The big movie houses are always quick to tout their latest celebathonic box office hits, never do they ever speak of those movies that were “Box Office Bombs”. By definition a Box Office Bomb is a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue recovered by the movie studio (especially with reference to U.S. gross – as several times movie studios sell international distribution rights to other companies.)
Sorted by % Gross of the Budget
Title | Year | Budget | U.S. Gross | % of budget |
Zyzzyx Road | 2006 | $2,000,000 | $30 | <0.1% |
Scorched | 2003 | $7,000,000 | $8,000 | 0.10% |
D-Tox | 2002 | $55,000,000 | $79,161 | 0.10% |
Freaked | 1993 | $12,000,000 | $29,296 | 0.20% |
The Bridge of San Luis Rey | 2005 | $24,000,000 | $49,981 | 0.20% |
Nomad | 2007 | $40,000,000 | $79,123 | 0.20% |
My Big Fat Independent Movie | 2005 | $3,000,000 | $4,655 | 0.20% |
The Hottie and the Nottie | 2008 | $9,000,000 | $27,696 | 0.30% |
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn | 1998 | $10,000,000 | $45,779 | 0.50% |
Manderlay | 2006 | $14,200,000 | $78,378 | 0.60% |
Mini’s First Time | 2006 | $6,000,000 | $49,034 | 0.80% |
No Good Deed | 2003 | $12,000,000 | $181,600 | 1.50% |
Idiocracy | 2006 | $30,000,000 | $444,000 | 1.50% |
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker | 2006 | $40,000,000 | $659,210 | 1.60% |
Southland Tales | 2007 | $15,000,000 | $275,380 | 1.80% |
Ride with the Devil | 1999 | $35,000,000 | $630,779 | 1.80% |
Lolita | 1997 | $58,000,000 | $1,060,056 | 1.80% |
The Game of Their Lives | 2005 | $20,000,000 | $375,750 | 1.90% |
Head | 1968 | $750,000 | $16,111 | 2.10% |
Love’s Labour’s Lost | 2000 | $13,000,000 | $299,792 | 2.30% |
A Sound of Thunder | 2005 | $80,000,000 | $1,900,451 | 2.40% |
The Statement | 2003 | $27,000,000 | $765,637 | 2.80% |
Monument Ave. | 1998 | $11,000,000 | $333,760 | 3.00% |
Until the End of the World | 1991 | $23,000,000 | $829,625 | 3.60% |
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer | 2006 | $60,000,000 | $2,208,939 | 3.70% |
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland | 1992 | $35,000,000 | $1,368,000 | 3.90% |
Pirates | 1986 | $40,000,000 | $1,641,825 | 4.10% |
The Adventures of Pluto Nash | 2002 | $100,000,000 | $4,411,102 | 4.40% |
The Caveman’s Valentine | 2001 | $13,500,000 | $687,194 | 5.10% |
Waterloo | 1970 | $25,000,000 | $1,400,000 | 5.60% |
Cats Don’t Dance | 1997 | $60,000,000 | $3,566,637 | 5.90% |
Swept Away | 2002 | $10,000,000 | $598,645 | 6.00% |
Cassandra’s Dream | 2008 | $15,000,000 | $973,018 | 6.50% |
Monkeybone | 2001 | $75,000,000 | $5,000,000 | 6.70% |
Stay | 2005 | $50,000,000 | $3,626,883 | 7.30% |
Town & Country | 2001 | $90,000,000 | $6,810,050 | 7.60% |
Slow Burn | 2007 | $15,500,000 | $1,237,615 | 7.90% |
Heaven’s Gate | 1980 | $44,000,000 | $3,484,331 | 7.90% |
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale | 2008 | $60,000,000 | $4,775,656 | 8.00% |
The Oh in Ohio | 2006 | $5,000,000 | $418,689 | 8.30% |
Bee Season | 2005 | $14,000,000 | $1,180,560 | 8.40% |
Basic Instinct 2 | 2006 | $70,000,000 | $5,946,136 | 8.50% |
