There are an assortment of reasons leading up to a film’s release that make it obvious to audiences it’s destined to fail at the box office. Many of thebiggest box office flops in the previous yearwere from celebrated directors and featured a stacked cast full of beloved actors, and yet,it wasn’t much of a surprise to see their box office numbers were less than ideal. Films likeMegalopolisandJoker: Folie à Deuxwere once highly anticipated by critics and audiences as a director’s passion project and promising sequel, respectively.
However, the closer it came to thefilmsbeing released, the more obvious it became that they wouldn’t be well-received. Many of the other box office failures that were no surprise were surrounded by discouraging conversations detailing messy productions and constantly delayed release dates. Early reviews of such films were also mostly negative and were a telltale sign that much wouldn’t change once they were made available for the general public to see.
Fly Me to the Moon
Cast
A musician and an astronaut form an unexpected romance as she prepares for a lunar mission. Their relationship faces challenges due to the distance and personal issues, leading to a journey of love and self-discovery.
Looselybased on the Apollo 11 mission,Fly Me to the Moonfollows a marketing specialist (Scarlett Johansson) teaming up with a NASA launch director (Channing Tatum) to orchestrate a fake moon landing in case the real mission winds up failing.Fly Me to the Moonwas initially set to be released on Apple TV+, but positive test screenings prompted it to have a theatrical release instead.
Unlike other recent box office flops, the reviews ofFly Me to the Moonweren’t entirely negative. Many complimented Johansson and Tatum’s chemistry and comedic abilities. However, the film’s rough blend of a historical drama and a romantic comedy led to an underwhelming story that audiences simply weren’t interested in watching in theaters. With a production budget of $100 million,Fly Me to the Moonearned $42 million.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Harold and the Purple Crayon is a fantasy film based on the book of the same name by Crockett Johnson. Zachary Levi stars as Harold, alongside Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, and Jemaine Clement. The film revolves around Levi’s character, who can make his drawings come to life with his purple crayon.
Based on the 1955 children’s book of the same name,Harold and the Purple Crayonfollows its titular child into adulthood (Zachary Levi). The film was released toward the end of summer, following the success of other family movies likeInside Out 2andDespicable Me 4. The success of such films continued for months after their initial release, showing early signs thatHarold and the Purple Crayonwould likely struggle at the box office.
2024 Domestic Box Office Total Falls Just Short Of 2023, Yet Comes In Ahead Of Initial Expectations
After a fairly rocky start, the 2024 domestic box office has come in just behind 2023’s impressive $9 billion gross, but it still defied expectations.
In addition to fighting against films targeted at a similar audience,Harold and the Purple Crayonwas also in competition with anticipated films likeDeadpool & WolverineandTrap.Against a $40 million budget,the film grossed $32 millionand earned largely negative reviews from critics. The poor reviews and tough competition at the box office, combined with audiences' general lack of interest in the older IP resulted in a less-than-surprising performance at the box office.
Here
Here is an objective and formal description for the movie Here (2024): Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this film is an exploration of time and memory, unraveling the intertwined lives and stories of families across generations in a New England setting.
The premise of Robert Zemeckis’Hereis ambitiousand had many people excited to see the director reunite with the film’s stars, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, decades after the release ofForrest Gump. The setup of the film, which depicts the events of a single spot of land over multiple decades, was enough to intrigue audiences looking for fresh ideas and innovation following the release of big franchises and IP movies.
The simplicity and restrictions of the filmmaking choices inHereweren’t appealing to general audiences.
However, Zemeckis' unique ideas failed to draw in a substantial crowd, which led to the film performing poorly at the box office—earning just over $13 millionon a roughly $45 million budget. The simplicity and restrictions ofthe filmmaking choices inHereweren’t appealing to general audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes,Here’s audience score of 59% isn’t terrible, but it means the film’s quick drop from the top 10 theatrical releases in the first few weeks of its release isn’t shocking.
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.
Acting as a standalone spin-off in theKingsmanfranchise,Argyllehad the potential to be an entertaining film that mixed comedy with espionage and drew audiences to the theaters for a fun time.Argyllehas a stacked cast with actors like Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, and Bryan Cranston. In the film, a writer (Howard) finds herself caught up in the world of espionage after discovering the events in her book mirror those in the real world.
Argylleis, without a doubt, entertaining, especially in the first half of the film.It’s humorous and energetic butloses steam due to its unnecessarily lengthy runtime.Argylleis overstuffed with plot twists, creating a plot that quickly becomes confusing and exhausting. This combination of negative takeaways was made apparent early on in the film’s theatrical run, leaving many unsurprisingly disinterested.
Borderlands
Based on the video game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy film that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet, Pandora, to find a tycoon’s missing daughter. Together with a group of unlikely allies, such as a soldier, a teenaged demolitions expert, a wise-cracking robot, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl - all while learning to deal with each other’s unyielding quirks.
Video game adaptations are tricky to pull off, as any sort of deviation from the source material must be beneficial to the whole product. Unfortunately forBorderlands, thechanges from the original game seriesresulted in an abysmal box office performance. With a budget of roughly $120 million,Borderlandsgrossed $33 million. Additionally, the film, which sits at a 10% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, earned largely negative reviews.
