Not every idea or story that makes it to the big screen ends up being a cinematic masterpiece. As the following movies will attest, some are downright flops that may harm or kill and actor’s reputation and most definitely cost the movie studios quite a bit of money. We are going to look at the ten biggest movie flops of all time. Take a look at the list, some you may be familiar with and others will be complete unknowns. Some actors are quite famous and yet, still were able to pull together a movie that apparently, no one wanted to watch. Or at least very few.
10. Town & Country (2001) – Total money lost: $95 million
Cast: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Garry Shandling. Directed by Peter Chelmson.
This romantic comedy follows the life of a successful New York architect who is involved in an affair with a younger woman. The movie took over three years to shoot primarily due to all the re-shoots. When the movie was finally released in 2001, it had received the Golden Rasberry award for worst director, worst supporting actor, and worst supporting actress.
9. Cutthroat Island (1995) – Total money lost: $96 million
Cast: Gina Davis, Matthew Modine, and Frank Langella. Directed by Reny Harlan.
Another romantic comedy set in 1668 in Jamaica. This movie was doomed from the start as there were constant re-writes and re-shoots that held up the production and cost the studio millions. It was poorly and unwisely recast several times and miserably marketed. Yet the musical score was widely praised and used for a video game that loosely followed the movie’s plot.
8. The 13th Warrior (1999) – Total money lost: $98 million
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Diane Venora, and Omar Sharif. Directed by John McTiernan.
This Nordic set tale loosely follows the story of Beowulf and was directed by the same man who directed “Die Hard” and “Predator” so it is hard to believe that this movie was such an abysmal failure. The release date was pushed back by more than a year due to re-cuts, a new ending, and a new score. In the end even the film’s title was changed but it could not escape the critics axe.
7. Green Lantern (2011) – Total money lost: $105 million
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and Peter Sarsgaard. Directed by Martin Campbell.
Based on the comic strip of the same name, this film was also plagued by re-writes, re-shoots, and changes to the story line. Despite test audiences that felt the main character was completely unlikeable, production continued. But out of this film came a video game and a roller coaster of the same name at Six Flags.
6. Speed Racer (2008) – Total money lost: $106 million
Cast: Emile Hirsh, Christina Ricci and John Goodman. Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski
Depite the Wachowski’s being responsible for the wonderfully received Matrix trilogy, this film did not live up to the hype. Based on the Japanese comic book of the same name, the movie has the dubious honor of having made audiences nauseous due to the fast speed of the scenes and the choppy cuts in the action, in addition to the bright lights and colors. It also ran afoul according to PETA, (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which certainly did not help it at the box office.
5. The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) – Total money lost: $113 million
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Randy Quaid, and Rosario Dawson. Directed by Ron Underwood.
The mere mention of this film in Hollywood causes celebrities and movie producers to clam up. It has become synonymous with a bloated hollywood failure. This science fiction comedy was originally conceived in the 1980’s but did not make it to a Hollywood set until 2000 after which it sat on a studio shelf until its release two years later. It definitively ended Eddie Murphy’s career as a leading man.
4. The Alamo (2004) – Total money lost: $119 million
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jason Patric. Directed by John Lee Hancock.
The film is set in1836 in the Mexican State of Coahuila y Tejas. This film took the directorial view that it would relate both the American and Mexican side of the battle whereas the film of 1960 by the same name starring John Wayne, took the traditional path of the American point of view. The historical quote of actual battle at The Alamo, (Never forget!) was exactly what viewers did upon seeing the film – that is those that actually went to the theaters to see it.
3. Sahara (2005) – Total money lost: $121 million
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penelope Cruz. Directed by Breck Eisner.
This action-comedy adventure film is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Clive Cussler. Interestingly, the movie opened at number one at the box office and in its opening weekend grossed $18 million. But the film had a huge budget, due to being shot in the desert, that could not be recouped at the box office. Even the author Cussler was able to successfully sue the filmmakers.
2. Mars Needs Moms (2011) – Total money lost: $136 million
Cast: Seth Green, Dan Fogler, and Elisabeth Harnois. Directed by Simon Wells.
This Disney 3D motion capture computer-animated science fiction, comedy film was based on the book of the same name by Berkeley Breathed. Motion capture computer animation is the same process used in the hugely successful Avatar. But in this film, it was a huge critical and financial flop. Most people have never heard of the movie, as evidenced by the fact that so few people actually saw it.
1. John Carter (2012) – Total money lost: $200 million
Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Samantha Morton. Directed by Andrew Stanton.
Another Disney flop, this science fiction fantasy film was based on “A Princess of Mars”, the first book in the Barsoom series created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Weighed down by a ballooning budget and no positive responses from audiences, Disney did not even wait until the film left the theaters to announce that they thought it would lose over $200 million, and they were right.
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