This is a list of movies for which the revenue retained by the movie studio didn't cover production and marketing costs.

Calculation

The retained revenue from box office sales are ~50% and from DVD sales and other revenue perhaps ~50% as well. So if the gross sales aren't double the production and marketing cost it probably made a loss. The "Worldwide DVD Gross" and eventual other revenue figures are more difficult to determine.

According to Regal Cinemas in 2004, the average production cost of films it showed averaged about US$63.8 million, and the average marketing cost was about $39.0 million. The averages were $29.9 million and $14.1 million, respectively, in 1993.

Note that the monetary grosses listed below are not actually received by the movie studios. The gross is merely the sum of all the movie tickets sold. The movie theater keeps around 45% of this amount, and the remainder goes to the movie studio as the film rental fee.

Background

Financial success is the primary reason that studios make movies. However not all films are guaranteed to be successful. A good indication of the success of a film is to look at the budget of the movie and then see what the gross income of that film was. Studios expect that a film's "domestic" (which the film industry defines as the United States and Canada) box office gross will exceed production costs.

If it recoups this cost, then it can be considered a success; otherwise, it is often referred to as a box office bomb. It should be noted that different genres of film are subject to different standards of success. For example, action movies typically have higher production and promotion costs than romance movies.

Examples

In the most dramatic cases, a single film's poor performance can push a studio into bankruptcy or equivalent financial ruin, as happened with United Artists (Heaven's Gate), Carolco Pictures (Cutthroat Island), and Squaresoft's Square Pictures (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within). Some have even changed a company's agenda, such as Walt Disney Pictures's decision to make only 3-D animation which stemmed from the failure of Treasure Planet.

Typically, the most notorious flops are summer blockbusters, which often entail huge costs to produce and face a highly competitive market, circumstances that can lead to enormous success or disastrous failure. Additionally, advertising costs are not included in a movie's production cost, and frequently make a bomb's failure all the more crushing for the studio.

Box office bombs are also sometimes referred to as flops or turkeys.

List of Financial Bombs (Numbers are in US$)

0-9

A

B

C

D

• Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
  • Budget: $35,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • U.S. Gross: $15,185,241
    • Worldwide Gross: $33,807,409

E

• Enemy at the Gates (2001)
  • Budget: $68,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $12,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $96,976,270 (U.S. $51,396,781)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

• Envy (2004)
  • Budget: $40,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $13,562,325

• Event Horizon (1997)
  • Budget: $60,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $26,616,590

• Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) (as of Oct. 7, 2004)
  • Budget: $40,000,000 (completed Paul Schrader version)
  • Budget: $50,000,000 (reshot Renny Harlin version)
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $25,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $43,548,782 (U.S. $41,548,782)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

F

G

• Gigli (2003)
  • Budget: $54,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $20,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $7,266,209 (U.S. $6,068,735)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

• Glitter (2001)
  • Budget: $22,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $8,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $5,271,666 (U.S. $4,273,372)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

• Gods and Generals (2003)
  • Budget: $56,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: N/A (U.S $13,006,000)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

H

• Hart's War (2002)
  • Budget: $70,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $25,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $32,287,044 (U.S.$19,076,815)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Heaven's Gate (1980)
  • Budget: $44,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $1,500,000
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Howard the Duck (1986)
  • Budget: $30,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $16,295,774

• Hollywood Ending (2002)
  • Budget: $16,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $14,569,744 (U.S. $4,839,383)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Hudson Hawk (1991)
  • Budget: $65,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $17,218,080 (U.S. $17,218,080)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

I

• Inchon! (1981)
  • Budget: $46,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $5,200,986

• Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
  • Budget: $60,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $35,096,190

• Ishtar (1987)
  • Budget: $40,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $14,375,181

J

• Jack Frost (1998)
  • Budget: $50,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $34,545,030

• Jakob the Liar (1999)
  • Budget: $15,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $4,956,401

• Jersey Girl (2004)
  • Budget: $35,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $25,266,129

• Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
  • Budget: $22,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $14,252,830

• Judge Dredd (1995)
  • Budget: $90,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $34,694,000

