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A movie’s performance during its time in theaters doesn’t always indicate the quality of any given film. Bad movies can still earn money and there’s nothing stopping underappreciated box office bombs from making their way into the ranks of celebrated movies.
RELATED:Box Office Bombs That Are Now Considered Classics
For some great modern movies, monetary earnings were not always ideal. Despite being fantastic in their own right, many films failed to perform well at the box office. It may come as a surprise to find out just how many brilliant movies underperformed upon release.
Updated on December 30th, 2022, by Hannah Saab:
There’s no shortage of notable box office bombs from the 2010s that have rightfully gotten re-evaluations from both fans and critics over the past few years. These great films may have been box office flops when they first premiered, but are now considered remarkable classics with a solid fanbase.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
Available to stream on Hulu.
A sequel to theRidley Scott’sBlade Runner,Blade Runner 2049has some of the best visual effects, music and cinematography to ever grace a science fiction film. With multiple Academy Award victories and nominations, the film was a success but considered a box office disappointment, as it grossed around$259 millionworldwide against a production budget of $185 million.
Blade Runner 2049follows android police officer K as he attempts to uncover how his elusive past and the fate of the world have become mysteriously interlinked. The cast, in particular, is a highlight of the film;Ryan Gosling,Harrison Ford,Ana de Armasand more give their all in a surprisingly well-executed revival of a classic sci-fi franchise.
‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Based on the 1964 series of the same name,The Man From U.N.C.L.E.is a 2015 spy movie directed byGuy Ritchie, director ofThe Gentlemenand Disney’s live-actionAladdin. The film starsHenry CavillandArmie Hammeras rival American and Russian spies, forced to work together to save the world from nuclear destruction.
Stylish, comedic and charming, its$109.8 millionworldwide gross wasn’t enough to make it a box office success. With an $84 million budget, the quirky spy flick is now remembered as an underappreciated box office bomb.
‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018)
Available to stream on Disney+.
An overlooked spin-off in thehugely popularStar Warsfranchise, this space-Western heist film deserves another look.Solo: A Star Wars Storydepicts the humble beginnings of Han Solo, the smuggler who made his first on-screen appearance all the way back in 1977’sStar Wars: A New Hope. In bothGeorge Lucas’ original trilogy and its Disney-made sequels, Solo was portrayed by Harrison Ford who, in the 2018 spin-off, was replaced byAlden Ehrenreich.
The movie also features other stars likeDonald GloverandEmilia Clarke, but grossed just$393 millionworldwide with a production budget of $275 million, making it the lowest-grossing live-actionStar Warsfilm and the first in the franchise to be regarded as a box office bomb.
‘Hugo’ (2011)
Hugoonly grossed$181 millionagainst its production budget of $180 million. Still, many critics looked past the film’s disappointing box office earnings. Ultimately,Hugowas nominated for the Oscars in eleven categories, ultimately earning the prestigious accolades for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
Directed byMartin Scorsese, the historical adventure movie tells the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), whose discovery of a mysterious automaton entangles him with the world and legacy of real-life filmmakerGeorges Méliès.
‘The Master’ (2012)
Available to stream on Tubi TV, Kanopy and Paramount+ Showtime.
The Mastercontinues to be an excellent film in spite of its underwhelming box office earnings. Directed byPaul Thomas Anderson, the film is impressive on a variety of fronts, with a particular highlight of the film being the slew of underrated performances from its star-studded cast.
The film focuses on the relationship between war veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) and Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the head of a religious movement that begins to intrigue and inspire Quell throughout the film. Grossing$28.3 millionagainst its $42 million budget,The Masterfinancially underperformed upon release, but it remains a fantastic film, holding a place asone of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best films.
‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ (2010)
Available to stream on Starz.
Nowadays, you would be remiss to find someone who doesn’t enjoy the kick-ass action romanceScott Pilgrim vs. the World. But the electric comic book movie,directed byEdgar Wright, wasn’t always considered as iconic is it is today.
At least, that’s what it’s box office performance would suggest. With a production budget of $85 million, the film only grossed$49.3 millionworldwide. Still a visual and comedy treat that no modern movie fan should miss, the 2010 film tells the story of Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), an aloof musician made to battle against the evil exes of his new girlfriend Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
‘The Lost City of Z’ (2017)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
For the compelling biographical drama that it was,The Lost City of Zdid not deserve the poor box office earnings that met it upon release. With production expenses amounting to around $30 million, the film only grossed around$19.3 millionworldwide.
Highlighting the true story of one man’s attempts to find a hidden city in the Amazon rainforest, the film starsCharlie Hunnam,Robert Pattinson,Tom Holland,Ian McDiarmidand several other talented actors. The film and the performances of its cast are now widely celebrated, even in the face of a lack of commercial success.
‘ParaNorman’ (2012)
Available to stream on The Roku Channel.
Though a modest box office success,ParaNormanwas reportedly a commercial disappointment for Laika, the studio behind the film. It grossed$107 millionworldwide against a production budget of roughly $60 million.ParaNormanis a stop-motion animated film that follows
Norman, a young boy who possesses the ability to communicate with ghosts, as he struggles against a curse that has befallen his hometown.
The film’s voice cast is stacked with accomplished actors, consisting ofKodi Smit-McPhee,Anna Kendrick,Ariel Winterand more. And with animation reminiscent ofCoralineandThe Boxtrolls, what’s not to love about thisunderrated stop-motion film?
‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ (2016)
Fans of comedy music trio ‘The Lonely Island’ – which consists ofAndy Samberg,Akiva SchafferandJorma Taccone– would have undoubtedly heard aboutPopstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. The 2016 musical mockumentary depicts the highs and lows of fame experienced by Conner Friel (Samberg), who abandons his co-artists and childhood friends The Style Boyz to pursue a solo career in rap.
The 2016 film was unable to make back its $20 million production expenses, grossing only$9 millionworldwide. Despite underperforming at the box office, the film sticks the landing where it counts, with the added bonus of featuring hilarious appearances from various real-life celebrities likeJimmy FallonandSeal.
‘Dredd’(2012)
Available to stream on Peacock Premium.
Nowadays, more mature movies likeDeadpoolare a welcome bit of diversity to the slew of regular comic book releases. But for 2012,Dreddwas a bold and underrated release. A film byPete Travisand Alex Garland,Dreddis an adaptation of theJudge Dreddcomics. On a budget of $45 million, the film grossed$41 millionupon release, making it a box office bomb.
But aside from understated performances fromKarl UrbanandLena Headey, the film boasts phenomenal action sequences and a gritty, dystopian world that no comic book movie fan should miss.
NEXT:Great Films From The 2000s That Underperformed at The Box Office
