List of U.S. box office bombs

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The following is a partial list of U.S. box office bombs, films with low box office revenue.

A film's financial success is often measured by its gross revenue. Ideally, studios want a film's "domestic" (which the American film industry defines as the United States and Canada) box office gross revenue to exceed production costs. Only rarely do films become profitable based on domestic revenue alone. Typically, the exhibiting theater keeps 45% of the gross and the remainder is paid to the studio as the rental fee. However, if a film has a high domestic gross in relation to its production and marketing costs, it will almost certainly turn a profit once revenue from other sources is included. During the 1980s the performance of a film on its opening weekend became crucial to the perception of its profitability. Films that had a poor opening weekend were often dropped quickly by cinemas.

[edit] How a film becomes a "box office bomb"

A film that recoups production and marketing costs can be considered a success. If a film fails to recoup those costs by a significant margin, it is referred to as a box office bomb. However, international distribution, sales to television syndication, and home video releases as well as revenue from other sources (such as toy merchandizing) often mean some films considered domestic "box office bombs" in North America do make a profit for their studios, sometimes years after the film's release. For example, Head, a 1968 film featuring The Monkees, was a flop that became profitable for the studio years later when its cult film status led to its sale to Rhino Entertainment and its re-release in various video formats. The popularity (and profitability) of DVD sales has increased this trend significantly, leading many to doubt the significance of domestic grosses as a predictor of a film's overall success.

Different genres of film are subject to different standards of success. For example, action movies typically have higher production and promotion costs than love stories. Typically, the most notorious flops are summer blockbusters, which often entail huge costs to produce and face a highly competitive market. Advertising costs are not included in a movie's production costs, and can make a bomb's failure all the more crushing for the studio.

[edit] Films that pushed studios into financial ruin

In the most dramatic cases, a film's poor performance can push a studio into financial ruin, as happened with United Artists (Heaven's Gate), Carolco Pictures (Cutthroat Island), and Square Pictures (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within).

[edit] Impact on the film's cast and crew

Most box office bombs are not career-ending for the film's main cast and crew. Ishtar was a notorious bomb but the careers of both its stars, Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, continued with little noticeable affect. Jude Law has appeared in a series of major flops including the 2004 remake Alfie and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, but is still cast in leading roles.

[edit] The size of a bomb in terms of net loss sustained or by loss percentage

The size of a box office "bomb" can be determined by either the net loss sustained, or by a loss percentage (1 - gross revenue/production costs). By using these two measurements, the biggest U.S. box office bombs listed below are (respectively) Alexander (2004) with a net loss of $120,702,809, and Zyzzyx Road (2006) with a loss percentage of 99.9985% of production costs. Considering worldwide box office sales, the biggest loser was The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) with a net loss of $95,588,898.

Contents
0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Films with a Domestic gross less than 10% of budget, highlighted.

[edit] 0–9

[edit] A

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen [1]	1988	$40,000,000	$8,083,123	20.2%
The Adventures of Pluto Nash [2]	2002	$100,000,000	$4,411,102	4.4%
The Alamo [3]	2004	$95,000,000	$22,414,961	23.6%
Alexander [4]	2004	$155,000,000	$34,297,191	22.1%
Around the World in 80 Days [5]	2004	$110,000,000	$24,008,137	21.8%
Arthur and the Invisibles [6]	2006	$86,000,000	$14,244,764	16.6%
The Avengers [7]	1998	$60,000,000	$23,322,832	38.9%

[edit] B

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever	2002	$70,000,000	$14,294,842	20.4%
Basic Instinct 2	2006	$70,000,000	$5,851,188	7.2%
Battlefield Earth	2000	$73,000,000	$21,471,685	29.4%
Bee Season	2005	$14,000,000	$1,180,560	8.4%
Bloodrayne	2006	$25,000,000	$2,400,000	9.6%
The Blue Bird	1976	$12,000,000	$887,000	7.3%
The Bonfire of the Vanities	1990	$47,000,000	$15,700,000	33.4%
The Boondock Saints	2000	$6,000,000	$30,471	0.5%
The Bridge of San Luis Rey	2005	$24,000,000	$49,981	0.21%

[edit] C

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Can't Stop the Music	1980	$20,000,000	$2,000,000	10%
Catwoman	2004	$100,000,000	$40,202,379	40.2%
The Caveman's Valentine	2001	$13,500,000	$687,194	5.1%
Chasing Liberty	2004	$23,000,000	$12,195,626	53%
The Chronicles of Riddick	2004	$105,000,000	$57,761,012	55%
Cleopatra	1963	$44,000,000	$26,000,000	59%
The Core	2003	$74,000,000	$31,111,260	41.8%
Cradle Will Rock	1999	$32,000,000	$2,899,970	8.7%
Cutthroat Island	1995	$92,000,000	$10,017,322	10.8%
Crash	1996	$10,000,000	$3,000,000	30%

