‘Nutcracker’ and 10 More of the Biggest Bombs in Box Office History (Photos)
Even though Disney is currently the king of the box office, they aren’t immune from a big misfire. With a $130 million budget and a $20 million opening “Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is shaping up to be one of 2018’s biggest bombs. But will it be as infamous as some of these all-time flops?
“Ishtar” (1987) — With reports of a rocky production and a budget that got way out of hand, critics and the Hollywood trades savaged Elaine May’s adventure comedy as it collapsed to just $14 million made. For years, it was considered one of the worst films ever made, but is now considered by some to be a stealth success.
“47 Ronin” (2013) — Though Keanu Reeves was on his game in the action scenes, this Japanese fantasy was panned for its story and cost Universal big as it failed to make back its $175 million budget.
“Cutthroat Island” (1995) – Geena Davis, still hot from “Thelma & Louise,” found her star diminished by this infamous pirate comedy that only made $10 million against a $98 million budget. The script, cast and footage were repeatedly overhauled, and this bomb convinced Hollywood that pirate movies were poison…until “Pirates of the Caribbean” came around eight years later.
“The Black Cauldron” (1985) – Known in animation history as the movie that nearly bankrupted Disney. With a then-animation record $44 million budget and Disney’s first ever PG rating, it was a big risk for Disney that failed to pay off with just $21 million grossed. Fortunately, Disney held on and went on to kick off their Renaissance with “The Little Mermaid” four years later.
“Treasure Planet” (2002) – On the other end of the Disney Renaissance was this labour of love from longtime Disney animators Ron Clements and John Musker. Sadly, this $140 million film supplanted “Black Cauldron” as Disney’s biggest flop with just $110 million grossed as families went to go see “Harry Potter” instead. Still, the film has earned a cult following among Disney buffs.
“Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” (2002) – Two months before “Treasure Planet” came this $70 million action film about dueling spies that only made $14 million. But unlike “Treasure Planet,” it was…and still is…known as one of the worst movies ever made.
“The Adventures of Pluto Nash” (2002) – Wow, 2002 had a lot of really bad bombs, didn’t it? Eddie Murphy appears on this list thanks to a $100 million sci-fi comedy that only made $7 million and cost Warner Bros. $131 million. Fortunately for WB, the “Harry Potter” films easily bailed them out.
“Gigli” (2003) – One of the most infamous movies ever made, one which launched ten thousand tabloid articles. With a $75 million budget and just $7 million grossed, it was an albatross around Ben Affleck’s neck until he won the Best Picture Oscar for “Argo” in 2012.
“Waterworld” (1995) – Maybe not one of the biggest flops, but certainly one of the most well-known. With a much-publicized troubled production which saw Kevin Costner take over as director, what was supposed to be a tentpole release for Universal ended up only making $262 million against an inflated $175 million budget that at the time made it one of the most expensive productions in Hollywood history.
“Heaven’s Gate” (1980) – This is the big one. A film that bombed so hard with just $3.5 million grossed that it led to the bankruptcy of one of Hollywood’s most well-known studios, United Artists, and destroyed director Michael Cimino’s reputation. But time has been kind to Cimino and “Heaven’s Gate,” with critics praising the film years later with an extended director’s cut being hailed as a masterwork.
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