Hollywood likes to go big. At times, it wins big, pulling in a lot of cash. Other times, it falls hard, leaving piles of lost money. For every hit movie, there’s a story of too much spent, bad ads, and people just saying no. Let’s walk through some of Hollywood’s most costly fails—films that didn’t just flop, they went down in flames. Here are the top 10 high-cost fails in Hollywood, from the not-so-bad to the big train wreck at the box office.
10. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Estimated Loss: $118–161 Million
Gal Gadot’s return as Diana Prince was a highly anticipated one—perhaps too highly. Having a pandemic-release strategy that released it to streaming the same day that it was in theaters didn’t help, as the movie couldn’t find its footing. Throw in some lukewarm reviews and some substantial tonal whiplash when compared to the first film, and what should have been a slam dunk turned into an expensive misfire. The lasso of truth couldn’t rope people in this time.
9. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Estimated Loss: $183 Million
Guy Ritchie’s dark retelling of the King Arthur myth had all the ingredients for a franchise launch: epic battles, magic swords, and Charlie Hunnam attempting to bring some regal cool. But crowds weren’t buying it. The film’s overly stylized and confusing direction couldn’t make up for the enormous price tag. All that sword-waving and it never even came close to winning box office gold.
8. Mars Needs Moms (2011)
Estimated Loss: $180–190 Million
This one hurts still. With a substantial budget and state-of-the-art motion-capture animation, Mars Needs Moms set out to pull heartstrings—but most successfully creeped people out instead. The dead eyes and fumbly movements of the characters relegated the film firmly to the dreaded “uncanny valley.” Families avoided it in droves, and Disney quietly shelved similar animated ventures thereafter.
7. Pan (2015)
Estimated Loss: $170–180 Million
Peter Pan took a great swing at turning into the next fantasy epic. and crashed straight into the clouds. A recognizable cast and a massive production budget couldn’t help it find its audience. Critics were nasty, word-of-mouth was worse, and the final numbers were brutal. In the end, it was less Neverland and more Never-again.
6. Turning Red (2022)
Estimated Loss: $167–174 Million
Pixar generally gets it out of the park, but Turning Red struggled to connect more. With a budget of $175 million and a limited theatrical run, it found itself in a peculiar place: too serious for young children, but not focused on adults either. Its release directly to streaming didn’t do its box office number any favors, even if the story gained a second life among families at home.
5. Jungle Cruise (2021)
Estimated Loss: $169 Million
A theme park ride becomes an adventure film could ring a bell (hiya, Pirates of the Caribbean), but twice lightning did not strike. Though Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt were endearing, Jungle Cruise was caught up in the muddle of a hybrid release plan and didn’t rake in the treasure Disney anticipated. On paper, it seemed like fun—but when brought to life, it simply went adrift.
4. Strange World (2022)
Estimated Loss: $197 Million
This visually ambitious Disney movie sought to combine sci-fi, family fare, and adventure, but most folks didn’t even know it was out there. With nearly no marketing effort and a muddled launch, Strange World quietly withered away in theaters shortly after its release. Though it received good word-of-mouth from those who saw it, the numbers just never worked out.
3. Battleship (2012)
Estimated Loss: $191–205 Million
You see that moment where a studio sees a board game and is like, “Yeah, this should be a $220 million alien war movie”? Battleship was that risk, and boy, did it go down in flames. It attempted to hop on the coattails of the Transformers bandwagon but resulted in none of the wit and all of the din. People couldn’t tell what it was attempting to be—and neither could the movie itself.
2. The 13th Warrior (1999)
Estimated Loss: $227 Million
From a Michael Crichton book and featuring Antonio Banderas, The 13th Warrior had everything it needed to be a blockbuster, perhaps the exception being a logical plot and timing. Overbudget, constant reshooting, and a muddled storyline cursed this one from the start. By the time it stumbled onto screens, it was already an economic sinkhole. To this day, it’s not remembered for anything that happened on camera, but for how much it cost.
1. John Carter (2012)
Estimated Loss: $255 Million
And here is the crown jewel of film flops. John Carter boasted a humongous budget, incessant hype, and the burden of Disney’s expectations. But none of those things could prevent it from receiving a tone-deaf marketing campaign, a cluttered title, and a narrative that people just couldn’t grab hold of. The film grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, but the budget was so high, it still ended up losing a jaw-dropping $255 million. It’s the stuff of studio legend, and not in a good way.
Hollywood isn’t afraid to spend big, but these disasters are a testament that no star power, CGI, or marketing buzz can ensure a hit. For all the runaway blockbusters, there’s a cautionary tale in waiting, reminding everyone that sometimes even the biggest gamble turns into the most expensive regret.