There were so many great ones Fantasy Movies over the years that never got the box office love they deserved. As a genre that relies on viewers getting swept away by alternate worlds and tales of magical wonder, sometimes it takes a while for the value of a fantasy story to be recognized by viewers, and it’s only years or decades later that a Fantasy The film takes its rightful place as a cult classic. Other times, films that should have been great are handled poorly, and subpar films are released that don’t reach their full potential.
Some of the biggest box office flops of all time were in the fantasy genre, as it was a style that could feel overly campy and needlessly self-important if not presented well. It’s a fine line to walk, and while the best fantasy movies ever pulled it off well, the appeal of other movies was only realized much later after viewers’ nostalgia had time to take hold. Whether due to production issues, lack of viewer engagement at the time, or deviating from the source material, All these fancy flops deserve better.
10
Red Sonja (1985)
Budget: $17.9 million / Gross: $6.9 million
After two succeed Conan the Barbarian Movies, bodybuilding superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger has solidified his role as a major fantasy icon and in 1985 has already broken into the action movie space with The Terminator. This made it seem like a third Conan Movie would be a certainty, but instead, the world got the female-centric swords-and-sorcery movie Red Sonja. Like these Conan films, Red Sonja was set in the fictional prehistoric era of the Hyborian AgeAlthough this time things did not come together quite well.
Red Sonja Starring Brigitte Nielsen in the title role and bringing back Schwarzenegger as a new character, Lord Kalidor, leading to confusion as to whether this was a Conan Movie or something completely different. By leaning in Red Sonja Connection with the Conan universe, as it was based on a spin-off comic, the film set audience expectations that could never be reached. By having Schwarzenegger return but not reprise his most famous role, Red Sonja was a flop on all fronts and bombed at the box office.
9
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Budget: $44 million / Gross: $21.1 million
The ambitious imagination The Black Cauldron was supposed to put Disney back on the map, but audiences weren’t prepared for such a dark story back then. Like a movie sandwiched between The fox and the dog And The great mouse detective, The Black Cauldron was a critical and commercial disappointment that acted as a low point in the studio’s post-war era. While the tale of a young boy traveling far from home to avoid an ultimate evil was meant to be gripping, its box office take was anything but as it didn’t even take in half of its budget.
The story behind The Black Cauldron was one of pure catastrophe (by Collider), as the movie fell four years behind schedule and suffered from a litany of production issues. However, despite all the drama behind the scenes, The Black Cauldron is still a compelling adventure that never got its due at the time of its release. While The Black Cauldron Could be a notorious flop, it’s very much worth revisiting, and viewers catching up with it for the first time on Disney+ may be pleasantly surprised to find a hidden animated classic.
8
The Thief and the Cobbler (1995)
Budget $28 million / Grossed: $669,276
The thief and the shoemaker was one of the most notorious box office flops in Hollywood history, whose 29-year production made its failure even more tragic. This epic tale was Canadian animator Richard Williams is envisioned as his masterpiece. It was supposed to signal the dawn of a new milestone in animation. However, the production was so haphazard that Williams was pushed out of his own project and never even watched the released version of the film (via Guardian.)
Williams developed his script and characters for The thief and the shoemaker Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, after receiving acclaim for his work on Who Framed Roger RabbitFinally got it financed. The movie fell behind schedule and went over budget, leading to an unfinished and poorly received cuts of the film released in 1993 and 1995. The thief and the shoemaker Could have been great, but studio interference, time constraints and messing with an artist’s vision led to a complete disaster.
7
What Dreams May Come (1998)
Budget: $85 – 90 million / Gross: $77 million
The striking beauty and incredible visuals of What dreams can come Never got their due, and it remains one of Robin Williams’ most underrated movies. Telling the story of a man who died and arrived in an afterlife created by his own imagination, Williams starred as Dr. Chris Nielsen, the kind-hearted man trying to do everything in his power to connect with his deceased wife in the afterlife. existence with deep philosophical themes and a probingly poignant narrative, What dreams can come Will tug at the heart strings of anyone who sees it.
Unfortunately, many did not see What dreams can comeAnd the film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the visuals but slating its plot. What dreams can come was based on a novel by Richard Matheson, and the ways in which it deviated from its source material did the movie a disservice. Despite all his problems, What dreams can come Continued to be a visual spectacle And a remarkable showcase of the power of cinema that has gained a much bigger audience.
6
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Budget: $3.13 million / gross $3.3
The classic holiday It’s a wonderful life has grown to become the quintessential Christmas movie in the decades since its release, but that wasn’t always the case. When it first came out, It’s a wonderful life received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box officeMaking just $3.3 million (via yahoo.) While James Stewart was rightly praised for his characterization of George Bailey and his struggles to know the true impact of his life, there was a perception that it did not stand up against earlier Frank Capra movies like It was one night.
Related
The reputation of It’s a wonderful life As a timeless classic, it came later as a copyright error in 1974, which meant that the movie entered the public domain. The accidental slop meant that hundreds of local television stations would go off the air It’s a wonderful life Every holiday season, and the film slips into the public consciousness as a festive favorite and an annual viewing tradition. While It’s a wonderful life Deserving better upon release, its beloved status today has more than made up for it.
