Hollywood swung for the fences in 2025, but not every hit landed. Some big-name projects flopped so spectacularly, they’re remembered more for their losses than their premieres. Here’s a countdown of the year’s most painful box office flops—leading up to the biggest flop of all.
10. Wolf Man
Universal and Blumhouse were looking to reboot their monster roster with a glossy werewolf remake, but this howl didn’t amount to much. Leigh Whannell directed, and a good cast was assembled, but behind-the-scenes upheavals (including the departure of Ryan Gosling) didn’t do it any favors. The film grossed less than $35 million on a budget of $25 million—technically profitable, but far from blockbuster material.
9. In the Lost Lands
Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich typically draw reliable audiences, but their George R.R. Martin adaptation lost its way off a cliff. Even Dave Bautista’s star power could not yank it out of darkness. With just $4.9 million grossed worldwide on a $55 million price tag, this epic fantasy was more “Game over” than “Game of Thrones.”
8. Death of a Unicorn
A24 established a track record of taking offbeat tales and making indie gold out of them—but this time the sorcery failed. Headlined by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, the satire tried too hard but could not get its balance. The box office returns just broke even on its $15 million investment. Not all unicorns are real.
7. Love Hurts
An action-thriller casting Ke Huy Quan alongside Ariana DeBose had potential: a realtor by day, hitman by night. But the bloated assassin genre made this one land with a thud. Scoring less than $20 million on a budget of $17 million, the film dissipated quickly, even with its Oscar-winning stars.
6. Opus
The other A24 swing, a cult-themed horror this time in the dark, starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich. Following underwhelming festival buzz and lackluster marketing, fans did not respond. Under $2 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, Opus won’t be the next sleeper cult classic it hoped to be.
5. Black Bag
On paper, Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, and Steven Soderbergh sounded like a formula for prestige thrills. Critics swooned, but spectators remained at home. With great reviews, the $50 million spy thriller reached a worldwide high of only $39 million. Evidence that even spectacular Rotten Tomatoes marks can’t assure box office success.
4. The Alto Knights
Robert De Niro doubled as two gangster leaders in Barry Levinson’s gangster drama, but the era of mafia pictures packing movie houses is over. The film struggled to make only $9.5 million on a whopping $45 million budget—sealing its reputation as an expensive dud.
3. Mickey 17
Following Parasite, hopes were high for Bong Joon-ho’s comeback. With Robert Pattinson starring in multiple incarnations of himself, the ambitious sci-fi epic threatened something new and daring. Alas, it cost $118 million and earned just $111.2 million worldwide, with Warner Bros. losing an estimated $75 million. It seems that multiplying Pattinson doesn’t multiply dividends.
2. Snow White
Disney wagered big on nostalgia with this $250 million live-action redo. Instead, it turned out to be one of the year’s biggest, most-discussed flops. Amidst online outrage and franchise exhaustion, Snow White managed only $205 million globally—far from what was needed to make back its gargantuan price tag.
1. Elio
Pixar’s newest original was looking to kick off a new franchise, but the public wasn’t interested. Debating against tough competition (How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch buzz did nothing to help), it recorded Pixar’s lowest opening ever. With only $35 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, Elio stood as the year’s most egregious bomb. Even Pixar magic couldn’t resuscitate it.
From botched reboots to overstuffed remakes, 2025 taught us that big budgets and big stars aren’t always a recipe for success. Ultimately, the year’s biggest losers serve as a reminder that audiences are unpredictable—and sometimes ruthlessly so.