Top 10 Movie Bombs of 2024 (So Far)

WatchMojo

These movies failed to connect with audiences and it cost the studios a lot of money! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 box office bombs of 2024 so far.

Transcript

00:00 "I can't even believe what's happening to me!"

00:02 "Stop whining!"

00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 box office bombs

00:08 of 2024 so far.

00:10 We'll only look at movies released between January and May with confirmed budgets.

00:13 And while numbers may change, a movie is typically a bomb when it fails to double its production

00:17 cost.

00:18 Beware of minor spoilers ahead.

00:20 "God, your futures were almost so different."

00:25 Number 10.

00:27 Abigail

00:28 "If you behave and do as we say, like Pinkie promised you, it'll all be over soon."

00:34 "Joey?"

00:35 "Yeah?"

00:36 "I'm sorry about what's gonna happen to you."

00:40 In this offbeat horror film, a group of criminals are hired to capture who they believe to be

00:44 a preteen ballerina, but they soon discover that they've actually taken a vampire that's

00:49 hundreds of years old, and happens to be a great dancer.

00:51 The film's humor and over-the-top practical effects were both applauded.

00:55 "Okay, how do we kill a vampire?"

00:57 "What are we talking about, like an Anne Rice or a True Blood, you know, Twilight?"

01:01 Unfortunately, neither the carnage or the comedy were enough to scare up a large audience.

01:05 It's estimated that the movie will lose somewhere around $10 to $15 million.

01:10 Although Abigail left a coffin lid open to allow for future sequels, lackluster financial

01:14 returns may have put a stake in this franchise before it ever got time to shine.

01:18 "What can I say?

01:19 I like playing with my food."

01:21 Number 9.

01:22 ISS

01:23 "Hey guys."

01:24 "Wait a minute, what the hell is going on down there?"

01:27 What would an international group of astronauts do if they saw Earth being consumed by nuclear

01:32 war while they were in space?

01:33 This compelling question was at the center of the ambitious sci-fi film, ISS.

01:37 "The Russians got the same orders as us.

01:40 And they just struck first."

01:42 "Struck first."

01:43 Despite having a star-studded cast and earning solid reviews, the movie failed to reach box

01:48 office heights.

01:49 ISS is currently poised to lose around $21 million.

01:53 Industry experts pointed out that it may have been prematurely doomed by its tough release

01:56 window.

01:57 ISS took flight in the rough box office market of January, only a week after the action-packed

02:02 Beekeeper and crowd-pleasing Mean Girls made their debuts.

02:05 In the end, external factors may have caused the film to get lost in space.

02:08 "We gotta get out to the Kupova.

02:10 Now, guys.

02:11 Get out.

02:12 Get out now."

02:14 Number 8.

02:15 Challengers

02:16 "You need to start winning.

02:17 Right now you're getting crushed by guys like the Marié."

02:22 It didn't take long for the story of a steamy love triangle between three talented tennis

02:26 players to become a social media sensation.

02:29 Fans praised the tension-filled scenes between Zendaya and her co-stars and the movie's

02:33 breathtaking conclusion.

02:34 So, why couldn't Challengers net a big box office win?

02:44 Since the film's original August 2023 release was pushed back twice due to strikes, it's

02:48 possible that general moviegoers weren't sure when it would premiere.

02:52 It's also possible that people became tired of seeing the same preview run in front of

02:56 other films for over a year.

02:58 Challengers is still likely to find success and more fans on streaming services, but its

03:02 studio might walk away from the box office court over $20 million poorer.

03:11 Number 7.

03:12 The Book of Clarence

03:13 "Clarence, you are guilty of the crime of fraud for your own ill-gotten gains."

03:18 By earning just over $6 million against a budget of $40 million, this comedy-drama became

03:23 a failure of biblical proportions.

03:25 The Book of Clarence may have gone unread by moviegoers due to its boundary-pushing

03:29 plot.

03:30 At the beginning of this period film, we learn the titular character is struggling to make

03:33 a living in first-century Jerusalem.

03:35 After learning that a man named Jesus was attracting fame and followers, Clarence tries

03:39 to convince people that he's a prophet too.

03:48 The presence of religious satire may have kept audiences from giving the film a chance.

03:52 It didn't help that Book of Clarence was released during a crowded weekend in January.

03:57 Unfortunately, the religious risk didn't lead to reward this time around.

04:05 Number 6.

04:06 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

04:12 Most of the critics and moviegoers who saw this Guy Ritchie production were quite pleased

04:15 with the final result.

