10 expensive films that failed at the box office and 9 budget hits (20 photos)
Making a film is always a big risk, because there is no guarantee that critics will like it and will not fail at the box office. Sometimes even big names in the credits or being part of a famous franchise can't save a blockbuster. And sometimes it’s the other way around - the skill of directors and actors or skillful marketing can bring a film with a tiny budget commercial success. In this collection you will find examples of both situations. 
Let's start with films with huge budgets that failed at the box office.
1. Buzz Lightyear (2022) 
Production budget: US$218,768,299.
Box office: $200,000,000.
The film doesn't include most of the characters from the Toy Story franchise, and the concept was a bit confusing - here Buzz is not a toy, but the person on whom the toy Buzz was based. Considering all this, and the fact that Buzz was no longer voiced by Tim Allen, it's no surprise that this side-story did far worse than the main franchise films.
2. Jungle Cruise (2021) 
Production budget: $300,000,000
Box office: $210,469,803
With a star-studded cast and an action-packed plot, “Jungle Cruise” couldn't help but turn out to be expensive. Its release also came in the midst of Hollywood's pandemic-induced slump, which undoubtedly contributed to its failure at the box office. Another reason, according to some critics, is a "lack of originality", although the acting of Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson was praised by many.
3. Mulan (2020) 
Production budget: $200,000,000
Box office: $69,973,540
Disney's remake of Mulan has repeatedly been at the center of scandals, which largely doomed it to failure at the box office. From the film's star declaring his support for Hong Kong police during human rights protests to the "Boycott Mulan" hashtags on social media, the film was destined to flop at the box office.
4. The Matrix: Resurrection (2021) 
Production budget: $190,000,000
Box office: $159,197,755
Some attribute the film's failure at the box office to the decision to release it on HBO Max at the same time as in theaters, which naturally led to a decline in ticket sales. Others blame the film itself, claiming that "the Hollywood machine has sucked the life out of it."
5. I'm Blushing (2022) 
Production budget: $175,000,000
Box office: $10,964,971
This is a huge setback for Disney, especially since the film was quite well received by both critics and audiences. However, the massive box office was largely due to the decision to release it simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ streaming. Considering the COVID situation at the time, the decision was logical. However, Pixar employees were disappointed with this decision as they had hoped this film would be the studio's return to the big screen.
6. Forward (2019) 
Production budget: $200,000,000
Box office: $133,357,601
Although the film was liked by many, it did not exceed the studio's expectations. Many attribute its failure at the box office to poor marketing: the trailers seemed to ignore the plot and did not do justice to the deep emotional component of a very touching film. At the same time, it was positioned more as a film for children than for all ages, which definitely reduced interest in it.
7. John Carter (2012) 
Production Budget: $263,700,000
Box office: $282,778,100
There are a number of theories as to why this blockbuster failed to attract audiences. One of them is the lack of big names. Unlike most expensive films, John Carter cast mostly unknown actors, including Taylor Kitsch in the title role. The film's marketing campaign was also called "rotten". Some feel that the bland trailers and bland title failed to convey the film's message, which prevented audiences from becoming interested in it.
8. Chaos Walk (2021) 
Production budget: $100,000,000
Box office: $27,072,169
The strong cast failed to bring the film the expected financial success. One of the reasons for the film's failure and high costs was the messy script-writing process. It had so many different writers working on it over such a long period of time that by the time the draft was finished, it was so bad that it couldn't go into production - and it had already cost the creators $100 million.
9. Space Jam: The Next Generation (2021) 
Production budget: $150,000,000
Box office: $143,987,946
The sequel to the 1996 hit failed due to lack of interest from viewers and very poor reviews. Audiences and critics alike agreed that LeBron's acting was better than Michael Jordan's, but everything else about the film (and the general lack of demand for it) led to its failure.