5
Highlander (1986)
Budget: $16 million / Gross: $12.9 million
The fantasy adventure Highlander received mixed reviews and failed to recoup its budget when it was released in 1986. Despite an engaging mythology about immortal swordsmen trapped in an eternal war, the general perception of Highlander When it was released it was that it was ripped better movies than Blade Runner And The Terminator. While the action scenes were laughable, and the special effects left a lot to be desired, Highlander Still had some innate charm that meant it mostly worked.
While Highlander It didn’t get its due when it was released, over time it grew into a sprawling franchise with entire sequels, books and even an animated series. The movie quote “There can only be one,“which references the ancient beliefs of the immoral highlanders, has even carried forward in popular culture. As a cheesy and bombastic fantasy, Highlander was reappraised by critics In the decade since then. Today, it is remembered as a fun fantasy and a firm favorite among swords-and-sorcery enthusiasts.
4
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Budget: $179 million / Gross: $181 million
The Wachowskis gave moviegoers a fantastic space opera story with Jupiter AscendingBut the issue was that audience didn’t want it. This big-budget sci-fi spectacle starred Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. In a universe-spanning epic about an interplanetary warrior and a man whose destiny extended far beyond Earth. With a bloated budget and high expectations for the Wachowskis to make up for their previous flop, Cloud AtlasUnfortunately, history repeated itself.
Jupiter Ascending It was a commercial flop that barely recouped its budget, but looking back on the film today, it’s a heartfelt mix of fairy tale ideals with stunning visuals. There is whimsical romance and thematic depth within Jupiter Ascending For those willing to give it a chance. It’s easy to dismiss Jupiter Ascending Like a goofy misfire by the directing duo of The matrixAnd while some performances, such as Eddie Redmayne’s, were particularly terrible, Jupiter Ascending Deserves better than to be widely slated and immediately forgotten.
3
Labyrinth (1986)
Budget: $25 million / Gross: $34 million
While the combination of glam rock icon David Bowie and Jim Henson’s The Muppets sounds like a sure recipe for success, it seems that the 1980s American audience disagreed. Labyrinth was a fantasy musical that starred Bowie as Jareth, the king of the goblins, and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah, a teenager on a mission to find her baby brother. Labyrinth It grossed $12.9 million during its theatrical run, but fortunately made up its budget in the UK and overseas. Even a soundtrack featuring original Bowie songs couldn’t stop this odd coming-of-age story from flopping at the box office.
As the last film directed by Henson before he died in 1990, Labyrinth Didn’t get the credit it deserved at the time But has since been reevaluated. While Bowie’s performance was widely derided, it has since become a symbol of outrageous 1980s aesthetics and a classic of over-the-top campy performances. Labyrinth Has since become a true cult classic that may even return, as plans for a Labyrinth Sequels have been festering for some time.
2
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
Budget: $90 million / Gross: $63 million
The original Conan the Barbarian With Arnold Schwarzenegger was a defining fantasy movie of the 1980s and a role that viewers have long hoped to see him reprise one day. However, in 2011, Schwarzenegger was still serving his role as the 38th governor of California, and the Conan The franchise was instead rebooted with Jason Momoa in the title role. This could have been a great way to reinvent the series, but it failed to add anything new and swapped three-dimensional characterization for excessive violence.
The reboot of Conan the Barbarian Flapped at the box officeAnd while Momoa might have seemed like a good option on paper, in practice, the series deserved Schwarzenegger. Now that Schwarzenegger has returned to acting and reprized many of his most famous roles, such as The TerminatorThe door opened for a true revival of the original, long-dormant swords-and-sorcery series. Schwarzenegger himself has expressed interest in returning to the role with potential Conan the Destroyer Sequel titled Conan the King (via Telegraph.)
1
The Iron Giant (1999)
Budget: $50 million / Gross: $33 million
While director Brad Bird later found incredible success with Pixar movies like The Incredibles And RatatouillePrior to that, he made the fantasy box office flop The Iron Giant For Warner Bros. This insightful story about a young boy who befriends a giant alien robot was a heartwarming lesson in the power of friendship and the importance of peace in a world full of so much conflict. While The Iron Giant Deserving to become an instant classic, it flopped at the box office and Derailed Byrd’s career until he finally returned with The Incredibles Five years later.
The Iron Giant Mainly suffered from a lack of marketing, and it seemed that the studio behind it did not have enough faith in its success to promote it as a major children’s release. without any tunes and no beautiful saints, The Iron Giant It deals with adult topics and does not underestimate the intelligence of its young audience. Although this was the exact reason Fantasy Classic has endured so well in the decade since its release, which was also the reason it wasn’t as big of a deal from marketing executives back in the 1990s.
Sources: All Box Office figures are worldwide earnings from The numbers Unless otherwise stated, Collider, Guardian, yahoo, Telegraph