In the world of filmmaking, success at the box office is never a guaranteed outcome, even when all the right elements seem to be in place. A movie can boast an intriguing premise, a talented cast, and high-quality direction, yet still fail to resonate with audiences when it hits theaters. These films often have promising prospects—whether they’re from seasoned directors or feature prominent actors—but for reasons both subtle and significant, they miss the mark commercially. Despite their potential, they become cautionary tales of how unpredictable audience tastes and market conditions can be.
The reasons behind these unexpected box office failures are often more complex than they seem. Timing can play a massive role. Marketing may also fail to clearly communicate a film’s appeal or generate the excitement needed to draw in a wide audience. In other cases, films that seem tailor-made for success fail to click with viewers due to tonal mismatches or even just an audience not quite ready for something different. This article takes a look at some of the major movies that should have been easy home runs, but instead, they struck out.
20 'The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part' (2019)
After the massive success of The LEGO Movie, it was no surprise that Warner Bros. announced a sequel was in the works, but The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part had several industry factors working against it that ultimately led to it failing at the box office. Initially, no one expected The LEGO Movie to be as big a hit as it was, but like every major studio that finds success, Warner Bros. became its own worst enemy by capitalizing too much on the franchise, essentially draining it of its original magic and general appeal.
Between the release of the movie and the sequel, Warner Bros. overloaded audiences with spin-offs such as The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Ninjago Movie that lacked originality and led to franchise fatigue. By the time the sequel arrived five years later, the overall concept didn't feel fresh anymore, which is the main reason why the film flopped. The extensive gap between the first and second movies also dulled the overall hype, and its weak marketing efforts essentially put the final nail in the coffin for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. —Andrea Ciriaco
19 'Treasure Planet' (2002)
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesFor decades, Walt Disney Studios reigned as one of the top innovative studios in the art of animation and rarely failed to entertain audiences of all ages, but its 2002 movie, Treasure Planet, was a box office flop that no one ever saw coming. Similar to The LEGO Movie 2, Treasure Planet had creative ambition and appealed to most audiences, but its timing and lack of marketing are what ultimately sealed its fate.
Treasure Planet was released during Thanksgiving, which the majority of movie fans know is a critical time of year for movies, but when you have a movie coming out the same weekend as long-awaited sequels like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Die Another Day, it makes the competition even more intense. The film's outer space setting also proved to be detrimental, as the marketing team failed to communicate the film's overall concept, causing confusion among the public who weren't sure what the movie was exactly about. —Andrea Ciriaco
18 'Alexander' (2004)
Image via Warner Bros. PicturesOliver Stone's 2004 epic historical drama, Alexander, looked to be a guaranteed hit on paper, but despite its star-studded cast, notable director, and grand spectacle, it stumbled to reach the finish line at the box office, especially in the United States. After Ridley Scott's infamous Gladiator, audiences were expecting Alexander to fall into the same realm and be an action-packed movie with emotional weight. Instead, the movie had a more character-driven story and a heavy focus on Alexander's psychological state and relationships, leaving little to be desired.
While the initial negative reviews by word of mouth hurt the movie before it even graced the silver screen, the main issue audiences had with Alexander was its portrayal of its historical titular character, played by Colin Farrell, which became a major distraction from the film itself and left audiences divided. The film's lengthy runtime of three hours also didn't help its cause, as it resulted in very few daily showings in the majority of theaters and felt like a long-term commitment that many moviegoers had no interest in making. —Andrea Ciriaco
17 'Fight Club' (1999)
Image via 20th Century StudiosDavid Fincher's Fight Club is now an iconic classic, but when it was originally released, it seriously underperformed at the box office and was widely believed to be a disappointment despite its gritty premise and prolific stars. Based on Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 novel of the same name, the studio promoted Fight Club as a macho action movie about underground fighting, but audiences got something less of a straightforward muscle flick and more of a dark satire about consumerism and masculinity, catching them completely off guard.
Aside from its mismatched marketing, the film's violent nature and aggressive themes sparked serious backlash from both critics and audiences, who felt that it glorified brutality and violence. The film's final flaw was its dark and disturbing tone and lack of a clear hero, which made its overall message difficult for audiences to decipher. Between the film's rush to judgment and moral ambiguity, it's understandable why Fight Club bombed at the box office, but over time, it has been reevaluated and has since become a beloved cult classic. —Andrea Ciriaco
16 'Elio' (2025)
Image Via DisneyElio follows the story of an eleven-year-old boy, Elio Solís (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), who is deeply obsessed with space and aliens that he dreams of meeting. One day, he is accidentally beamed into space and mistaken for Earth’s official ambassador by a group of extraterrestrials. He discovers the Communiverse, a place where aliens share knowledge, and must prevent a crisis with one of the alien warlords.
