23 Box Office Flops of the Last 10 Years: Over the last decade, the film industry has produced a number of movies that failed to attract audiences and suffered significant financial losses. From big-budget blockbusters to critically-acclaimed indie films, these movies ended up being some of the biggest box office flops of the last 10 years.
1. “Cats” (2019) – The film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical was widely criticized for its odd CGI design, lackluster plot, and overall weirdness. The movie features a star-studded cast, including Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, and Idris Elba, but failed to impress audiences. Despite this cast, it was one of the biggest box office flops to hit the screen.
2. “Dolittle” (2020) – This family-friendly adventure film stars Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character, a veterinarian who can speak to animals. Despite its impressive cast, which also includes Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson, the movie failed to resonate with audiences and critics alike due to its poor writing and lack of direction.
3. “Gemini Man” (2019) – This Will Smith-led action thriller features Smith playing a hitman who is targeted by a younger clone of himself. Despite its intriguing premise, the movie was panned for its clichéd plot and unimpressive visual effects.
4. “The Dark Tower” (2017) – This adaptation of the popular book series stars Idris Elba as a gunslinger and Matthew McConaughey as a sorcerer in a fantasy world. The film was criticized for its poor adaptation and lack of attention to detail, which disappointed fans of the books.
5. “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (2017) – This ambitious sci-fi film, directed by Luc Besson, is based on a French comic book series and stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as space operatives investigating a galactic threat. The movie was criticized for its convoluted plot and lack of character development.
6. “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” (2017) – This action-adventure film, directed by Guy Ritchie, stars Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur in a retelling of the classic legend. Despite its big budget and star-studded cast, including Jude Law and Eric Bana, the movie failed to resonate with audiences and was criticized for its poor pacing and weak script.
7. “The Happytime Murders” (2018) – This raunchy comedy featuring puppets stars Melissa McCarthy as a detective investigating a string of murders in a world where humans and puppets coexist. The movie failed to live up to its premise and was widely panned for its crude humor.
8. “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) – This sequel to the iconic sci-fi film stars Ryan Gosling as a new blade runner who uncovers a long-buried secret that could threaten the future of humanity. Despite receiving critical acclaim, the movie failed to make a splash at the box office, likely due to its high budget and niche appeal.
9. “Mars Needs Moms” (2011) – This Disney animated film follows a young boy who embarks on a mission to rescue his mother from Martians who need her maternal instincts. The movie was criticized for its strange plot and lack of appeal to both kids and adults.
10. “Monster Trucks” (2016) – This family-friendly adventure film stars Lucas Till as a high school student who discovers a creature that can power his homemade monster truck. The movie was widely panned for its lack of originality and poor execution.
11. “The Snowman” (2017) – This crime thriller stars Michael Fassbender as a detective investigating a serial killer who leaves snowmen at his crime scenes. The movie was widely criticized for its weak script and lack of tension.
12. “Jem and the Holograms” (2015) – This live-action adaptation of the popular ’80s cartoon failed to resonate with audiences and was criticized for its lack of authenticity.
13. “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018) – This Disney adventure film, based on the popular book by Madeleine L’Engle, stars Storm Reid as a young girl who travels through time and space to find her missing father. Despite its impressive cast, which includes Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, the movie was criticized for its weak plot and lack of emotional depth. Even Oprah couldn’t keep this popular title from being one of the biggest box office flops of the decade.
14. “Ghost in the Shell” (2017) – This science fiction film stars Scarlett Johansson as a cybernetically enhanced soldier who hunts down cyber criminals in a future world. The movie was criticized for its whitewashing of Asian characters and lack of originality compared to the original anime source material.
15. “The Lone Ranger” (2013) – This Western action film stars Armie Hammer as the Lone Ranger and Johnny Depp as Tonto, in a retelling of the classic tale. The movie was criticized for its bloated budget and lack of focus, which failed to resonate with audiences.
16. “Miss Sloane” (2016) – This political thriller stars Jessica Chastain as a lobbyist fighting for gun control laws in Washington D.C. The movie was praised for its lead performance and intense plot, but failed to make an impact at the box office due to its limited release and lack of marketing.
17. “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones” (2013) – This fantasy film, based on the book series by Cassandra Clare, follows a young girl who discovers she is part of a secret society of demon hunters. The movie was criticized for its poor adaptation of the source material and lack of compelling characters.
18. “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” (2018) – This Disney adventure film, based on the classic ballet, stars Mackenzie Foy as a young girl who travels to a magical world to save it from danger. The movie was criticized for its lack of originality and uninspired plot, despite its impressive visual effects.
19. “Pan” (2015) – This live-action adaptation of the classic Peter Pan story stars Levi Miller as the titular character and Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard. The movie was criticized for its weak script and lack of originality, which failed to resonate with audiences.
20. “Robin Hood” (2018) – This action-adventure film stars Taron Egerton as Robin Hood and Jamie Foxx as Little John, in a retelling of the classic tale. The movie was criticized for its lack of originality and poor execution, which failed to resonate with audiences despite its impressive cast.
21. “Lightyear” (2022) – is an animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Disney. It serves as a spin-off and origin story for the character Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Chris Evans, from the beloved “Toy Story” franchise.
22. “Strange World” (2022)– Is a animated fantasy adventure film by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Which follows, The Clade family, voiced by Gyllenhaal, Quaid, Young-White, and Union, sets off to a subterranean realm to save their society’s energy source, the plant Pando.
23. “Morbius” (2022) – Is based on the Marvel character and was made by Sony. Morbius (Jared Leto), a renowned scientist, experiments with vampire bat genes to cure himself of a blood illness he shares with his brother (Matt Smith), but becomes a vampire. He confronts Milo’s dark path and embraces his own identity.
Overall, these movies all suffered from a variety of issues, including poor writing, lack of originality, and failure to connect with audiences. While some of them had impressive casts and high budgets, they ultimately failed to deliver at the box office due to a lack of quality and appeal.