Cradle Will Rock | 1999 | $32,000,000 | $2,899,970 | 8.70% |
A Dirty Shame | 2004 | $15,000,000 | $1,339,668 | 8.90% |
Dirty | 2006 | $3,000,000 | $274,245 | 9.10% |
Bloodrayne | 2006 | $25,000,000 | $2,405,420 | 9.60% |
September Dawn | 2007 | $11,000,000 | $1,066,555 | 9.70% |
The Stupids | 1996 | $25,000,000 | $2,415,593 | 9.70% |
The Molly Maguires | 1970 | $11,000,000 | $1,100,000 | 10.00% |
Can’t Stop the Music | 1980 | $20,000,000 | $2,000,000 | 10% |
Steel | 1997 | $16,000,000 | $1,710,972 | 10.70% |
Cutthroat Island | 1995 | $92,000,000 | $10,017,322 | 10.80% |
One Night Stand | 1997 | $24,000,000 | $2,618,335 | 10.90% |
Gigli | 2003 | $54,000,000 | $6,068,735 | 11.10% |
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | 2000 | $76,000,000 | $6,814,720 | 11.14% |
Inchon | 1981 | $46,000,000 | $5,200,986 | 11.30% |
The Boondock Saints | 2000 | $6,000,000 | $683,000 | 11.40% |
Undiscovered | 2005 | $9,000,000 | $1,069,318 | 11.90% |
Hurlyburly | 1998 | $15,000,000 | $1,798,862 | 12.00% |
Extreme Ops | 2002 | $40,000,000 | $4,835,968 | 12.10% |
Thunderbirds | 2004 | $57,000,000 | $6,880,917 | 12.10% |
The Rescuers Down Under | 1990 | $27,000,000 | $3,499,819 | 12.50% |
Zabriskie Point | 1970 | $7,000,000 | $900,000 | 12.90% |
All the King’s Men | 2006 | $55,000,000 | $7,221,458 | 13.10% |
Detroit Rock City | 1999 | $15,000,000 | $2,005,512 | 13.40% |
Shanghai Surprise | 1986 | $17,000,000 | $2,315,683 | 13.60% |
Bicentennial Man | 1999 | $100,000,000 | $8,234,926 | 14.10% |
Dudley Do-Right | 1999 | $70,000,000 | $9,974,410 | 14.20% |
D-War | 2007 | $75,000,000 | $10,616,869 | 14.20% |
FernGully: The Last Rainforest | 1992 | $24,650,296 | $3,549,338 | 14.40% |
Flash Gordon | 1980 | $35,000,000 | $3,934,030 | 14.50% |
Lucky You | 2007 | $50,000,000 | $7,355,993 | 15% |
Lucky Numbers | 2000 | $65,000,000 | $10,014,234 | 15.40% |
The House of the Spirits | 1994 | $40,000,000 | $6,265,311 | 15.60% |
Fantasia | 1940 | $2,280,000 | $361,800 | 15.90% |
Death to Smoochy | 2002 | $50,000,000 | $8,364,691 | 16.70% |
Arthur and the Invisibles | 2006 | $86,000,000 | $15,132,763 | 17.60% |
Once Upon a Time in America | 1984 | $30,000,000 | $5,321,508 | 17.70% |
North | 1994 | $40,000,000 | $7,138,449 | 17.80% |
Meet the Deedles | 1998 | $24,000,000 | $4,308,981 | 18.00% |
Glitter | 2001 | $22,000,000 | $4,273,372 | 18.10% |
Osmosis Jones | 2001 | $75,000,000 | $25,120,662 | 18.10% |
Newsies | 1992 | $15,000,000 | $2,819,485 | 18.80% |
Femme Fatale | 2002 | $35,000,000 | $6,630,252 | 18.90% |
Raise the Titanic! | 1980 | $36,000,000 | $7,000,000 | 19.40% |
Dune | 1984 | $45,000,000 | $6,025,091 | 19.50% |
Soldier | 1998 | $75,000,000 | $14,623,082 | 19.50% |
The Black Cauldron | 1985 | $44,000,000 | $4,180,110 | 19.60% |
Jetsons: The Movie | 1990 | $10,900,000 | $5,029,640 | 19.60% |
Jade | 1995 | $50,000,000 | $9,795,017 | 19.60% |
Cool as Ice | 1991 | $6,000,000 | $1,193,062 | 19.80% |
Holy Man | 1998 | $60,000,000 | $12,069,719 | 20.10% |
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen | 1988 | $40,000,000 | $8,083,123 | 20.20% |
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever | 2002 | $70,000,000 | $14,294,842 | 20.40% |