Among the overwhelmingly negative reception toBorderlands,some reviews did praise Cate Blanchett’s performanceas the outlaw Lillith. Still, Blanchett, or the rest of the film’s big names, wasn’t enough to draw audiences to the theaters. Despite the film’s failures, a positive outcome of its release was the increase in sales of theBorderlandsgames. On Steam,Borderlands 3players doubled to about 12,000 following the release of Eli Roth’s film (viaSports Illustrated).
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
Kraven the Hunter’s box office numbers aren’t surprisingconsideringthe film’s multiple delaysand the lack of success Sony’s had with their Spider-Man Universe films. When it was announced thatKraven the Hunterwould be the last installment in the series of films, many took this as a sign that the franchise wouldn’t be going out on a bang. Still, there was hope when taking into account the film’s gripping, dark story and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s promising ability to lead as the titular character.
However, it quickly became apparentKraven the Hunterwould be yet another disappointing superhero release. With a budget of over $100 million,the film barely grossed over $59 million. The response from audiences on sites like Rotten Tomatoes isn’t stellar, but it does suggest the film has enough going for it to be entertaining despite its flaws. Critical reception hasn’t been as kind, with many finding fault in the film’s technical aspects, including its visual effects and defective use of ADR.
Megalopolis
Megalopolis, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is a visionary 2024 film exploring the ambitious dream of reconstructing New York City into a utopia, following a devastating disaster. The narrative delves into the clash between the architect’s utopian vision and the political and personal turmoil that ensues. With a star-studded cast, the film examines themes of ambition, power, and the human spirit’s resilience against the backdrop of a futuristic metropolis.
Francis Ford Coppola’s return to the big screenwas highly anticipated by fans of his work. The story ofMegalopoliswas conceptualized in the ’80s and after Coppola’s had been turned down time and time again by studios,the director took matters into his own hands and provided the funds for a majority of the film’s budget. The decades-long stall increased the excitement and intrigue surroundingMegalopolisfor some, but was an early sign of disaster for others.
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Critical response to the film was mixed, with some calling it an utter failure and others labeling it as a masterpiece that’ll likely be better appreciated down the road. Still, positive reviews of the film weren’t enough to save it at the box office asMegalopolisearned $13 millionagainst an estimated$136 million budget.
The Crow
The Crow (2024) is a dark and gritty reimagining of the original graphic novel. It follows Eric, who is resurrected from the dead to avenge his and his soulmate’s brutal murders. Armed with supernatural abilities, Eric seeks justice against the killers responsible, navigating through a corrupt city that is as much a character as he is. This adaptation introduces new elements to captivate the modern audience!
From the moment it was announced that Alex Proyas' filmThe Crowwould be rebooted,audiences were highly skeptical of its success. Though reboots of beloved films do find success, it’s not always expected, especially those with a style as distinct as the original 1994 film. The film, remembered most for its association with a heartbreaking real-life tragedy, features an incomparable performance by Brandon Lee and is visually delightful without sacrificing a compelling story.
Due to these factors, many fans of the original were doubtful about the reboot led by Bill Skarsgård, with some being opposed to the idea entirely.The film grossed $24 millionagainst a $50 million budgetand earned negative reviews from critics. As expected,The Crowwas strongly compared to the original and, unfortunately, did not live up to its success.The Crow’s mediocre execution and negative reception weren’t surprising to those who didn’t deem it necessary in the first place.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
The success ofJokerin 2019 isn’t too much of a surprise, as the titular character has been popular with audiences for quite some time. The film took home several awards, including an Oscar for Joaquin Phoenix. The positive response to the first film set plans for a sequel in motion. With Phoenix returning and Lady Gaga co-starring,anticipation forJoker: Folie à Deuxwas high at one point.
Early reviews ofJoker: Folie à Deuxweren’t positive, and it was easy to assume the film wouldn’t do well once it was released to the public either.
It was then revealed the film would have a musical element, and though it’s not what fans of the first film were anticipating or wanting in the sequel, the hopeful attitude of audiences hadn’t completely diminished. However,earlyreviews ofJoker: Folie à Deuxweren’t positive,and it was easy to assume the film wouldn’t do well once it was released to the public either. The lackluster response at the box office and the negative conversations surroundingJoker: Folie à Deuxled the film to be a flop.
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.
Regarded asthe worst superhero movie of 2024,Madame Web’s unintentional humor and poor storytellingled it to become a box office failure. The film, led by Dakota Johnson, tells the origin story of Cassie Webb, as she gains special abilities and sets out to protect three women from an antagonist hoping to kill them before their inevitable transformation into Spider-Women. The trailer and early clips ofMadame Webwere highly talked about by superhero fans but forthe wrong reasons.
Madame Webhas an 11% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
Madame Webfeatures one ofthe worst decisions in the SSU, sidelining its Spider-Women characters and reserving their action scenes for brief flashforward sequences. The expectation that these characters would play a bigger part came as a result of the film’s deceiving trailer.Madame Web’s accidental campy tone andJohnson’s stiff performance as the titular hero predictably turned audiences away from the film soon after its release.
