Financial Flops You Can't Understand

Whether it's a favorite movie of yours, or if you think it has commercial appeal (stars, formulaic story, etc)...

I understand the original 'Blade Runner' was more of a massive cult film that gained more recognition by the general public over time, kinda like 'The Big Lebowski' except for the inclusion of the fanbase's religion.

But really? Only 242 million? Was it just not accessible for people? I mean, It's a Si-Fi Blockbuster film with Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and Jared freaking Leto. Was there not enough action for these idiots? This is why I don't like mainstream audiences.

You call 242 million a flop? It's still in theaters!

When you factor in the estimated marketing costs, yeah.

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It's expected to lose around 80 million dollars.

I had no idea budgets were that high!

Dredd 's another example, and yet the explanation is usually atrocious marketing. I know they approached Karl Urban about the new series that's being made and I hope they can work it out. It'd be dreamland to have even a part of that film revived in some way.

The film had a production budget of 150-185 million, and, although there's a large differencebetween the high-end and the low-end, the marketing budget itself certainly inflated it over the 200 million mark. Consider that theaters receive a large-cut, and overseas territories usually receive an even larger cut, and it's easier to understand why there's a lot of reports about how it needed to make 400 million to break-even.

I remember when I saw the trailers for Dredd, I thought the film looked stupid and cheap, like a mindless B-movie. When I watched the film about 3-4 years after the fact, I thought the film was fantastic. And so, I can see a lot about the marketing wasn't as impressionable as it could have been. I think the reason Blade Runner didn't do well is because they overestimated how much interest was in the Blade Runner series and it shows with their budget.

Blade Runner 2049 is why we can't have models anymore.

War for the planet of the apes deserved to make more at the box office

Carltio's Way (1993) with Pacino. You'd think a movie that re-teams Pacino and De Palma would be a box office hit.

The Hitcher (1986) One of the best thrillers of the 80s, surprising that it bombed.

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) A very good action movie, with a good actress Geena Davis.

Dead Ringers (1988) A very good movie, it's probably a well liked movie after all this time and it is Jeremy Irons' best performance IMO.

Internal Affairs (1990) Solid cop movie. Good performances.

The Thing (1982) Kurt Russell, John Carpenter, enough said.

Very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing the new Blade Runner but I won't be rushing. Alien: Covenant first I think.

I'm having trouble answering this thread because I think of films I like that notoriously flopped and I'm like "yeah no sh*t it flopped" (this also goes for other people's answers - someone mentions Carlito's Way and is like "how did this Pacino/De Palma movie flop?" as if Scarface itself wasn't also a box-office flop).

I would've picked Big Trouble in Little China over The Thing since at least it looked like the kind of weird but accessible fantasy-comedy that should've cleaned up in a post-Ghostbusters era, but even then I'm not that surprised.

Maybe if Penn didn't perm his hair

I'm not really that surprised Nice Guys flopped, but I'm sad it flopped.

Agreed, but it held well overseas to make up for some of the lack of interest it received domestically.

Did Infernal Affairs flop, it received two sequels .... Oh, different film.

I never realised that bombed. Fantastic movie. Completely freaked me out.

I too am surprised that the movie about incestuous twin gynecologists did not resonate with mainstream audiences.