[edit] D

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Daylight	1996	$80,000,000	$32,885,565	40%
Death to Smoochy	2002	$50,000,000	$8,364,691	16.7%
Dirty[8]	2006	$3,000,000	$274,245	9.1%
Dragonfly	2002	$75,000,000	$30,063,805	40%
D-Tox	2002	$55,000,000	$79,161	0.14%
Driven	2001	$72,000,000	$32,616,869	44%
Dudley Do-Right	1999	$70,000,000	$9,974,410	14.2%
Dune	1984	$45,000,000	$27,400,000	60%

[edit] E

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Edtv	1999	$80,000,000	$22,431,897	28.0%

[edit] F

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within	2001	$137,000,000	$32,131,830	23.3%
Flushed Away	2006	$149,000,000	$64,459,316	43.3%
Flyboys	2006	$60,000,000	$13,090,630	21.8%
From Justin to Kelly	2003	$12,000,000	$4,922,166	41.6%
The Fountain	2006	$35,000,000	$9,968,387	28.5%
The Four Feathers	2003	$80,000,000	$18,306,166	22.5%

[edit] G

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Gigli	2003	$54,000,000	$6,068,735	11.1%
Glitter	2001	$22,000,000	$4,273,372	18.1%
Get Carter	2000	$40,000,000	$14,967,182	37.5%
Get Rich or Die Tryin'	2005	$40,000,000	$30,984,537	77.5%
Gods and Generals	2003	$56,000,000	$13,006,000	23.2%
A Good Year	2006	$35,000,000	$7,460,000	24.6%

[edit] H

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Hart's War	2002	$70,000,000	$19,076,815	27.1%
Heaven's Gate	1980	$44,000,000	$3,484,331	7.9%
Hollywood Ending	2002	$16,000,000	$4,839,383	31.5%
The House of the Spirits	1994	$40,000,000	$6,265,311	15.6%
Howard the Duck	1986	$30,000,000	$16,295,136	53.3%
Hudson Hawk	1991	$65,000,000	$17,218,080	26.1%
Hurlyburly	1998	$15,000,000	$1,798,862	12.0%

[edit] I

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Inchon	1981	$46,000,000	$5,200,986	11.3%
Intolerable Cruelty	2003	$60,000,000	$35,096,190	58.3%
Ishtar	1987	$40,000,000	$14,375,181	35.9%
The Island	1980	$22,000,000	$10,000,000	45.4%
The Island	2005	$122,200,000	$35,799,026	29.2%

[edit] J

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Jade	1995	$50,000,000	$9,795,017	19.6%
Jakob the Liar	1999	$15,000,000	$4,956,401	33.0%
Jersey Girl	2004	$35,000,000	$25,266,129	72.2%
Josie and the Pussycats	2001	$22,000,000	$14,252,830	64.8%
Judge Dredd	1995	$90,000,000	$34,694,000	38.5%

[edit] K

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
K-19: The Widowmaker	2002	$100,000,000	$35,168,677	35.1%
King Arthur	2004	$90,000,000	$51,882,244	57.6%
Kingdom of Heaven	2005	$130,000,000	$47,396,698	36.5%

[edit] L

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
The Last Castle	2001	$60,000,000	$18,208,078	30.3%
Legend	1985	$24,000,000	$15,000,000	62.5%
Love's Labour's Lost	2000	$13,000,000	$299,792	2.3%
Lucky Numbers	2000	$65,000,000	$10,014,234	15.4%

[edit] M

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Mad City[9]	1997	$50,000,000	$10,541,523	21.1%
The Majestic	2001	$72,000,000	$27,796,042	38.6%
Maximum Overdrive	1986	$10,000,000	$7,000,000	70.0%
Meet Joe Black	1998	$90,000,000	$44,606,335	49.6%
Meet the Deedles	1996	$24,000,000	$4,308,981	18.0%
Memoirs of an Invisible Man	1992	$40,000,000	$14,358,033	35.9%
Mighty Joe Young	1998	$90,000,000	$50,632,037	56.3%
Mini's First Time	2006	$6,000,000	$49,034	0.8%
The Molly Maguires	1970	$11,000,000	$1,100,000	10.0%
Monument Ave.	1998	$11,000,000	$333,760	3.0%
My Big Fat Independent Movie	2005	$3,000,000	$4,655[10]	1.55%