The World’s Fastest Indian | 2005 | $25,000,000 | $5,128,124 | 20.50% |
The Scarlet Letter | 1995 | $50,000,000 | $10,382,407 | 20.80% |
The Alamo | 2004 | $107,000,000 | $22,414,961 | 20.90% |
Mad City | 1997[27] | $50,000,000 | $10,541,523 | 21.10% |
Nothing But Trouble | 1991 | $40,000,000 | $8,479,793 | 21.20% |
A Good Year | 2006 | $35,000,000 | $7,459,300 | 21.30% |
Flyboys | 2006 | $60,000,000 | $13,082,288 | 21.80% |
Around the World in 80 Days | 2004 | $110,000,000 | $24,008,137 | 21.80% |
The Postman | 1997 | $80,000,000 | $17,593,391 | 22% |
Alexande | 2004 | $155,000,000 | $34,297,191 | 22.10% |
Rock-a-Doodle | 1992 | $11,600,000 | $2,603,286 | 22.30% |
The Four Feathers | 2002 | $80,000,000 | $18,306,166 | 22.50% |
Pathfinder: Legend of the Ghost Warrior | 2007 | $45,000,000 | $10,232,081 | 22.70% |
Gods and Generals | 2003 | $56,000,000 | $12,882,034 | 23% |
Stealth | 2005 | $138,000,000 | $31,704,416 | 23.00% |
The Invasion | 2007 | $65,000,000 | $15,055,795 | 23.20% |
Red Planet | 2000 | $75,000,000 | $17,473,245 | 23.30% |
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | 2001 | $137,000,000 | $32,131,830 | 23.30% |
Blood and Chocolate | 2007 | $15,000,000 | $3,526,588 | 23.50% |
Get Carter | 2000 | $63,600,000 | $14,967,182 | 23.50% |
Santa Claus: The Movie | 1985 | $50,000,000 | $5,647,160 | 23.80% |
Snoopy Come Home | 1972 | $1,000,000 | $245,073 | 24.50% |
The Last Castle | 2001 | $72,000,000 | $18,208,078 | 25.30% |
3000 Miles to Graceland | 2001 | $62,000,000 | $15,738,632 | 25.40% |
The Lost City | 2005 | $9,600,000 | $2,484,186 | 25.90% |
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas | 2003 | $60,000,000 | $6,874,477 | 26% |
Hudson Hawk | 1991 | $65,000,000 | $17,218,080 | 26.10% |
Slither | 2006 | $29,500,000 | $7,802,450 | 26.40% |
Redline | 2007 | $26,000,000 | $6,881,022 | 26.50% |
Looney Tunes: Back in Action | 2003 | $80,000,000 | $21,600,585 | 27.00% |
Rollerball | 2002 | $70,000,000 | $18,990,542 | 27.10% |
Hart’s War | 2002 | $70,000,000 | $19,076,815 | 27.10% |
Hard Rain | 1998 | $70,000,000 | $19,819,000 | 27.70% |
EDtv | 1999 | $80,000,000 | $21,431,897 | 28.00% |
I Know Who Killed Me | 2007 | $12,000,000 | $3,400,000 | 28.30% |
Screamers | 1995 | $20,000,000 | $5,711,695 | 28.60% |
Beloved | 1998 | $80,000,000 | $22,852,487 | 28.60% |
The Hoax | 2007 | $25,000,000 | $7,164,995 | 28.70% |
Alone in the Dark | 2005 | $20,000,000 | $5,178,169 | 28.90% |
The Fountain | 2006 | $35,000,000 | $10,144,010 | 28.90% |
The Island | 2005 | $122,200,000 | $35,799,026 | 29.20% |
Battlefield Earth | 2000 | $73,000,000 | $21,471,685 | 29.40% |
Connie and Carla | 2004 | $27,000,000 | $8,085,771 | 29.90% |
Speed 2: Cruise Control | 1997 | $160,000,000 | $48,068,396 | 30.00% |
Titan A.E. | 2000 | $75,000,000 | $22,753,426 | 30.30% |
The Transformers: The Movie | 1986 | $5,000,000 | $1,779,559 | 30.40% |
The Pagemaster | 1994 | $13,670,688 | $4,188,399 | 30.60% |
Hollywood Ending | 2002 | $16,000,000 | $4,839,383 | 31.50% |
The Condemned | 2007 | $23,000,000 | $7,327,940 | 31.80% |
