The MCU's latest release, Multiverse of Madness just crossed the $800 million mark at the box office, suggesting that the long-awaited superhero fatigue has still not set in for Marvel. However, box office figures no longer have the kind of impact on film success that they once did. With streaming services increasingly taking center stage and cutting into box office figures, studios are looking at more than just these numbers to gauge the success of a film.
This is a big change for the industry, and especially those fans who have always known that a movie 'flopping' doesn't actually speak to their quality. Some movies have stood the test of time, despite being box office flops upon theatrical release.
A Christmas Carol - $325 million
Despite a budget of $200 million technically making this a profit, that budget is only for the production. With marketing in mind, A Christmas Carol lost $100 million at the box office during the Christmas season. That fact alone killed ImageMovers Digital, ending an era of uncanny Mocap movies.
People often mistake Mars Needs Moms to be the nail in the coffin for the studio, but that's actually not true. Mars Needs Moms was already in production and contracts meant that it had to be finished, even as the doors of the studio were closing. That being said, A Christmas Carol is a strikingly dark and thrilling adaptation of the classic Christmas fable, that has since gained a following.
Rise of the Guardians - $306.9 million
Rise of the Guardians had a budget of $145 million against a box office of $306.9 million, which seemingly makes it a success. With the magic of Hollywood ing, however, it turns out the marketing and distribution costs for the movie ended up losing the studio $87 million.
It's a shame because Rise of the Guardians was beloved by the few audiences who did go out to watch it. The character designs alone have spawned a niche but very dedicated fanbase online, as the hundreds of stories online show. It's not a surprise to see fanon pairings of Jack Frost and Elsa from Frozen with a cursory google search.
Blade Runner 2049 - $260.5 million
In yet another case of Hollywood ing, Blade Runner 2049 had a production budget of $185 million against a box office of over $260 million. The secret marketing budget, however, meant the movie actually lost the studio $80 million in the long run.
Blade Runner 2049's critical reception was another story, however. Audiences and critics alike loved the movie for continuing the original movie's cyberpunk vibes and philosophical musings. The visuals in particular were universally praised as noted on Reddit, and Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best-looking movies of the 2010s.
Hugo (2011) - $185.7 million
Hugo is an incredibly different film from legendary director Martin Scorcese. After building his career with R-rated crime dramas such as Goodfellas and Gangs of New York, For that, he starred in Shark Tale.
When that didn't work out, he took matters into his own hands and made Hugo, a beautiful love letter to filmmaking as a medium. Through this movie, he shared with his children, as well as audiences, the ion he has for the film. Unfortunately, the love letter had a hefty production cost of $170 million with a box office of $185.7 million, making it a box office flop when marketing is taken into .
Treasure Planet - $110 million
Treasure Planet was an ambitious sci-fi adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson book Treasure Island. Despite a hefty budget of $140 million thanks to new technology and an all-star cast, the movie only made $110 million at the box office, making it one of Disney's biggest flops.
Unlike flops such as John Carpenter and Mars Needs Moms, however, Treasure Planet was beloved by critics and audiences alike. The adventure was thrilling, the visuals stunning, and the characters loveably quirky and fleshed out. Time has been much kinder to this ambitious sci-fi classic.
Speed Racer - $93.9 million
After the success of their Matrix franchise and involvement in the critically acclaimed V for Vendetta, all eyes were on the Wachowskis' latest project, Speed Racer. Of course, Speed Racer being an anime adaptation, it didn't look promising in hindsight, which turned out to be the case.
The movie had a box office of $93.9 million against a budget of $120 million, making it a commercial failure. Critics at the time heavily criticized its cartoony visuals and corny dialogue. However, a strong core fanbase has formed around the movie, as many videos praise the movie for what it set out to do. One man's trash is indeed another man's treasure.
Titan A.E. - $36.8 million
Titan A.E. is widely considered one of the biggest box office bombs of all time and was the final nail in the coffin for Fox Animation Studios. The ambitious animation project was headed by Don Bluth and used all of the latest technology of the time. The budget ballooned to a massive $90 million, which it did not make back.
Titan A.E. went on to make only $36.8 million at the box office, one of the biggest animated movie flops of all time from a major studio. Still, fans hoping for a Titan A.E. reboot in the future.
The Iron Giant - $31.3 million
Probably one of the most famous examples of a cult classic, The Iron Giant is a prime example of how word of mouth can save a fantastic movie. Grossing only $31.3 million against a $50 million budget, Warner Bros was all but ready to drop it after poor marketing on their part.
However, home video releases and networks such as Cartoon Network doing marathons of the movie have helped save the movie from obscurity. People were in love with Hogarth and his adorable robot friend, the gorgeously 50s aesthetic, and the surprisingly heartfelt ending. The creators and audiences willed a box office flop into a cultural milestone for animation.
Osmosis Jones - $14 million
Osmosis Jones is such an odd duck of a movie. The movie is incredibly creative and beautifully animated. The cast is hilarious, with voices from Chris Rock, Laurence Fishburne, David Hyde Peirce, and William Shatner giving great performances. Lastly, the story was incredibly unique, taking the concept of a movie like Inner Space to its logical conclusion.
However, after three animated failures from Warner Bros. and unwanted (and absurdly gross) live-action sequences, people simply weren't interested in the movie. That reflected the absurdly low box office returns of $13.5 million against a budget of $70 million. Despite that, the movie managed to get a spin-off called "Ozzy and Drix" for a short while.
Monkeybone - $7.6 million
Monkeybone is insane. The production was insane, the cast was driven insane, and the plot itself is insane. That insanity is what made Monkeybone so incomprehensible to movie audiences that it only garnered a measly $7 million at the box office against a $75 million budget. Monkeybone was one of the worst animated projects of all time as far as everybody was concerned.
However, it's that same insanity that managed to build it a cult following. Director Henry Selick (Nightmare Before Christmas) sought to bring animated energy to live-action, and few can say he didn't succeed. Despite the madness, there is a legitimately entertaining movie beneath it all.
