The biggest box-office flop every year since the ‘70s

Gabbi ShawMay 31, 2024, 21:42 IST

"The Marvels," starring Brie Larson, was a huge flop for Disney.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

For every box-office smash, there are disappointments that cost studios millions of dollars.
This year is shaping up to be a rough one for Hollywood, with many films underperforming.

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" made box-office history last summer, but for every hit movie there's a flop or two waiting to happen.

And so far, 2024 is shaping up to be a worrying year for Hollywood. Some anticipated hits, such as "The Fall Guy," failed to meet box-office expectations, while "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" made a dismal $32 million its opening weekend, the worst Memorial Day for the box office in nearly 30 years, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

But they're not the first films in movie history to flop. Whether critically panned movies like "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" or beloved cult classics like "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," these movies just could not find their audience ... and cost their studios exorbitant amounts of money.

Keep scrolling to find out if you remember the biggest box-office flops from the past 40+ years.

1978: "Sextette"

"Sextette" was the legendary Mae West's last film.Crown International Pictures

1979: "The Concorde... Airport '79"

"Concorde" is part of the "Airport" franchise.Universal Pictures

1980: "Heaven's Gate"

Heaven's Gate single-handedly shut down United Artists. United Artists

1981: "Honky Tonk Freeway"

"Honky Tonk Freeway."Universal Pictures

1982: "Inchon"

The film is based on the invasion of the South Korean port of Inchon.MGM/UA Entertainment Company

1983: "Krull"

"Krull."Columbia Pictures

1984: "The Cotton Club"

The movie is Nicolas Cage's fifth film credit ever.Orion Pictures

1985: "Revolution"

Al Pacino.Warner Bros.

1986: "Howard the Duck"

"Howard the Duck" was the first Marvel movie.Universal Pictures

1987: "Ishtar"

In recent years, "Ishtar" has become more popular.Columbia Pictures

1988: "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen"

A rare critically acclaimed flop.Columbia Pictures

1989: "Pink Cadillac"

Bernadette Peters and Clint Eastwood in "Pink Cadillac."Warner Bros.

1990: "The Bonfire of the Vanities"

Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis in "The Bonfire of the Vanities."Warner Bros.

1991: "Hudson Hawk"

Bruce Willis in "Hudson Hawk."TriStar Pictures

1992: "Hero"

Dustin Hoffman played the titular "Hero."Columbia Pictures

1993: "Addams Family Values"

Wednesday's storyline was a fan favorite.Getty Images/Paramount

1994: "North"

Dan Aykroyd, Elijah Wood, and Reba McEntire were just a small part of the A-list cast in "North."Columbia Pictures

1995: "Cutthroat Island"

"Cutthroat Island" held the Guinness World Record for "History's Biggest Box Office Bomb."Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

1996: "Mary Reilly"

John Malkovich and Julia Roberts as Henry Jekyll and Mary Reilly, respectively.Sony Pictures Releasing

1997: "The Postman"

Kevin Costner as the Postman.Warner Bros.

1998: "Beloved"

Yes, that's Oprah in the middle.Buena Vista Pictures

1999: "The 13th Warrior"

Antonio Banderas as Ahmad.Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

2000: "Titan A.E."

This film ended Fox Animation.Twentieth Century Fox

2001: "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within"

"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within."Columbia Pictures

2002: "The Adventures of Pluto Nash"

"The Adventures of Pluto Nash" kicked off a streak of disappointing Eddie Murphy movies.Warner Bros.

2003: "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas"

Brad Pitt voiced legendary pirate Sinbad.DreamWorks Distribution

2004: "The Alamo"

Billy Bob Thornton and Patrick Wilson as Davy Crockett and William Travis.Buena Vista Pictures

2005: "Stealth"

An A-list cast (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx) couldn't save this film.Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)

2006: "Poseidon"

"Poseidon."Warner Bros.

2007: "Evan Almighty"

"Evan Almighty" was not as popular as its predecessor, "Bruce Almighty."Universal Pictures

2008: "Speed Racer"

The Mach 5 is one of the most iconic cars in pop-culture history.Warner Bros.

2009: "Land of the Lost"

"Land of the Lost" is based on a '70s TV show.Universal Studios

2010: "The Nutcracker in 3D"

The titular Nutcracker prefers to be called NC.Cinemarket

2011: "Mars Needs Moms"

Motion-capture animation pushed this movie's budget up astronomically.Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2012: "John Carter"

"John Carter" was a starring vehicle for Taylor Kitsch.Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2013: "47 Ronin"

Keanu Reeves as Kai in "47 Ronin."Universal Pictures

2014: "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return"

"Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return."Clarius Entertainment

2015: "Pan"

Hugh Jackman and Levi Miller as Blackbeard and Peter Pan.Warner Bros.

2016: "Ben-Hur"

Morgan Freeman and Jack Huston as Ilderim and Judah Ben-Hur.Paramount Pictures

2017: "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword"

Charlie Hunnam as Arthur.Warner Bros.

2018: "Mortal Engines"

Hera Hilmar in "Mortal Engines."Universal Pictures

2019: "Playmobil: The Movie"

Daniel Radcliffe's character in "Playmobil: The Movie."STXfilms

2020: The box office as a whole

Robert Downey Jr in "Dolittle."Universal

2021: "Chaos Walking"

Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley starred in "Chaos Walking."Lionsgate

2022: "Strange World"

"Strange World" is one of the biggest flops in Disney's history.Walt Disney Animation

2023: "The Marvels"

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel in "The Marvels."Laura Radford/Marvel Studios

How Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's style has evolved since the '90s

Cookies on the Business Insider India website