Solaris | 2002 | $47,000,000 | $14,970,038 | 31.90% |
Josie and the Pussycats | 2001 | $22,000,000 | $4,562,455 | 32% |
Hoot | 2006 | $15,000,000 | $4,889,754 | 32.50% |
Moonlight Mile | 2002 | $21,000,000 | $6,835,856 | 32.60% |
Ed Wood | 1994 | $18,000,000 | $5,887,457 | 32.70% |
Terminal Velocity | 1994 | $50,000,000 | $16,478,900 | 32.90% |
Jakob the Liar | 1999 | $15,000,000 | $4,956,401 | 33.00% |
Happily N’Ever After | 2007 | $47,000,000 | $15,589,393 | 33.20% |
The Bonfire of the Vanities | 1990 | $47,000,000 | $15,691,192 | 33.40% |
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada | 2005 | $15,000,000 | $5,027,684 | 33.50% |
Crash | 1996 | $10,000,000 | $3,357,324 | 33.60% |
Treasure Planet | 2002 | $140,000,000 | $38,176,783 | 34.80% |
U Turn | 1997 | $19,000,000 | $6,633,400 | 34.90% |
K-19: The Widowmaker | 2002 | $100,000,000 | $35,168,677 | 35.10% |
Tom and Jerry: The Movie | 1992 | $3,560,469 | $1,225,912 | 35.30% |
Windtalkers | 2001 | $115,000,000 | $40,911,830 | 35.60% |
Memoirs of an Invisible Man | 1992 | $40,000,000 | $14,358,033 | 35.90% |
Ishtar | 1987 | $55,000,000 | $14,375,181 | 35.90% |
Kingdom of Heaven | 2005 | $130,000,000 | $47,396,698 | 36.50% |
Doogal | 2006 | $20,000,000 | $7,417,319 | 37.10% |
The Legend of Bagger Vance | 2000 | $60,000,000 | $11,516,712 | 37.20% |
Grindhouse | 2007 | $67,000,000 | $25,037,897 | 37.30% |
The Chipmunk Adventure | 1987 | $6,804,312 | $2,584,720 | 38% |
The 13th Warrior | 1999 | $85,000,000 | $32,694,788 | 38.50% |
Judge Dredd | 1995 | $90,000,000 | $34,694,000 | 38.50% |
Wing Commander | 1999 | $30,000,000 | $11,576,087 | 38.60% |
The Majestic | 2001 | $72,000,000 | $27,796,042 | 38.60% |
The Avengers | 1998 | $60,000,000 | $23,322,832 | 38.90% |
Wyatt Earp | 1994 | $63,000,000 | $25,052,000 | 39.80% |
Dragonfly | 2002 | $75,000,000 | $30,063,805 | 40% |
Daylight | 1996 | $80,000,000 | $32,885,565 | 40% |
Catwoman | 2004 | $100,000,000 | $40,202,379 | 40.20% |
Code Name: The Cleaner | 2007 | $20,000,000 | $8,135,024 | 40.70% |
The Whole Ten Yards | 2004 | $40,000,000 | $16,323,969 | 40.80% |
From Justin to Kelly | 2003 | $12,000,000 | $4,922,166 | 41.60% |
The Core | 2003 | $74,000,000 | $31,111,260 | 41.80% |
The 6th Day | 2000 | $82,000,000 | $34,543,700 | 42.10% |
Lions for Lambs | 2007 | $35,000,000 | $15,000,115 | 42.90% |
Zathura | 2005 | $65,000,000 | $28,045,540 | 43.10% |
Thirteen Days | 2000 | $80,000,000 | $34,566,746 | 43.20% |
Driven | 2001 | $72,000,000 | $32,616,869 | 44% |
Body of Evidence | 1993 | $30,000,000 | $13,273,595 | 44.20% |
Return To Oz | 1985 | $25,000,000 | $11,137,801 | 44.60% |
Lords of Dogtown | 2005 | $25,000,000 | $11,273,517 | 45.10% |
Showgirls | 1995 | $45,000,000 | $20,302,961 | 45.10% |
The Black Dahlia | 2006 | $50,000,000 | $22,545,080 | 45.10% |
The Island | 1980 | $22,000,000 | $10,000,000 | 45.50% |
Sorcerer | 1977 | $22,000,000 | $10,000,000 | 45.50% |
Home On The Range | 2004 | $110,000,000 | $50,030,461 | 45.50% |
New York Minute | 2004 | $30,000,000 | $14,045,006 | 46.80% |
The Iron Giant | 1999 | $48,000,000 | $23,159,305 | 48.20% |
The Country Bears | 2002 | $35,000,000 | $16,990,825 | 48.50% |
