In this sci-fi film, super-realistic digital graphics create an astounding visual of Earth in 2065. If you’re familiar with the latest generation video games by Xbox, you’ll have a quick sense of the augmented-reality style that makes characters look real. The movie was based on the game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Square Company. Financially, the film wrecked so badly in 2001 it forced the animation studio to close. (Works as a great ad for the game series though!)
Critics were definitely mixed. Its plot didn’t stack up to the titans of the sci-fi genre, but visually, it was an unprecedented eye-dazzler. But, seventeen years ago, the digital feat went by virtually unnoticed. It was squashed by “Legally Blonde.” Total box office, worldwide: $85.1 million ($32.1 domestic). The film had a budget of $137 million and a loss of $130 million.
Estimated loss: $94 million
Precious Cargo (2016)
When unknown Canadian director, Max Adams, approached Bruce Willis to perform in his 2016 action film, "Precious Cargo," Willis thought little about the matter and joined the production. The film was released on April 22, 2016, and was centered around Willis' character convincing a crime group to steal $30 million in diamonds from another crime group, in exchange for a woman.
The film was heavily berated on Rotten Tomatoes, receiving a 0% rating. Critics called it a rip-off, a lazy and sloppy film, and even a contender for the blandest heist film of all time. One reviewer went as far as to call the movie “An absolute waste of time and an insult to action cinema.” That definitely explains how it only made about half a million dollars at the box office despite its budget of $10.5 million.
Estimated loss: $10 million
The Promise (2016)
Taking place during the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the Armenian Genocide, "The Promise" is a sweeping historical epic with a dramatic love story. Incidentally, the U.S., also, has not formally acknowledged the genocide. So, here’s another reason the film flopped, but also the reason it was made. In fact, getting the story out was a personal quest for the late Kirk Kerkorian. After his death in 2015, the production company he owned became Survival Pictures. "The Promise" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2016, and negative political feedback fed by Turkish/American ‘anti’ propaganda negatively affected the critical reception.
Celebrated director Terry George was joined by a talented lineup of actors. The production budget was $90 million. It brought in a paltry $10.5 at the box office. And it lost, a lot. Adjusted for inflation, it squandered about $96-$104 million dollars.
Estimated loss: $94-$102.1
Annihilation (2018)
"Annihilation" 'as one of the biggest box-office bombs of 2018. It was quite a pity because it was by no means a bad film. It had a fine cast, a thought-provoking premise, and received positive reviews. But it also never had a chance. Moviegoers had much rather spend their free time and hard-earned money on a theatrical experience like "Black Panther," or to unwind with a fun movie like "Game Night," which were both out at the same time.
This sci-fi horror film follows the story of a group of female military scientists who enter "The Shimmer" — a mystifying quarantined zone of mutating animals and landscapes. Reportedly, Paramount deemed the film "too intellectual" for mainstream crowds after its first test screening, thus they made an international distribution deal with Netflix. As predicted, after it flopped at the box office stateside, the movie never even came out in theaters overseas.
Estimated loss: $12 million
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Here’s a film that grossed nearly $226 million, yet managed to make the flop list. Critics either loved it or hated it. Reviews were definitely mixed — from "deliriously entertaining" to "a punishing 137 minutes". All agree it’s a cutting edge, strangely original sci-fi with stunning cinematography. The story is based on the French comic book series called "Valerian and Laureline." French director and filmmaker Luc Besson produced, wrote, and directed the film. His film studio Europacorp introduced the movie at Cannes in 2015, and it hit the big screens in the United States in July of 2017.
Fundamental Films provided the majority of financing for the $177.2-$180 million budget. Worldwide gross sales totaled $225.9 million. $33 million of box office sales came from France, the French loved it! Unfortunately, it flopped. Total loss stayed at $84 million.