- 11 minutes ago
Not every trip to the stars is worth the ticket price. Join us as we count down the most disastrous box-office duds in science fiction history! Our countdown includes films like "Battlefield Earth," "Blade Runner," "Jupiter Ascending," "Mortal Engines," and more! Which of these sci-fi flops do you think deserved a better fate at the box office? Let us know in the comments below!
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:03Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most
00:07disastrous box office duds of the science fiction genre.
00:15Number 20. A Wrinkle in Time
00:18If we were a betting channel, we'd put our money on Ava DuVernay with this cast every time.
00:23Do you realize how many events and choices that had to occur since the birth of the universe
00:38leading to the making of you?
00:43Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling. Oh, and it's a wrinkle in time? Yeah,
00:49we totally see why Disney invested $100 million into this one. Sadly, that excitement didn't
00:54translate to ticket sales. The film suffered from soft reviews and disappointing audience
01:03turnout, with its final profits barely covering its production budget. And that's before you
01:08factor in marketing costs. Given the repertoire of talent involved, it's safe to say Disney
01:14expected much, much more.
01:16Your calculations. They gave us the universe.
01:24Number 19. Ender's Game
01:27At a time when YA dystopias were all the rage, Orson Scott Card's influential sci-fi series
01:34seemed like easy money. Top test scores in class, highest battle room ratings, but you
01:40have a habit of upsetting your commander. I find it hard to respect someone just because
01:44they outrank me, sir. Puts you in a difficult position, doesn't it?
01:48As it turned out, though, making a blockbuster was harder than pulling a popular book off
01:52the shelf. While reviews were solid, it wasn't enough to convince families Ender's Game had
01:57to be seen on the big screen. Maybe it was the marketing, maybe it was disinterest in
02:06the book, or maybe it was Scott Card's controversial public image. Regardless of the reason why,
02:12the movie couldn't make back its production budget in theaters, leaving hopes for a sequel
02:17lost in space.
02:18I won't play this game anymore. I quit.
02:25Number 18. Treasure Planet
02:27This one hurts. If any movie on this list deserve to play in packed theaters, it's Treasure Planet.
02:34You know what this means? It means that all that treasure is only a boat ride away.
02:39The sweeping, lush visuals are only matched by the film's massive beating heart. Alas,
02:45for one reason or another, it simply didn't attract the kind of audience it needed.
02:49I was never much good at games. I've always hated to lose.
02:57Considering the film's lengthy development and costly use of CGI, the poor returns stung
03:03especially hard. Treasure Planet's legacy endures on the merits of quality. But at the
03:08end of the day, we can't exactly blame Disney for dropping this brand like a hot potato.
03:12Was it worth it?
03:20I'm hoping it is, Jimbo. I most surely am.
03:25Looking for your own planet of treasure? Then scan this QR code and skedaddle on over
03:30to our 24-7 pop culture livestream.
03:32Oh, pirates! Don't get me started on pirates!
03:36Number 17. The Island of Dr. Moreau
03:39The writing for this one was on the wall long before it hit theatres.
03:42Are you a doctor? Are you a doctor?
03:45Well, I'm more like a vet.
03:46Beleaguered by one of the most notorious chaotic productions in cinematic history,
03:51The Island of Dr. Moreau was simply doomed. It was a total hot mess from top to bottom,
03:56with the final cut getting rightfully torn to shreds by both audiences and critics.
04:01I have seen the devil in my microscope, and I have chained him.
04:06Not even the all-star cast could save a reputation that bad. Nowadays, the movie is more remembered
04:12for its behind-the-scenes turmoil than its lackluster profits. It wasn't a box office hit by any means,
04:18but all things considered, that was the least of this movie's issues.
04:22Do not believe him! He is not the law!
04:25Number 16. Ghost in the Shell
04:28As a general rule of thumb, live-action adaptations of beloved anime properties should be approached
04:35with caution.
04:36Everyone around me seems to fit. They seem connected to something, something I'm not.
04:45It's like I have no past.
04:47So when this remake decided to whitewash its legendary main character with Scarlett Johansson,
04:53the controversy became the final nail in the coffin. 2017's Ghost in the Shell alienated
04:59its core fanbase, and proved to be too out there for newcomers, too.
