The Biggest Box Office FLOPS of 2024

December is the perfect time to reflect on the cinematic impressions of the past 12 months. This year brought us at least a few titles whose epic nature and massive promotional machines will undoubtedly stay in our memories—films like Wicked, Gladiator II, Dune: Part Two, and the highly anticipated sequel to Inside Out. Ultimately, 2024 turned out to be quite a successful and prolific period for high-quality, well-promoted international cinema, a pleasant surprise given the uncertainty surrounding truly electrifying productions from the previous year. As always, alongside the most successful cinematic releases, it’s worth dedicating some space to those that, for various reasons, failed to meet audience expectations, ending their distribution runs with significant financial losses. Here’s a rather infamous list of ten 2024 titles that became the year’s biggest box office flops:

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (Dir. Kevin Costner)

An epic family saga, a Western that harks back to the genre’s classics, with a scale comparable to the biggest blockbusters—all resting on the ambitious shoulders of Kevin Costner, who took on the roles of director, lead actor, screenwriter, and producer. The extensive promotional campaign for Horizon promised much, but ultimately, Costner’s dream project will go down as one of his most notable image-related failures. Costner personally invested $38 million into the film, which had a total production cost of $100 million. However, the three-hour-long epic brought in only $11 million during its opening weekend and barely managed to recoup its budget, grossing around $38 million—mirroring Costner’s own investment. The disappointing outcome has cast doubt on the swift production and release of the sequel, leaving its future uncertain.

Borderlands (Dir. Eli Roth)

In keeping with the trend of adapting popular video games (notably The Last of Us and Fallout), the summer of 2024 delivered another film inspired by a gaming franchise. However, compared to other titles born from this concept, Borderlands was a massive letdown for fans. Despite the involvement of major contemporary cinema icons like Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis, Eli Roth’s film faced significant financial losses. It was also heavily criticized for its unengaging plot, lackluster humor, and departure from the spirit of the original games. With a budget estimated at $120 million, the film grossed only $30 million at the box office, leaving its creators to deal with losses nearing $200 million.

Madame Web (Dir. S.J. Clarkson)

Let’s face it—who doesn’t regret the money spent on watching Madame Web on the big screen? Dakota Johnson, whose performances in films like The Lost Daughter and Persuasion helped her distance herself from the Fifty Shades series, once again found herself at the helm of a project that quickly became a taboo topic even for its stars. Madame Web, another addition to the Sonyverse, is a film most would prefer to forget. Featuring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Tahar Rahim, and Celeste O’Connor, the movie ended up on several infamous lists this year, including those highlighting the biggest box office flops. Although it managed to surpass its budget, grossing about $20 million more, the modest financial success fell far short of what the creators had envisioned for this new comic book adaptation.

Joker: Folie à Deux (Dir. Todd Phillips)

When the first news of a sequel to 2019’s Joker broke, followed by Lady Gaga joining the cast and the revelation that the film would be a musical, I voiced my concerns about why Joker: Folie à Deux should never be made. The unconventional concept faced widespread skepticism, and unfortunately, many of the dire predictions came true when the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The original Joker, a brutal, incisive character study of Arthur Fleck, earned its place as a modern classic that didn’t need a sequel. Folie à Deux, however, alienated even Todd Phillips’ most devoted fans. With $200 million invested in its production (an astonishing sum, given its unclear allocation), the film only grossed $206 million, solidifying its place as one of the least profitable films in recent years.

Megalopolis (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)

The failure of Megalopolis is a disheartening conclusion to the illustrious career of an iconic director. Francis Ford Coppola, who had dreamed for years of creating a grand, utopian depiction of a modern “New Rome,” emerged as the biggest loser of this ill-fated project. The legendary director of The Godfather personally invested a substantial amount of his own money into what was intended to be the crowning achievement of his cinematic career, only to suffer colossal financial losses. With a budget of $120 million—one of the largest of the year—the film received minimal audience interest in both the U.S. and Europe. It was further met with widespread critical disdain, ultimately grossing a mere $11 million in ticket sales.

Bikeriders (Dir. Jeff Nichols)

Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Mike Faist headlining a dynamic summer action film? Expectations were high for Bikeriders, appealing to fans of all four stars. Unfortunately, even this stellar cast couldn’t salvage the film’s overly drawn-out and inconsistent script, making it an exhausting cinematic experience. Based on the true story of the Vandals motorcycle gang, the film debuted in August, competing with heavyweights like Inside Out 2 and the highly publicized It Ends with Us. Struggling to stand out, Bikeriders failed to recoup its $40 million budget, grossing only $35 million at the box office.

Furiosa: Mad Max Saga (Dir. George Miller)

Was a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road exploring Furiosa’s origins necessary for completing the original film? Not at all. Did it succeed as a visually stunning, monumental tale about an underappreciated heroine? Arguably, yes. George Miller’s Furiosa chronicles the journey from the young girl’s abduction by the ruthless Dementus to her eventual revenge as a grown woman, played brilliantly by Anya Taylor-Joy. Despite an extensive promotional campaign, the film didn’t achieve the spectacular success anticipated. With a $168 million budget, Furiosa grossed $172 million globally. However, associated losses pushed the deficit to over $160 million.

Fly Me to the Moon (Dir. Greg Berlanti)

If you missed Fly Me to the Moon, a romantic comedy starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, amidst this summer’s blockbuster lineup, you’re not alone. Greg Berlanti’s film received minimal promotion, despite a massive $100 million budget. The romantic tale set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 mission stood no chance of competing with this year’s summer hits, ultimately becoming a commercial disaster. To break even, the film would have needed to earn $200 million at the box office. Instead, its total gross barely exceeded $20 million.

Drive Away Dolls (Dir. Ethan Coen)

Ethan Coen’s solo project enlisted a cast of promising young stars, but the result was disappointing. After an intriguing opening set in a crime-filled early 21st century, the film devolves into a chaotic parody with comedic elements that often felt misplaced. Drive Away Dolls failed to capture the essence of a high-stakes road movie, instead delivering a poorly conceived lesbian romance portrayed in an exaggerated and unnatural manner. Despite cameos from Hollywood heavyweights like Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, and Colman Domingo, the film failed to resonate with fans of the Coen brothers. Its most significant failure was in the U.S., where opening weekend ticket sales didn’t even reach $2.5 million. Globally, the film grossed $8 million against a $20 million budget.

Argylle (Dir. Matthew Vaughn)

One of the biggest flops of the past year was Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn. A lackluster plot relying heavily on action sequences and poorly developed characters was the primary reason the film underperformed. Despite an all-star cast, the movie failed to generate enough interest to recover its massive $200 million production cost. With mediocre reviews, Argylle concluded its theatrical run with $96 million in global earnings, resulting in losses exceeding $100 million.