This year has been one of stark contrasts at the box office. On one side, you have the spectacular failures that defied all logic despite studios sinking every resource the studio could throw at it.
On the other hand, you have critically hailed "masterpieces" like Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which earned rave reviews and Oscar buzz, yet is still projected to cost its studio over $100 million in losses after being released in the cinema.
Both are considered by the film industry as financial disappointments, but for very different reasons - but who have been the biggest disappointments at the cinema so far this year?
To figure that out, we ignored the simple "gross vs. budget" line and instead followed the rule in Hollywood that a movie needs to make 2.5 times its production cost just to cover marketing, distribution, and the cinema's cut—anything less is a guaranteed loser.
All the loss estimates we're using come from websites such as IMDB and Box Office Mojo, but keep in mind, they are educated guesses based on our rule of thumb. By applying this critical 2.5x threshold to major blockbusters and focusing on the biggest misses, we can accurately rank the most embarrassing financial disappointments of the year.
So, what films are up for the proverbial wooden spoon alongside One Battle After Another?
5. Mickey 17 (Estimated Budget: $118 Million)
Bong Joon-ho's first film since his Oscar-winning Parasite was a highly anticipated sci-fi drama starring Robert Pattinson. Despite the pedigree of its director and star, Mickey 17 struggled to find a mainstream audience for its challenging and thought-provoking narrative. With a production budget well over $100 million, the film's modest box office performance indicated that even acclaimed auteurs face an uphill battle with big-budget original sci-fi in today's market. 💰 Estimated Losses: $60 – $80 Million | Warner Bros. Pictures
6. The Smashing Machine (Estimated Budget: $50 Million)
Dwayne Johnson took a dramatic turn in this biopic about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, but the gamble did not pay off at the box office. With a production budget of $50 million, the film's extremely low worldwide gross represented a career low for Johnson in a leading role. Audiences simply didn't turn up for The Rock in a serious dramatic role, making The Smashing Machine a significant and high-profile financial bust. 💰 Estimated Losses: $50 – $75 Million | Contributed
7. Better Man (Estimated Budget: $110 Million)
This biopic about the life of pop superstar Robbie Williams proved to be a catastrophic financial failure. With a significant budget for a musical drama, the film was met with incredibly low audience interest worldwide. Its minimal box office gross made it impossible to recoup production costs, let alone marketing, solidifying its place as one of the year's most severe financial disappointments for Paramount. 💰 Estimated Losses: $80 – $100 Million | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
8. Elio (Estimated Budget: $175 – $200 Million)
Pixar, a studio synonymous with critical acclaim and box office success, hit a rare stumbling block with Elio. This original animated feature struggled to connect with audiences, delivering one of the lowest opening weekends in Pixar's history. Despite its creative premise, the film failed to generate the necessary buzz or ticket sales to cover its substantial animation budget and marketing, leading to a significant disappointment for the animation giant. 💰 Estimated Losses: $100 – $150 Million | Pixar