Critics generally responded favorably to Pixar's animated adventure. It received solid reviews praising its charm and themes, but the film underperformed at the box office, grossing about $154 million worldwide, making it one of Pixar’s lowest theatrical earners. It faced strong competition from the summer's breakout hits like the live-action versions of Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, which sucked up its potential audiences. Many attributed that the audiences have already been accustomed to seeing Pixar movies on Disney+ since the pandemic times. Even though fans expected the film to catch fire later on like Elemental, Elio got beamed out of the box office charts faster than expected.
15 'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)
Image via Stephen Vaughan /© Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett CollectionFollowing in the footsteps of its predecessor, director Denis Villeneuve's follow-up to the iconic Blade Runner did not receive much love from the box office. Blade Runner 2049's attempt at being a worthy sequel to one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made was not met with immediate acclaim and popularity, instead resulting in a loss of about $80 million.
Starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, the sci-fi film had glowing early reviews and a devoted fanbase eager to return to the neon-lit dystopia — it seemed like a sure winner. That said, its meditative approach and stunning visuals have slowly earned it respect from fans and critics alike, proving that box office numbers don't always reflect a film's long-term legacy.
14 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
Image via Castle Rock EntertainmentAdapted from Stephen King’s novella, The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker sentenced to life in Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her lover—a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Over the decades, Andy forms a close bond with Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), a fellow inmate and the prison’s go-to man for smuggled goods. The film explores themes of hope, resilience, and redemption, set against the grim backdrop of prison. Despite its eventual status as one of the greatest films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption was a commercial disappointment upon release.
The film’s initial failure at the box office was due to its release in a competitive season, going up against hits like Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump. Additionally, the prison drama genre lacked mainstream appeal, and the title itself didn’t convey much about the film's plot; even Robbins and Freeman blamed that. This was a surprise because when the film was tested, the scores were high, leading the studios to be optimistic about the prospects of the movie. However, The Shawshank Redemption found immense success in home video sales and frequent TV airings, becoming a timeless classic celebrated by generations. Its failure was a stepping stone to its ultimate legacy.
13 'The Quick and the Dead' (1995)
This revisionist Western, directed by Sam Raimi, follows Ellen (Sharon Stone), a mysterious gunslinger who rides into a corrupt frontier town to compete in a high-stakes quick-draw tournament. The contest, organized by the ruthless mayor and former outlaw John Herod (Gene Hackman), pits the best sharpshooters against one another in deadly duels. Driven by her motive to avenge her father’s death at Herod’s hands, she enters the deadly tournament. The film also stars Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, early in their Hollywood careers.
Raimi had just come off from his successful Evil Dead films, and Stone was still riding the success of Basic Instinct, so the stars should have aligned for the success of the film. Despite its unique flair and star-studded lineup, The Quick and the Dead failed to connect with audiences, earning just $18 million against its $35 million budget. Its underperformance stemmed from its main genre as Westerns were largely out of fashion in the mid-1990s, which hurt its appeal. Additionally, its unique tone, which oscillated between campy action and gritty drama, also didn't help good word of mouth to spread. However, the film has since garnered a cult following and, over time, it’s come to be seen as an underrated gem within the Western genre.
12 'Last Action Hero' (1993)
Image via Columbia PicturesLast Action Hero is a meta action-comedy that follows a movie-obsessed kid, Danny Madigan (Austin O'Brien), who magically enters the cinematic world of his favorite action star, Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger), in his Jack Slater universe. His playful adventure turns serious as Mr. Benedict (Charles Dance), a ruthless villain from Jack Slater, escapes to the real world and starts wreaking havoc.
Though expected to be a summer blockbuster, Last Action Hero struggled with its box office performance, grossing about $130 million worldwide. Coming off a string of hits like Total Recall, Terminator 2, and Kindergarten Cop, Schwarzenegger was one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers at the time. Last Action Hero broke his streak as it faced heavy competition from Jurassic Park, and its plot was probably too ahead of its time as meta movies were not mainstream yet. It resulted in mismarketing as the film was advertised as a straight action film. Since then, the film has developed a cult following citing its self-aware tone and fun take on the action genre.
11 'Ali' (2001)
Michael Mann’s Ali chronicles the life and career of Muhammad Ali (Will Smith), focusing on his transformative decade from 1964 to 1974. The film follows Ali's rise to global fame, his controversial decision to refuse the Vietnam War draft, and his eventual comeback after being stripped of his title. The film highlighted iconic moments such as his legendary fights against Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman, with the "Rumble in the Jungle" as the climax.
Despite critical acclaim for its performances and historical depth, Ali underperformed at the box office. Its lengthy runtime was one of the reasons, but it also suffered from a packed Christmas release date, which included the box office smash, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Additionally, the film’s introspective tone didn’t match the expectations of those anticipating a more action-packed sports drama. Though it didn’t achieve financial success, Ali has since been recognized as a solid, ambitious biopic, with many appreciating Smith’s Oscar-nominated, powerful depiction of the boxing legend.
Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz
Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner?
Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
FIND YOUR PARTNER →
01
You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had.
ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been.
REVEAL MY PARTNER →
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
Your partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
English (US) ·