[edit] N

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
New York Minute	2004	$30,000,000	$14,045,006	46.8%
No Good Deed	2003	$12,000,000	$181,600	1.5%
North	1994	$40,000,000	$7,138,449	17.8%
Nothing But Trouble	1991	$40,000,000	$8,479,793	21.2%

[edit] O

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
The OH in Ohio	2006	$5,000,000	$418,689	8.3%
Once Upon a Time in America	1984	$30,000,000	$5,300,000	17.7%
One Night Stand	1997	$24,000,000	$2,618,335	10.9%
Osmosis Jones	2001	$75,000,000	$13,596,911	18.1%

[edit] P

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer	2006	$60,000,000	$2,208,939	3.7%
Pirates	1986	$40,000,000	$1,650,000	4.1%
The Postman	1997	$80,000,000	$17,593,391	22%

[edit] Q

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Queen of the Damned	2002	$35,000,000	$30,336,800	86.7%

[edit] R

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Red Planet	2000	$75,000,000	$17,473,245	23.3%
Ride with the Devil	1999	$35,000,000	$630,779	1.8%
Rollerball	2002	$70,000,000	$18,990,542	27.1%

[edit] S

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
The Scarlet Letter	1995	$50,000,000	$10,000,000	20%
Scorched	2003	$7,000,000	$8,000	0.001%
Screamers	1995	$20,000,000	$6,000,000	30%
Serenity	2005	$40,000,000	$25,514,517	62.5%
Shade	2004	$10,000,000	$25,032	0.25%
Shanghai Surprise	1986	$17,000,000	$2,315,683	13.6%
The 6th Day	2000	$82,000,000	$34,543,700	42.1%
Showgirls	1995	$45,000,000	$20,302,961	45.1%
Slither	2006	$29,500,000[11]	$12,489,254	42.3%
Solaris	2002	$47,000,000	$14,970,038	31.9%
Soldier	1998	$75,000,000	$14,623,082	19.5%
Sorcerer	1977	$22,000,000	$10,000,000	45.5%
A Sound of Thunder	2005	$80,000,000	$1,900,451	2.4%
Speed 2: Cruise Control	1997	$160,000,000	$48,068,396	30.0%
Star Trek: Nemesis	2002	$70,000,000	$43,119,879	61.6%
The Statement	2003	$27,000,000	$765,637	2.8%
Stay	2005	$50,000,000	$3,626,883	7.3 %
Stealth	2005	$138,000,000	$31,704,416	23.0%
Steel	1997	$16,000,000	$1,710,972	10.7%
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker	2006	$40,000,000	$652,526	1.6%
The Stupids	1996	$25,000,000	$2,415,593	9.7%
Swept Away	2002	$10,000,000	$598,645	6.0%

[edit] T

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Thirteen Days	2000	$80,000,000	$34,566,746	43.2%
3000 Miles to Graceland	2001	$62,000,000	$15,738,632	25.4%
The 13th Warrior	1999	$85,000,000	$32,694,788	38.5%
Thunderbirds	2004	$57,000,000	$6,880,917	12.1%
Town & Country	2001	$90,000,000	$6,810,050	7.6%
Treasure Planet	2002	$140,000,000	$38,120,554	27.2%

[edit] U

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
U Turn	1997	$19,000,000	$6,633,400	34.9%
Undiscovered	2005	$9,000,000	$1,069,318	11.9%

[edit] W

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Waterworld	1995	$175,000,000	$88,246,220	50.4%
Waterloo	1970	$25,000,000	$1,400,000	5.6%
Welcome to Mooseport	2004	$26,000,000	$14,470,947	55.7%
The Whole Ten Yards	2004	$40,000,000	$16,323,969	40.8%
Windtalkers	2001	$115,000,000	$40,911,830	35.6%
Wing Commander	1999	$30,000,000	$11,576,087	38.6%
The Wiz	1978	$24,000,000	$13,000,000	54.2%
Wyatt Earp	1994	$63,000,000	$25,052,000	39.8%

[edit] X

[edit] Y

[edit] Z

Title	Year	Budget	Domestic Gross	% of budget
Zabriskie Point	1970	$7,000,000	$900,000	12.9%
Zathura	2005	$65,000,000	$28,045,540	43.1%
Zyzzyx Road	2006	$2,000,000	$30	0.0015%

[edit] References

• Box Office Mojo, a source of movie production cost, domestic and worldwide grosses.

[edit] See also

• Box office bomb
• Blockbuster motion picture
• Films considered the worst ever

[edit] External links

• The Numbers - Movie Budgets, movie budgets page from The Numbers. Contains charts of biggest money-making and money-losing movies.
• Movies that were box office bombs - Boston.com