2024 shows how much the box office has changed, with many surprising hits and disappointments that critics and audiences didn’t see coming.The way people watch movies is very different today from how it was even just before the pandemic,with more audiences opting to wait until a film is added to digital or made available on a streaming service to watch it. While there were some major successes in 2024 that prove theatrical releases aren’t dead yet, there were just as many disappointments that found their core audience base after viewers could tune in at home.
Thebiggest box office flops of 2024didn’t necessarily have a negative critical or audience reception but fell flat in terms of awareness and marketing. Even though sequels and franchises have been performing well in theaters, this doesn’t guarantee that a film that falls within this category will perform well. Additionally,the definition of disappointment has evolved in the past few years.Movies that break even or make a decent amount of money might not be considered true successes because they don’t perform as well as past films in similar genres or within their franchise.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
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A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
The box office failure ofFuriosawas one of the more upsetting theatrical turns of 2024. The long-awaited followup to the iconic 2015Mad Max: Fury Road,Furiosacould’ve made a significant mark on cinema last year. Anya Taylor-Joy had big shoes to fill in this origin story for Charlize Theron’s iconic character, and both the critical and audience reception were complimentary of Taylor-Joy and the movie as a whole. However,critical praise doesn’t equal monetary success,asFuriosaonly earned $173 million worldwide against an estimated $168 million budget.
While the digital performance might not be enough to justify future additions to the franchise, the movie has earned this second wind.
The increased attention thatFuriosahas received since being added to streaming provides hope that it could be a2024 movie flop that becomes a cult hit.Furiosahas made Netflix’s top ten list of titles, proving that there is interest and a real audience base forFuriosabut that something went wrong at the box office. While the digital performance might not be enough to justify future additions to the franchise, the movie has earned this second wind.
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Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is set in 1859, following families as they settle in territories from Wyoming to Kansas. The narrative centers around a cowboy on the run with a prostitute and a young boy after a deadly confrontation, exploring the challenges of life in the Old West.
After Kevin Costner’s extreme success withYellowstone, the actor tried his hand at directing withHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1. Touching upon similar themes and utilizing a comparable style toYellowstone,Horizonwas framed as an epic tribute to American mythologies of the Old West.However, it didn’t find the same success or acclaim as the hit TV series, with a $38 million worldwide box office and an estimated $100 million budget.
The first part of the movie had a poor enough performance thatHorizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2’s premiere was pushed back and is reported to be released in 2025, with no confirmed dates. AfterChapter 1’s revitalization on streaming services,it wouldn’t be surprising if the second part skipped a theatrical releasealtogether. Not long after it was added to Netflix,Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1made the top ten titles on the platform.
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The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy is an action thriller from Bullet Train and Deadpool 2 director David Leitch. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman who is forced to find a missing movie star, investigate a conspiracy, and repair his relationship with the love of his life. The film was written by Drew Pearce and inspired by the 1980s TV series of the same name.
The disappointing performance ofThe Fall Guyis one of the most mystifying theatrical releases of 2024.Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt led the action-comedy,which received a warm critical reception. On paper,The Fall Guyhad all the elements that typically amount to theatrical success. However, its $181 million worldwide box office and $125 million budget came close to makingThe Fall Guyfade into obscurity before most audiences had ever seen it.
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2024 had many box office successes, but a number of movies that should have been hits ended up being the most shocking of box office flops.
Fortunately, the quality ofThe Fall Guywas quickly discovered on streaming, drumming up interest in the classic adventure rom-com. It was interesting thatThe Fall Guywasn’t a theatrical hit sinceGosling and Blunt starred inBarbieandOppenheimer, two of the biggest hits of 2023.However,The Fall Guyhad an incredible streaming debut after being added to Peacock, making it appear that many viewers were simply waiting for the film to be available at home.
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Madame Web
Madame Web is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Taking place in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, the movie revolves around a clairvoyant woman who can look into different dimensions. Dakota Johnson stars in the lead role, with Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor comprising the rest of the cast.
Unfortunately,Madame Webdidn’t break Dakota Johnson’s streak of starring in movies with poor critical reception. Though part ofMadame Web’s failure was blamed on critical reception, the negative reviews weren’t the only reason why audiences didn’t turn out at the box office forMadame Web. TheSpider-Manspinoff movies have consistently been risks for the studios, andMadame Web’s low ratings with critics and audiences alike demonstrate that a change is necessaryfor the future of the franchise.
However, there is a silver lining forMadame Web, despite its $100 million box office and estimated $80 million budget. Thanks to the amount of pressMadame Webgot for its more meme-able moments, it became a hit on Netflix after being added to the streamer. While superhero movies with big names and famous characters bring viewers to theaters,films with lesser-known characters, like those inMadame Web, are finding better luck digitally.
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Argylle
Argylle is an action thriller by director Matthew Vaughn. The movie centers on an introverted novelist who is thrown into the real world of espionage after the plot of her most recent spy thriller parrels the crimes of an underground syndicate. Argylle has a star-studded cast, including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dua Lipa, and Samuel L. Jackson, among others.
The critically pannedArgyllehas not earned better reviews since its release on streaming, but it has appealed to a much larger audience than it did in theaters. Withan estimated budget of $200 million and a worldwide box office of $96.2 million,it’s hard to argue thatArgyllehas been one of Vaughn’s biggest flops of the 2020s. However, since it was added to Apple TV+,Argylle’s streaming performancehas been a boon for the streamer, earning a place as the second most popular title on Apple TV+ in April.