04:17 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare revolved around an actual top-secret military operation

04:21 that was conducted during World War II.

04:23 While it did exaggerate certain details, viewers didn't mind.

04:27 After all, megastars like Henry Cavill, Isa Gonzales, Alan Richson, and more were along

04:32 for the ride.

04:33 The stacked talent behind the camera didn't translate to big box office returns.

04:41 It never came close to earning back its budget and could end up losing the studio upwards

04:45 of $90 million.

04:47 For one reason or another, this war-themed film will go down in the history books as

04:51 one of 2024's biggest flops.

05:02 Number 5.

05:03 Madame Web

05:04 Shortly after audiences first heard a sample of the superhero tale's questionable dialogue,

05:08 they predicted this movie wouldn't do too well at the box office.

05:18 This pop-culture prophecy came to pass when Madame Web debuted in February.

05:22 Outside of its odd lines, the film was criticized for its thin characters, confusing plot mechanics,

05:28 and a lackluster villain.

05:35 When bad word of mouse spread prior to its release, some moviegoers asked for refunds

05:40 before going to the theater.

05:41 The web of bad press squashed this Spider-Man spin-off's chances at having a normal box

05:45 office run.

05:46 It's estimated that the movie will lose anywhere between $59 million and $99 million

05:51 in the very near future.

05:57 Number 4.

05:58 If

05:59 While the bulk of this kids' film's cast is imaginary, its box office failure is unfortunately

06:08 all too real.

06:09 If's $110 million budget allowed the filmmakers to create a world filled with fantastical

06:14 creatures that need help from an unlikely duo in order to find homes.

06:18 Additionally, the production's cost allowed them to hire an incredible voice cast.

06:27 The presence of vocal veterans like Steve Carell and Awkwafina and Hollywood legends

06:34 like George Clooney seemed promising.

06:36 Unfortunately, If received middling reviews from critics before being widely ignored by

06:40 general moviegoers.

06:41 While final numbers are still yet to be determined, It could end up fumbling over $100 million

06:46 If seemingly failed to spark imagination or financial success.

06:54 Number 3.

06:55 The Fall Guy

07:03 Ryan Gosling's action comedy had a lot going for it.

07:06 His chemistry with Emily Blunt was evident from the first trailer.

07:09 Since the movie also centers around a stuntman stumbling onto a crime conspiracy, The Fall

07:13 Guy did justice to each one of its action scenes.

07:15 The crew was even able to set a Guinness World Record for most car-canon roles during production.

07:20 But the combined might of all of The Fall Guy's thrills and laughs wasn't enough

07:23 to fill seats.

07:33 Despite a lack of direct competition, the action comedy fell far short of expectations.

07:37 It had a hugely disappointing debut and didn't gain much traction after that.

07:42 By the time the dust settles, it could take a $130 million hit.

07:54 Number 2.

07:55 Furiosa - A Mad Max Saga

08:00 This prequel seemed to have a lot of momentum behind it.

08:03 Furiosa - A Mad Max Saga had a great lead character, plenty of twists, and a lot of

08:08 thrilling action.

08:09 Critics and audiences alike agreed that the prequel was an absolute return to form for

08:13 the franchise.

08:14 Right when it seemed the prequel would cruise to the top, it crashed and burned at the box

08:18 office.

08:22 As of May 2024, it was staring down the barrel of a loss of at least $200 million.

08:27 It's unclear why audiences didn't show up in droves for Furiosa, but if the film can't

08:32 find a way to come back, it'll be one of the biggest losers of the box office race.

08:57 Number 1.

09:03 Argyle

09:10 Thanks to a cast overstuffed with A-listers and tons of CGI, this spy thriller's budget

09:15 ballooned to a hefty $200 million.

09:18 The chances of it making a profit deflated once the first round of reviews went public.

09:22 Although the central mystery of the movie revolved around the true identity of Argyle,

09:26 critics didn't like how the story unfolded.

09:28 The movie was ridiculed for having a series of increasingly hard-to-swallow twists.

09:33 Additionally, the lack of chemistry between the leads and lame jokes held the thriller

09:44 back.

09:45 Audiences were a lot less willing to gamble on the weak spy movie than the studio was.

09:49 As a result, Argyle could lose over $300 million.

09:52 We probably won't see this spy go on another mission.

10:06 Did any of these box office bombs deserve better?

10:09 Let us know which ones need redemption in the comments.

10:25 Thanks for watching.

10:34 (upbeat music)

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