Son of the Mask | 2005 | $84,000,000 | $17,018,422 | 49.40% |
Meet Joe Black | 1998 | $90,000,000 | $44,606,335 | 49.60% |
Little Nicky | 2000 | $80,000,000 | $39,442,871 | 49.70% |
Freddy Got Fingered | 2001 | $15,000,000 | $7,098,549 | 49.80% |
Super Mario Bros. | 1993 | $42,000,000 | $20,915,465 | 49.80% |
P2 | 2007 | $8,000,000 | $3,995,018 | 49.90% |
Once Upon A Forest | 1993 | $13,000,000 | $6,500,000 | 50% |
Legend | 1985 | $30,000,000 | $15,502,112 | 50.50% |
Zodiac | 2007 | $65,000,000 | $33,080,083 | 50.90% |
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | 2007 | $35,000,000 | $18,317,151 | 52.30% |
Chasing Liberty | 2004 | $23,000,000 | $12,195,626 | 53% |
Happily Ever After | 1993 | $3,299,382 | $1,756,050 | 53.20% |
Howard the Duck | 1986 | $30,000,000 | $16,295,136 | 53.30% |
Mars Attacks! | 1996 | $70,000,000 | $37,754,208 | 53.90% |
The Wiz | 1978 | $24,000,000 | $13,000,000 | 54.20% |
The Cotton Club | 1984 | $47,000,000 | $25,928,721 | 55.20% |
Heathers | 1989 | $2,000,000 | $1,108,462 | 55.40% |
Welcome to Mooseport | 2004 | $26,000,000 | $14,470,947 | 55.70% |
Laws of Attraction | 2004 | $32,000,000 | $17,871,255 | 55.90% |
Mighty Joe Young | 1998 | $90,000,000 | $50,632,037 | 56.30% |
Quest for Camelot | 1998 | $40,000,000 | $22,717,758 | 56.80% |
King Arthur | 2004 | $90,000,000 | $51,882,244 | 57.60% |
Last Action Hero | 1993 | $85,000,000 | $50,016,394 | 58.80% |
Cleopatra | 1963 | $44,000,000 | $26,000,000 | 59% |
The Next Best Thing | 2000 | $25,000,000 | $14,990,582 | 59.90% |
14 Comments
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Check your Math on SON OF THE MASK, 17mil is not 49% of 84Mil
These might be bombs at the box office, but a lot of these movies went on to become cult classics through video sales.
I agree! I loved “Returned to OZ,” “Super Mario Bros.,” “Treasure Planet” and more. Although a movie doesn’t do well financially, doesn’t mean it was the worst movie…I will buy these DVDs and love them FOREVER!!!!!
Bicentennial Man 1999 $100,000,000 $8,234,926 14.10%
OK, how is $8.2 million gross out of a $100 million cost equal 14%? Wouldn’t it be, oh, I don’t know, 8.2%?
some of these sound like pornos
This list has a ton of inaccurate information!!! Some of the “totals” are opening weekend amounts, and some are out of nowhere. For example, I don’t know what Fantasia 1940 movie you’re talking about, but the classic Disney one made $76M total. There’s a ton of other examples too.
Waterworld should be on here too, 88.2/175 = 50.4%.
Wrong. Water World had almost 90 million in net profit.
You now need to add “Che” at 40+ million in budget and not even 1.4 mil on the bank – with an A-list Director and Actor this has to be up there.
pirates is a porno, and where does mallrats play out in this list?
kingdom of heaven?? that movie was amazing and has grossed over 211 million world wide, this is only taking into effect opening weekend on some titles. Some pretty terrible movies though that’s for sure.
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You forgot “Big Bully”, which got back about 7% of its budget.