
In the most dramatic cases, a film's poor performance can push a studio into financial ruin, as happened with United Artists (Heaven's Gate), Carolco Pictures (Cutthroat Island), and Square Pictures (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within).
During the 1980s the performance of a film on its opening weekend became crucial to its perception with a film suffering a poor opening weekend often being dropped by cinemas. With the growth of internet chat rooms and websites such as Ain't-it-Cool-News negative word of mouth about productions became more common from the start of production.
Most flops are not career-ending for the film's main cast and crew. Duck Soup for example, a critical and box-office flop in 1933, got the Marx Brothers fired from Paramount Pictures, yet two years later, with help from Irving Thalberg, they starred in the successful A Night at the Opera and "Duck Soup" has become one of the most regarded of the Marx Brothers' films. "Ishtar" was a notorious flop but both its stars Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman recovered their careers. Jude Law has appeared in a series of major flops including the 2004 remake "Alfie" but is still able to be cast in leading roles.
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0-9
- 102 Dalmatians (2000)
- Budget: $85,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $66,941,559
- Budget: $85,000,000
A
- The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen (1988)
- Budget: $40,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $8,083,123
- Budget: $40,000,000
- The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
- Budget: $100,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $4,411,102
- Budget: $100,000,000
- Alexander (2004)
- Budget: $155,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $34,297,191 (as of March 2, 2005)
- Worldwide Gross: $159,697,191 (as of March 2, 2005)
- Budget: $155,000,000
- Alfie (2004)
- Budget: $60,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $13,000,000 (as of March 2, 2005)
- Worldwide Gross: $6,000,000 (as of March 2, 2005)
- Budget: $60,000,000
- Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
- Budget: $110,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $24,008,137 (as of October 4, 2004)
- Budget: $110,000,000
- The Avengers (2002)
- Budget: $60,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $23,322,832
- Budget: $60,000,000
B
- Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
- Budget: $70,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $14,294,842
- Budget: $70,000,000
- Battlefield Earth (2000)
- Budget: $73,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $21,471,685
- Worldwide gross: $29,725,663
- Budget: $73,000,000
C
- The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- Budget: $109,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $100,446,895
- Budget: $109,000,000
- Chasing Liberty (2004)
- Budget: $23,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $12,195,626
- Budget: $23,000,000
- The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
- Budget: $105,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $57,712,751 (to date: October 4, 2004)
- Budget: $105,000,000
- Cutthroat Island (1995)
- Budget: $92,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $11,000,000
- Budget: $92,000,000
D
- Duck Soup (1933)
- Budget:
- U.S. Gross:
- Budget:
- Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
- Budget: $35,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $15,185,241
- Budget: $35,000,000
E
- Enemy at the Gates (2001)
- Budget: $70,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $51,396,781
- Budget: $70,000,000
- Event Horizon (1997)
- Budget: $60,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $26,616,590
- Budget: $60,000,000
- Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
- Budget: $40,000,000 (completed Paul Schrader version)
- Budget: $50,000,000 (reshot Renny Harlin version)
- U.S. Gross: $18,175,000 (as of Aug 22, 2004)
F
- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
- Budget: $137,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $32,131,830
- Budget: $137,000,000
- From Justin to Kelly (2003)
- Budget: $12,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $4,922,166
- Budget: $12,000,000
- The Four Feathers (2003)
- Budget: $80,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $18,306,166
- Budget: $80,000,000
G
- Gods and Generals (2003)
- Budget: $56,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $13,006,000
- Budget: $56,000,000
H
- Hart's War (2002)
- Budget: $70,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $19,076,815
- Budget: $70,000,000
- Heaven's Gate (1980)
- Budget: $44,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $1,500,000
- Budget: $44,000,000
- Hollywood Ending (2002)
- Budget: $16,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $4,839,383
- Budget: $16,000,000
- Howard the Duck (1986)
- Budget: $30,000,000
- U.S. Gross $16,295,136
- Budget: $30,000,000
- Hudson Hawk (1991)