K

• K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
  • Budget: $100,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $35,168,677

• King Arthur (2004) (as of Oct. 7, 2004)
  • Budget: $120,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $40,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $186,870,484 (U.S. $51,870,484)

L

• The Last Castle (2001)
  • Budget: $72,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $27,642,707 (U.S. $18,208,078)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

• Last Action Hero (1993)
  • Budget: $85,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $137,298,489 (U.S. $50,016,394)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

• Lost in Space (1998)
  • Budget: $80,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $136,159,423 (U.S. $69,102,910)
    • Worldwide DVD Sales: N/A

M

• The Majestic (2001)
  • Budget: $72,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $27,796,042
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Man on the Moon (1999)
  • Budget: $52,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $47,434,430 (U.S. $34,580,635)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• The Manchurian Candidate (2004) (as of Oct. 5, 2004)
  • Budget: $80,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $35,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $65,943,267 (U.S. $65,432,569)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Meet Joe Black (1998)
  • Budget: $90,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $142,940,100 (U.S. $44,606,335)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Meet the Deedles (1996)
  • Budget: $24,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $4,356,216 (U.S. $4,356,216)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Mickey Blue Eyes (1999)
  • Budget: $75,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $54,264,342 (U.S. $33,864,342)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

N

• New York Minute (2004)
  • Budget: $30,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $20,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $21,168,958 (U.S. $14,045,006)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• North (1994)
  • Budget: $40,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • U.S. Gross: $7,138,449
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

O

• Osmosis Jones (2001)
  • Budget: $75,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: $14,026,418 (U.S. $13,596,911)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

P

• The Postman (1997)
  • Budget: $80,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
    • Worldwide Gross: N/A (U.S. $17,626,234)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

Q

R

• Red Planet (2000)
  • Budget: $75,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $25,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $33,463,969 (U.S. $17,473,245)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Ride with the Devil (1999)
  • Budget: $35,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $630,779

• Rollerball (2002)
  • Budget: $70,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $18,990,542

S

• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
  • Budget:$70,000,000
    • U.S. Gross:$37,000,000

• Solaris (2002)
  • Budget: $47,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $14,970,038

• Soldier (1998)
  • Budget: $75,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $14,623,082

• Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
  • Budget: $110,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $48,068,396

• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
  • Budget: $70,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $43,119,879

• The Stupids (1996)
  • Budget: $25,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $2,415,593

• Swept Away (2002)
  • Budget: $10,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $598,645

T

• Thirteen Days (2000)
  • Budget: $80,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $34,566,746
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Thunderbirds (2004) (as of Aug. 26, 2004)
  • Budget: $57,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs:
    • Worldwide Gross: $26,863,595 (U.S. $6,810,050)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Town & Country (2001)
  • Budget: $90,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $6,810,050
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Treasure Planet (2002)
  • Budget: $140,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $40,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $109,578,115 (U.S. $38,120,554)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

U

• U Turn (1997)
  • Budget: $19,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $6,633,400

V

• Van Helsing (2004)
• Budget: $175,000,000
  • Marketing Costs: $50,000,000
    • • US gross: $120,000,000

W

• Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
  • Budget: $26,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $14,470,947
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Waterworld (1995)
  • Budget: $175,000,000
    • Worldwide gross: $255,200,000 (U.S. $88,246,220)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
  • Budget: $40,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $20,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $21,468,155 (U.S. $16,323,969)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Wild Wild West (1999)
  • Budget: $170,000,000
  • Est. Marketing Costs: $50,000,000
    • Worldwide Gross: $222,105,681 (U.S. $113,745,408)
    • Worldwide DVD Gross: N/A

• Wing Commander (1999)
  • Budget: $30,000,000
    • U.S. Gross: $11,576,087

X

Y

Z

See Also

• Blockbuster motion picture
• List of films: U.S. box office bombs
• List of movies that have been considered among the worst ever

External links

• Box Office Mojo - A movie database containing financial information
  • Box Office Mojo - All Time Box Office Worldwide Grosses
• IMDb - All-Time Worldwide Boxoffice Grossing over $200,000,000