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- There's no shortage of notable box office bombs from the 2010s that have rightfully gotten re-evaluations from both fans and critics over the past few years. These great films may have been box office flops when they first premiered, but are now considered remarkable classics with a solid fanbase.
A movie’s performance during its time in theaters doesn’t always indicate the quality of any given film. Bad movies can still earn money and there’s nothing stopping underappreciated box office bombs from making their way into the ranks of celebrated movies.
For some great modern movies, monetary earnings were not always ideal. Despite being fantastic in their own right, many films failed to perform well at the box office. It may come as a surprise to find out just how many brilliant movies underperformed upon release.
Updated on December 30th, 2022, by Hannah Saab:
There's no shortage of notable box office bombs from the 2010s that have rightfully gotten re-evaluations from both fans and critics over the past few years. These great films may have been box office flops when they first premiered, but are now considered remarkable classics with a solid fanbase.
'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)
Available to stream on Hulu.
A sequel to the Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049 has some of the best visual effects, music and cinematography to ever grace a science fiction film. With multiple Academy Award victories and nominations, the film was a success but considered a box office disappointment, as it grossed around $259 million worldwide against a production budget of $185 million.
Blade Runner 2049 follows android police officer K as he attempts to uncover how his elusive past and the fate of the world have become mysteriously interlinked. The cast, in particular, is a highlight of the film; Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas and more give their all in a surprisingly well-executed revival of a classic sci-fi franchise.
'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' (2015)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Based on the 1964 series of the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a 2015 spy movie directed by Guy Ritchie, director of The Gentlemen and Disney’s live-action Aladdin. The film stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as rival American and Russian spies, forced to work together to save the world from nuclear destruction.
Stylish, comedic and charming, its $109.8 million worldwide gross wasn’t enough to make it a box office success. With an $84 million budget, the quirky spy flick is now remembered as an underappreciated box office bomb.
'Solo: A Star Wars Story' (2018)
Available to stream on Disney+.
An overlooked spin-off in the hugely popular Star Wars franchise, this space-Western heist film deserves another look. Solo: A Star Wars Story depicts the humble beginnings of Han Solo, the smuggler who made his first on-screen appearance all the way back in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope. In both George Lucas’ original trilogy and its Disney-made sequels, Solo was portrayed by Harrison Ford who, in the 2018 spin-off, was replaced by Alden Ehrenreich.
The movie also features other stars like Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke, but grossed just $393 million worldwide with a production budget of $275 million, making it the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars film and the first in the franchise to be regarded as a box office bomb.
'Hugo' (2011)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Hugo only grossed $181 million against its production budget of $180 million. Still, many critics looked past the film's disappointing box office earnings. Ultimately, Hugo was nominated for the Oscars in eleven categories, ultimately earning the prestigious accolades for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the historical adventure movie tells the story of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), whose discovery of a mysterious automaton entangles him with the world and legacy of real-life filmmaker Georges Méliès.
'The Master' (2012)
Available to stream on Tubi TV, Kanopy and Paramount+ Showtime.
The Master continues to be an excellent film in spite of its underwhelming box office earnings. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film is impressive on a variety of fronts, with a particular highlight of the film being the slew of underrated performances from its star-studded cast.
The film focuses on the relationship between war veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) and Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the head of a religious movement that begins to intrigue and inspire Quell throughout the film. Grossing $28.3 million against its $42 million budget, The Master financially underperformed upon release, but it remains a fantastic film, holding a place as one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best films.
'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010)
Available to stream on Starz.
Nowadays, you would be remiss to find someone who doesn’t enjoy the kick-ass action romance Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. But the electric comic book movie, directed by Edgar Wright, wasn’t always considered as iconic is it is today.
At least, that’s what it’s box office performance would suggest. With a production budget of $85 million, the film only grossed $49.3 million worldwide. Still a visual and comedy treat that no modern movie fan should miss, the 2010 film tells the story of Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), an aloof musician made to battle against the evil exes of his new girlfriend Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
'The Lost City of Z' (2017)
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
For the compelling biographical drama that it was, The Lost City of Z did not deserve the poor box office earnings that met it upon release. With production expenses amounting to around $30 million, the film only grossed around $19.3 million worldwide.
Highlighting the true story of one man’s attempts to find a hidden city in the Amazon rainforest, the film stars Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland, Ian McDiarmid and several other talented actors. The film and the performances of its cast are now widely celebrated, even in the face of a lack of commercial success.
'ParaNorman' (2012)
Available to stream on The Roku Channel.
Though a modest box office success, ParaNorman was reportedly a commercial disappointment for Laika, the studio behind the film. It grossed $107 million worldwide against a production budget of roughly $60 million. ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated film that follows
Norman, a young boy who possesses the ability to communicate with ghosts, as he struggles against a curse that has befallen his hometown.
The film’s voice cast is stacked with accomplished actors, consisting of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Ariel Winter and more. And with animation reminiscent of Coraline and The Boxtrolls, what’s not to love about this underrated stop-motion film?
'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping' (2016)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
Fans of comedy music trio ‘The Lonely Island’ – which consists of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone – would have undoubtedly heard about Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. The 2016 musical mockumentary depicts the highs and lows of fame experienced by Conner Friel (Samberg), who abandons his co-artists and childhood friends The Style Boyz to pursue a solo career in rap.
The 2016 film was unable to make back its $20 million production expenses, grossing only $9 million worldwide. Despite underperforming at the box office, the film sticks the landing where it counts, with the added bonus of featuring hilarious appearances from various real-life celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Seal.
'Dredd' (2012)
Available to stream on Peacock Premium.
Nowadays, more mature movies like Deadpool are a welcome bit of diversity to the slew of regular comic book releases. But for 2012, Dredd was a bold and underrated release. A film by Pete Travis and Alex Garland, Dredd is an adaptation of the Judge Dredd comics. On a budget of $45 million, the film grossed $41 million upon release, making it a box office bomb.
But aside from understated performances from Karl Urban and Lena Headey, the film boasts phenomenal action sequences and a gritty, dystopian world that no comic book movie fan should miss.