- Budget: $65,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $17,218,080
- Budget: $65,000,000
I
- Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
- Budget: $60,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $35,096,190
- Budget: $60,000,000
J
- Jack Frost (1998)
- Budget: $50,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $34,545,030
- Budget: $50,000,000
- Jakob the Liar (1999)
- Budget: $15,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $4,956,401
- Budget: $15,000,000
- Jersey Girl (2004)
- Budget: $35,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $25,266,129
- Budget: $35,000,000
- Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
- Budget: $22,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $14,252,830
- Budget: $22,000,000
- Judge Dredd (1995)
- Budget: $90,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $34,694,000
- Budget: $90,000,000
K
- K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
- Budget: $100,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $35,168,677
- Budget: $100,000,000
- King Arthur (2004)
- Budget: $120,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $50,767,976 (to date: Aug 20, 2004)
- Worldwide Gross: $71,143,000 (to date: Aug 20, 2004)
- Budget: $120,000,000
L
- The Last Castle (2001)
- Budget: $60,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $18,208,078
- Budget: $60,000,000
- Last Action Hero (1993)
- Budget: $85,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $50,016,394
- Budget: $85,000,000
- Lost in Space (1998)
- Budget: $80,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $69,102,910
- Budget: $80,000,000
M
- The Majestic (2001)
- Budget: $72,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $27,796,042
- Budget: $72,000,000
- Man on the Moon (1999)
- Budget: $52,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $34,580,635
- Budget: $52,000,000
- The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
- Budget: $80,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $65,432,569 (as of October 4, 2004)
- Budget: $80,000,000
- Meet Joe Black (1998)
- Budget: $90,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $44,606,335
- Budget: $90,000,000
- Meet the Deedles (1996)
- Budget: $24,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $4,308,981
- Budget: $24,000,000
N
- New York Minute (2004)
- Budget: $30,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $14,045,006
- Budget: $30,000,000
O
- Osmosis Jones (2001)
- Budget: $75,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $13,596,911
- Budget: $75,000,000
P
- The Postman (1997)
- Budget: $80,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $17,593,391
- Budget: $80,000,000
Q
R
- Red Planet (2000)
- Budget: $75,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $17,473,245
- Budget: $75,000,000
- Ride with the Devil (1999)
- Budget: $35,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $630,779
- Budget: $35,000,000
- Rollerball (2002)
- Budget: $70,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $18,990,542
- Budget: $70,000,000
S
- Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
- Budget: $110,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $48,068,396
- Budget: $110,000,000
- Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
- Budget: $70,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $43,119,879
- Budget: $70,000,000
- The Stupids (1996)
- Budget: $25,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $2,415,593
- Budget: $25,000,000
- Swept Away (2002)
- Budget: $10,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $598,645
- Budget: $10,000,000
T
- Thirteen Days (2000)
- Budget: $80,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $34,566,746
- Budget: $80,000,000
- Thunderbirds (2004)
- Budget: $57,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $6,700,870 (to date: Aug 20, 2004)
- Budget: $57,000,000
- Town & Country (2001)
- Budget: $90,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $6,810,050
- Budget: $90,000,000
- Treasure Planet (2002)
- Budget: $140,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $38,120,554
- Budget: $140,000,000
U
V
W
- Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
- Budget: $26,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $14,470,947
- Budget: $26,000,000
- Waterworld (1995)
- Budget: $175,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $88,246,220
- Worldwide gross: $255,200,000
- Budget: $175,000,000
- The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
- Budget: $40,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $16,323,969
- Budget: $40,000,000
- Wild Wild West (1999)
- Budget: $170,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $113,745,408
- Budget: $170,000,000
- Wing Commander (1999)
- Budget: $30,000,000
- U.S. Gross: $11,576,087
- Budget: $30,000,000
X
Y
Z
See also
- Blockbuster motion picture
- List of movies generating losses
- List of movies that have been considered the worst ever
External links
- Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/), a movie database containing financial information