10. West Side Story (2021) 
Production budget: $100,000,000
Box office: $74,826,329
Spielberg rarely makes mistakes, but financially the ambitious remake of West Side Story did not live up to expectations. In addition, the film as a whole did not arouse interest among audiences, and since reviews often said that it was “worse than the original,” the low box office receipts did not surprise anyone.
Here are the hits that didn't get in the way of a limited budget.
1. Mad Max (1979) 
Production budget: $200,000
Box office: $99,750,000
Mad Max is undoubtedly one of Hollywood's greatest achievements. With such a modest budget and such an intense script, the filmmakers had to put in a lot of effort. Director George Miller called the film's work "guerrilla filmmaking." “This meant we had to sweep the roads after accident scenes. Byron and I stayed overnight and swept the roads. This meant we mixed the film in an apartment we borrowed from a friend, and he cut the sound in the living room while I cut the picture in the kitchen.”
2. Paranormal Activity (2007) 
Production budget: $450,000
Box office: $194,183,034
How do you make a film so cheap? The answer is simple - make it in the style of home photography. That's exactly what Oren Peli did with Paranormal Activity, which became a seven-film franchise and was incredibly successful.
3. Musician (1993) 
Production budget: $7,000
Box office: $2,041,928
Robert Rodriguez's incredible rise to Hollywood stardom is one of cinema's greatest and most unique success stories. When he was a student, he made his first film, The Music Man, with the intention of selling it to the Latin American home video market. But when a Hollywood agent saw the film and recognized his talent, Columbia Pictures agreed to release it internationally. Every shot was perfect, making the film a huge success and spawning a sequel/remake, Desperado, and a third film, Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
4. Blair Witch: Coursework from Beyond (1999) 
Production budget: $600,000
Box office: $248,300,000
The Blair Witch Project is a true masterpiece of filmmaking and marketing. The excitement surrounding the film fueled rumors that the students from the film were indeed missing. One of the directors said that the police even called him with an offer to help find them. Realism contributed to the film's enormous success—even actress Heather Donahue's parents were worried about her when she was first cast.
5. Halloween (1978) 
Production budget: $325,000
Box office: $70,274,000
With only 20 days at his disposal and a tiny budget even for 1978, John Carpenter managed to make one of the most important slasher films in the history of cinema. Carpenter's style and a few budget-saving techniques (such as using the same fallen leaves day after day) made it possible to create this incredibly successful film for such a small amount of money.
6. Double Portion (2004) 
Production budget: $65,000
Box office: $22,233,808
When Morgan Spurlock began filming his documentary, in which he ate exclusively at McDonald's every day for a month, no one, including McDonald's, thought that the film would become such a sensation. But Morgan believed in the film from the beginning: "You're already invested in the movie just because you're interested in what happens to this guy."
The interest of people watching a man push his body to its limits is certainly something Morgan played on, and it helped him win Best Director at Sundance. The film was incredibly successful considering its low budget and very simple concept.
7. Rocky (1976) 
Production budget: $1,000,000
Box office: $225,000,000
There's an incredible story behind Sylvester Stallone's Oscar-winning film: Stallone turned down an offer to sell the script for $360,000 when he was broke because he wanted to star in the film himself. However, this turned out to be a fantastic decision because he was ultimately given a $1 million budget to make a film that would go on to perform well both at the box office and at the Oscars.
8. Obsessed (2012) 
Production budget: $1,000,000
Box office: $101,759,490
Taken followed Paranormal Activity in both style and marketing. The mockumentary style attracted fans of Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, largely due to the fact that Paramount followed the same strategy as Paranormal Activity. Horror fans flocked to the film and made Taken a financial success despite poor reviews from critics.
9. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) 
Production budget: $400,000.
Box office: $46,122,713
The success of Napoleon Dynamite is due to its naivety and originality, which helped it become a cult film soon after its release. The film was shot in just three weeks by recently graduated film students from Brigham Young University. Producer Jeremy Kuhn even borrowed money from his brother for filming. The film received a warm reception at Sundance, after which word of mouth and a clever marketing campaign helped it achieve financial success and become a cult classic.