It remains to be seen if the renewed interest inArgyllewill warrant a sequel.
This was not Henry Cavill’s only box office bomb of 2024,but it seems that almost all of his recent flops have taken on a second life on streaming. The action-comedy put an interesting spin on the traditional spy movie tropes that Vaughn is known for poking fun at, but compared to successes likeThe Kingsmanfranchise, this failure was a shock. It remains to be seen if the renewed interest inArgyllewill warrant a sequel.
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The Bikeriders
The Bikeriders is a 2024 drama exploring the turbulent relationship between Kathy and Benny, a member of the Vandals motorcycle club. As the club delves into violence, Benny faces a critical choice between staying with Kathy and his allegiance to the club.
The relative failure of Austin Butler’sThe Bikeriderswas made up for by the smashing success ofDune: Part Two, but time has been kind to the reception and popularity ofThe Bikeriders.Its $40 million budget was a significant investment,but the star-studded cast and strong story indicated thatThe Bikeridershad a chance of making an impact at the box office. Unfortunately,The Bikeridersonly made $36.1 million worldwide, a statistic that was soon softened by its performance on streaming.
It’s been theorized thatmid-budget movies likeThe Bikeridersare performing much better on streamingbecause they don’t have the spectacle and visual appeal that draws many audiences to theaters. Instead, viewers assume that an at-home viewing experience won’t alter the experience of watching the movie. Whether or not this is true, it allowedThe Bikeridersto get a second life on streaming platforms in the summer of 2024, earning positive reviews from audiences and critics alike.
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The First Omen
The First Omen is a horror film from director Arkasha Stevenson that acts as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows a young woman who goes to Rome to become a nun but begins to question her faith after encountering a terrifying darkness that aims to spawn an evil incarnate.
2024 was an exciting year for horror, with many stars making their name in the latest additions to the genre. However,The First Omenhasn’t been as widely discussed as more successful works likeLonglegsorTrap. The worldwide box office forThe First Omenwas $53.8 million against a $30 million budget.This makesThe First Omenone of the least promising additions to the long-running franchise,indicating that audience interest in these stories is fading.
The First Omen’s streaming performance does provide a glimmer of hope for future continuations of the movie universe.
However,The First Omen’s streaming performance does provide a glimmer of hope for future continuations of the movie universe. After being added to Hulu, the interest and popularity ofThe First Omenskyrocketed, ranking among the most popular titles across streaming services in the summer of 2024. For audiences who discoveredThe First Omenon streaming, it’s been a welcome surprise, as it doesn’t just retread the best parts ofThe Omenfranchise but pushes itself to be original.
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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film depicting a British Army unit’s covert operations against Nazi forces. The movie focuses on the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine organization established by Winston Churchill, whose unconventional tactics helped shape modern black operations.
Guy Ritchie’s latest action-packed blockbuster,The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,wasn’t the smash hit his other projects have been, earning $29.7 million worldwide against an estimated $60 million budget. While some movies of 2024 were modest disappointments, this is closer to a flop for Ritchie and the producers.It was surprising that the film underperformed so extremely, as it had an all-star cast featuring Henry Cavilland promised the well-choreographed and fast-paced action sequences that Ritchie is known for.
These aspects are likely what has savedThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfareon streaming. While critics have given the movie more mixed reviews, audiences have come out in support of the project, which had a limited theatrical release to begin with. SinceThe Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfarewent straight to streaming for its release outside the U.S.,its success in this arena demonstrates that there is a strong viewership base who appreciate Ritchie’s latest project (viaScreen Rant).
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As 2025 quickly approaches, it’s not just the new movies and TV shows that audiences should watch out for but the up-and-coming performers.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Set several years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the next installment in the Apes saga. Ape clans have taken up residence in the oasis that Caesar sought to colonize, but humans have reverted to their animalistic nature in their absence. Now battling between enslavement and freedom, outliers in the Ape clans will take sides in a newly burgeoning society.
The technology used to create the recentPlanet of the Apesmovies is time-consuming and expensive, meaningKingdom of the Planet of the Apeshad to perform well to make back its $160 million budget. Whilethe film made $397.4 million, this is only slightly better than breaking even,which is a disappointment when compared to other installments of the franchise. However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a place forKingdom of the Planet of the Apesin cinema history.
WhileKingdom of the Planet of the Apeswasn’t a flop, it needed this streaming success to live up to its predecessors' triumphs.
After being made available to rent digitally,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeswent to Hulu, giving it a new life after it left theaters. Since all the modernPlanet of the Apesmovies are now on streaming, this has made it easy for audiences to delve into the story’s world and enjoy the latest installment in the context of the previous stories. WhileKingdom of the Planet of the Apeswasn’t a flop, it needed this streaming success to live up to its predecessors' triumphs.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
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Transformers One
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
TheTransformersfranchise has historically been a box office draw, but the latest animated addition to the series wasn’t a huge success, only making $129,364,141 at the worldwide box office.Transformers Oneis an origin story that follows the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron,and while it received strong reviews from critics and audiences, it didn’t make a significant mark at the box office. While it easily broke even, a movie of its scale and budget should’ve made much more, especially considering the talent attached.
However, once it hit streaming services,Transformers Onestarted to reach larger audiences who appreciated the dedication to the craft and storytelling that the film provides. Currently,Transformers Oneis available to stream on Paramount+,and it’s already made waves thanks to the VOD numbers it garnered after being added to digital platforms. It will be interesting to see what this means for animation within theTransformersfranchise as the movie reaches more viewers in the coming year.
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