05:03It feels like there's always this thick fog over my memory, and I can't see through it.
05:09You're lucky. Every single day I get screwed by my memories. It's better to be pure. Like you.
05:17So who did see it? A very small group, that's who. Not nearly enough to push the film into
05:23profitability. For an iconic franchise with decades of source material and fan support,
05:28it's baffling how poor this movie did.
05:30It was inevitable there would be failures. How many?
05:36Number 15. Mars Needs Moms
05:39Even Disney animation can stumble. Although calling Mars Needs Moms a mere stumble
05:44would be putting it lightly.
05:46Milo! My life would be so much better if I didn't have to be a nagging mom.
05:51Yeah, well, my life would be so much better if I didn't have a mom at all.
05:54Using cutting-edge motion capture technology, it told the story of a young boy rescuing his mom
06:00from aliens. You have to admire its ambition, even if the results were a bit too uncanny for general
06:05audiences. As a result, Mars Needs Moms couldn't cash in on the Disney audience,
06:10leaving it majorly wanting.
06:12Fact is, Mars Needs Moms.
06:21What the heck does that mean?
06:23Remember that cutting-edge technology we mentioned? Yeah, it wasn't cheap. And without viewer supports,
06:29Mars Needs Moms went down as one of Disney animation's biggest bombs of all time.
06:34No! I did this for you! I did this for all of you!
06:39Number 14. Zardoz.
06:42Okay, the giant floating stone head was probably the first sign this wasn't going to be conventional
06:47science fiction.
06:48I present now my story, full of mystery and intrigue.
06:53In Zardoz, Sean Connery stars as Zed, a warrior who finds himself in a futuristic society ruled by
07:00immortal elites. The film is remembered for its strange imagery, especially Connery's unforgettable
07:06red costume. Unfortunately, the hubbub didn't attract much in terms of real interest, and the
07:17head-scratcher wound up a commercial disappointment. For what it's worth, the over-the-top weirdness has
07:23made it a staple at midnight fan screenings. It doesn't rescue it from being a box office bomb,
07:28but it's something.
07:35Number 13. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
07:39Visually, there's almost nothing else like Valerian. Now, if only the finances backed it up.
07:45Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy, easy. We're late. Yeah, well, better late than dead.
07:48To make matters worse, this adaptation of the legendary French comic series was one of the
07:53most expensive independent films ever made. Critics appreciated the effort, but bemoaned the bloated
07:59story and uninteresting characters, leading to weak receipts.
08:02Do you have any idea where we're going?
08:04Yeah, sure. I mean, I guess.
08:09You're sure, or you guess?
08:11Although Valerian performed modestly in overseas markets, it fizzled out in North America,
08:16leading to a dismal total at the end of the day. Apparently, even a thousand planets aren't enough
08:21to guarantee a hit in Hollywood.
08:23How about we look at the memo one last time?
08:27Can't hurt.
08:28Number 12. Escape from L.A.
08:31Sometimes, bigger really isn't better. Fifteen years after Escape from New York became a cult
08:36classic, Kurt Russell returned to the eyepatch-wearing Snake for a much larger sequel.
08:41Somehow, Cuervo Jones managed to tap into the VR master databank. Utopia was lonely,
08:47looking for something to believe in, and so he used her to steal the black box.
08:52Sad story. You gotta smoke.
08:55This time, Los Angeles had become an island prison, giving director John Carpenter plenty
08:59of opportunities for explosions, satire, and deliberately outrageous set pieces.
09:04Audiences weren't nearly as interested in Snake's comeback, though.
09:08You can't kill him!
09:10I have to.
09:11Made for an estimated $50 million, Escape from L.A. earned only around half that worldwide.
09:18Its campy excesses eventually found some fans, but at least financially, the sequel was what
09:24you'd call majorly disappointing.
09:26Last chance, Hotshot.
09:27For what?
09:29Freedom's up.
09:30In America?
09:32I died a long time ago.
09:35Number 11. Tomorrowland.
09:37Say what you will, but Disney put their money where their mouth is.
