24 blockbusters that didn't live up to expectations and failed at the box office (25 photos)

Every time a movie studio releases a new blockbuster, they hope it will become a big hit or even spawn its own franchise. However, the film business is a big risk, and many films end up barely recouping their budget, while others completely fail hopelessly at the box office. Here are 24 major projects that did not live up to expectations and were quickly forgotten by the audience.





1. Max Payne (2008)



Mark Wahlberg stars in a lackluster and pointless film adaptation of the iconic video game that trades many of the source material's iconic elements for CGI Valkyries.

2. Darkness Rising (2007)





The creators of Dark Rising hoped to grow it into a new Harry Potter-style young adult franchise, but alas, it lacked the magic that would entice audiences to go to the movies to make this very expensive mistake.

3. Deliver us from evil (2014)



Even the "based on a true story" label couldn't save this murky horror/procedural hybrid with a bad cast (Joel McHale as a knife-fighting detective?) from Sinister director Scott Derrickson.

4. The Lost World (2009)



The Will Ferrell movie seemed like it couldn't fail until his attempt to reboot Sid and Marty Krofft's adventure series for a new generation crashed after release.

5. City of Amber: Escape (2008)



Monster House creator Gil Kenan hoped to help develop Walden Media's next big franchise, but even Tom Hanks as a producer and Bill Murray as the lead couldn't bring audiences to theaters.

6. Losers (2010)



Before Idris Elba, Chris Evans and Zoe Saldana entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they tried their hand at this DC Comics shoot-em-up that failed to impress enough audiences to warrant a sequel.

7. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)



Having become famous for his role in the original version of The Office, Martin Freeman received an offer from Hollywood to play the lead role in the long-awaited adaptation of the beloved British novel, which, unfortunately, did not go over well with American audiences.

8. Spectral (2016)



One of Netflix's first major acquisitions from a rival studio, this big-budget film about soldiers versus spirits fell into obscurity almost as quickly as it hit the streaming service.

9. The Agents of U.N.C.L.E. (2015)



Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander were Hollywood's newest stars at the time, but even their collective ambition and Guy Ritchie's stylish direction couldn't keep this spy blockbuster afloat.

10. Whiteout (2009)



Kate Beckinsale's success with the Underworld franchise was not repeated with this snowy thriller, which was let down by marketers and trashed by critics.

11. Inkheart (2007)



Perhaps the nail in Brendan Fraser's coffin as a leading man was this disastrous film adaptation of Cornelia Funke's 2003 novel from New Line Cinema.

12. Sucker Punch (2011)



Zack Snyder's controversial action fantasy has been called both an unsung masterpiece and a fetishistic fiasco, but what it isn't exactly a box office success.

13. A Wrinkle in Time (2018)



Ava DuVernay and Walt Disney Pictures assembled an all-star cast to bring Madeleine L'Engle's novel to the screen, but the film struggled to make ends meet after a disappointing debut.

14. The Story of a Vampire (2009)



Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages... simply ignored this strange film adaptation of Darren Shen's popular book series starring John C. Reilly.

15. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)



With Steven Spielberg in the director's chair, Peter Jackson in the producer's chair (he was also set to direct the sequel), and a script written by Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish and Steven Moffat, the motion-capture animated adventure was loved by international audiences, but Poor domestic box office performance prevented Tintin from embarking on a new adventure.

16. Devotee (2014)



Lois Lowry's dystopian novel is firmly established in school curriculums across America, but "must read" doesn't mean "must see," even if the cast includes Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep and Taylor Swift.

17. Team "A" (2010)



Joe Carnahan was tasked with bringing together a modern A-Team in the 21st century, but due to a lame script and general indifference to the 30-year history, the film went largely unnoticed.

18. Excellence (2014)



Johnny Depp's star status is in doubt after he starred in a sci-fi film about artificial intelligence. Scientists racing to complete a project that could help their dying colleague retain his consciousness forever have failed spectacularly at the box office.

19. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)



Luc Besson hoped that Valerian, with its dazzling visuals and rising stars in the cast, would be another hit on the level of The Fifth Element, but all his ambitions ultimately collided with half-empty theaters.

20. Chronicles of Predatory Cities (2018)



Directed by Peter Jackson, this sci-fi film asked a tough question: Will audiences flock to theaters to see a film about shifting cities that hunt each other? Alas, the answer was no.

21. I, Alex Cross (2012)



This high-profile film was supposed to reintroduce writer James Patterson's famous character to a new generation, but it turned out that audiences were simply not ready to see good old Madea as a macho action hero.

22. Dilemma (2011)



Believe it or not, Ron Howard's cheating comedy starring Kevin James, Vince Vaughn and Winona Ryder was as perplexing to audiences in 2011 as it is today.

23. In the heart of the sea (2015)



Ron Howard's nautical action adventure about a doomed whaling ship starring Chris Hemsworth and Tom Holland unfortunately sank at the box office.

24. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)



In one of the most disastrous casting mistakes in history, Jake Gyllenhaal was cast as the lead in this bland video game adaptation that not only ruined a potential movie franchise, but even ruined the games themselves.