Take a look at the annual revenues of the big Hollywood studios and you might think they’re sitting on a gold mine.
But even major movie stars have flops now and again — some of them expensive in the extreme.
Here, we run down a few most recent notable ones. (Budgets and revenue are approximate):
Pluto Nash
Budget: $100,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $4,000,000
Eddie Murphy has caused a lot of harm in the film industry, most of which was admittedly of the cultural kind. This comedy mixed with mafia drama with a low-brow humour caused the producers the financial loss of $96 million.
Basic Instinct 2
Budget: $70,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $6,000,000
Sharon Stone wanted to do this sequel for many years. The result is evidence of why no one had supported her effort for such a long time — and why she had to invest in the movie herself.
The Island
Budget: $122,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $35,000,000
No one expected a movie with Michael Bay, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson to be a flop. Mixed reviews did not contribute to a good result, either.
The Postman
Budget: $80,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $17,000,000
After Waterworld and Dances With Wolves, Kevin Costner figured he could sell anything. The audience proved him painfully wrong after watching the post-apocalyptic journey of a fake postman.
Cutthroat Island
Budget: $92,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $10,000,000
Cutthroat Island was supposed to be the hit of the summer of ’95, but the audience was fed up with all the adventure movies. The curse of pirate movies was only broken by Johnny Depp when he appeared as Jack Sparrow.
Swept Away
Budget: $10,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $500,000
Swept Away was a nightmare for both Madonna and the person who happens to be her husband and a director, Guy Ritchie. The film was a complete flop and earned five of the infamous Golden Raspberry awards.
The Invasion
Budget: $85,000,000
Revenue in the U.S.: $15,000,000
The Invasion is probably not remembered very fondly by Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, nor by the Wachowski brothers, who contributed the special effects.