09:41The future can be scary.
09:45Unstable governments.
09:48Overpopulation.
09:49Wars on every continent.
09:51Famine.
09:53Water shortages.
09:54Environmental collapse.
09:56And scientific breakthroughs.
09:58Wonder and beauty.
09:59Could you please just stop interrupting?
10:01They poured over $200 million into Tomorrowland with hopes that the sci-fi epic could become
10:07a new shiny tentpole blockbuster.
10:09Instead, it seriously imploded.
10:12Directed by Brad Bird and starring George Clooney, the film followed a teenager drawn into a mysterious
10:17world hidden from ordinary society.
10:20I'm sorry, what can I fix?
10:22The world, Miss Newton.
10:25He thinks you can fix the world.
10:27If it sounds a bit cliche, that's because it is.
10:31As many critics pointed out in their middling reviews.
10:33Audiences never fully embraced it, either.
10:36And it shows in the profits.
10:38Or the lack thereof.
10:40Tomorrowland made far less than it needed to break even, let alone make a profit.
10:44Well, I guess technically I am more qualified.
10:47Are you?
10:48How so?
10:50Because unlike you, I'm an optimist.
10:5410.
10:55John Carter
10:55Given that its source material was written by the man who created Tarzan, it's surprising
11:01that it took so long for an adaptation of this pulp sci-fi story.
11:07Where the hell am I?
11:09Even so, the books were quite influential on numerous other stories throughout the 20th
11:14century.
11:15Maybe that's why audiences found the plot relatively formulaic, even if its source material
11:20helped create the formula.
11:22No!
11:23John Carter!
11:25You can't!
11:26Whatever the reason, John Carter struggled to recoup its production budget of $263 million,
11:32only making $284 million worldwide.
11:36When you factor in advertising, John Carter ended up being one of the most expensive movies
11:40ever made, and Disney lost money on it.
11:43You're a poor damn man, give me one!
11:489.
11:49Gemini Man
11:50Will Smith has always been a big name at the box office, but even he can't save everything.
11:56Gemini Man follows an assassin pursued by a younger clone of himself.
12:01If that sounds like a generic action movie from the 90s, that's because that's how
12:05long ago the script for this one was shopped around waiting for technology to reach the
12:10point it could be properly made.
12:11And although the effects are indeed fairly impressive, the tired premise didn't draw
12:16people in.
12:17Particularly domestically, where Gemini Man grossed an unimpressive $48 million.
12:22It's overall earnings of $173 million were better, but against a budget of $138 million.
12:29The movie still faced losses.
12:31We guess it was its own worst enemy.
12:348.
12:35Annihilation
12:35This sci-fi horror film follows a team of scientists who investigate an area whose plants
12:40and animals have been infected by alien influence.
12:43Volunteering for this, it's not exactly something you do if your life is in perfect harmony.
12:50Although well-received by critics, audiences were less enthusiastic.
12:54They clearly put their money where their mouths were, too.
12:57Since Annihilation barely made back its $40 million budget by earning $43 million worldwide,
13:02and with additional costs factored in, that's definitely not a success.
13:06I wouldn't like that at all.
13:07The movie was distributed partially online internationally on Netflix a month after its release.
13:14And although this probably didn't hurt its gross too much, it probably didn't help either.
13:18And I'm fine going on my own.
13:20You just need to decide whether you're coming with me or not.
13:247.
13:25Dune
13:26Based on the influential sci-fi novel of the same name, Dune may have featured an all-star
13:31cast and been helmed by a well-known director, the legendary David Lynch.
13:35But audiences and critics alike soundly rejected the movie, with most finding it an incomprehensible
13:41mess.
13:49And even fans of the book left scratching their heads.
13:56Dune's $40 million price tag was a bit too steep since its earnings fell shy by about
14:01$10 million.
14:02Despite everyone's best efforts and a later cult following, neither the Spice nor the
14:08Prophets managed to flow.
14:10They defend the Spice Sands.
14:13As to their relationship with the Spice, who knows?
14:196.
14:20Jupiter Ascending
14:21The Wachowskis are no strangers to sci-fi epics.
14:25But this original outing of theirs failed to live up to their other work.
14:29You begged me to do it!
14:32I am not your damn mother.
14:34Following a young woman who discovers she is the heir to an intergalactic empire, and
14:39her attempts to save Earth, Jupiter Ascending has been roundly criticized for its awkward
14:43dialogue, disjointed plot, and campy acting.
14:47And those criticisms?
14:49Translated to a poor performance at the box office.
14:53$176 million went into its budget, and after a paltry $47 million in domestic earnings,
14:58the film only ascended to $183 million in its worldwide gross.
15:03I create life, and I destroy it.
15:105.
15:11Mortal Engines
15:12Based on the book series of the same name, Mortal Engines is set in a post-apocalyptic world
15:17with huge, motorized cities, and follows a conspiracy in Mobile London.
15:22They don't know what they're playing with.
15:24Fire.
15:25Director Peter Jackson has been lauded for his previous book-to-screen adaptations.
15:29Well, some of them.
15:31But this is easily the most costly in losses.
15:34With a budget estimated between $100 and $150 million, plus post-production and marketing
15:39costs, Mortal Engines pulled in $83 million at the box office.
15:45This lost the studio many tens of millions, and made the film not just one of the biggest
15:51sci-fi box office bombs, but a giant fail of any genre.
15:55In the great game of survival, this is checkmate.
15:594.
16:00Blade Runner
16:01Although this cyberpunk detective film about a hunter of androids has since been hailed as
16:06a masterpiece, and as one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, its initial reception was
16:11much more lukewarm, with audiences disliking its relatively slow and thoughtful pace.
16:22Its box office returns barely exceeded its $30 million budget.
16:31Sadly, its sequel Blade Runner 2049 would follow in its footsteps 35 years later and become
16:37another flop.
16:38With many of the same box office issues, despite critical praise, all those potential profits
16:44lost in time.
16:45Like tears in rain.
16:523.
16:53Battlefield Earth
16:54An adaptation of a book by Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard was always going to be a risky
17:00proposition, and it turned out that the financial risk was not worth the reward.
17:04What do you know about gods?
17:08Battlefield Earth follows a group of humans rebelling against alien overlords in the future,
17:13yet its generic premise has rarely been received quite so poorly, with critics lambasting
17:18the film's hammy acting and preponderance of Dutch-angle camera shots.
17:23It was hardly surprising that it failed to recoup its $73 million budget, only managing to
17:28earn $29 million at the box office.
17:39This legendary bomb even led to the collapse of its production company, although falsely
17:44overstating the budget to investors was also a prime factor.
17:512.
17:53Supernova
17:53It's never a good sign when a director disowns a movie and asks to have their name removed
17:58from the credits.
18:01Despite a decent cast and effects, Supernova is yet another spaceship-encounters evil force,
18:07leading to lots of death movie, which was all too common in the 90s.
18:11Audiences were evidently tired of them too, since the film only earned just shy of $15 million
18:17in theaters.
18:24That's what's called in the business, not so good.
18:27Considering its $90 million budget, Supernova proved as explosive as its namesake, but not
18:34in the cool way.
18:42Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
18:46All of your favorite videos in one place, 24-7.
18:50Always on, always live.
18:52Are you not entertained?!
18:55Number 1.
18:56The Adventures of Pluto Nash
18:58This is your all-timer right here.
19:01The Adventures of Pluto Nash is an infamous film about a nightclub owner, on the moon,
19:06who fights against the mafia.
19:07You have to shoot around your boy!
19:09It's easier to shoot through him.
19:11Nooo!
19:12Shut up!
19:14Now, there's a pitch.
19:16Critically panned, and the subject of mockery since its release, Pluto Nash is also one of
19:21the biggest bombs in box office history, making only around $7 million against its $100 million budget.
19:31Perfect.
19:32While the big budget's influence can definitely be seen on screen with the special effects,
19:37the writing, and the acting were simply not up to snuff.
19:41Welcome to Flop City, population Pluto Nash.
19:44Oh great, so I'll just sit here and blow up.
19:48Shall I?
19:51Which of these movies deserved a successful run in theaters?
19:55Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.