Random Hugely Popular Movies That Originally Flopped (16 items)

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  (#1) It’s A Wonderful Life

  It’s A Wonderful Life follows George Bailey, a man overwhelmed with so many problems, he contemplates ending it all. An angel is sent down from heaven to show him what life would have been like if he had never existed.

  The film went from box office dud to Christmas classic, but not before it bankrupted its movie studio and ended its legendary filmmaker’s career. Perhaps, it would have done better at the box office if it was released a few years later, as Americans weren't going to the theater much in 1946 with WWII just recently ceasing.

  In 1974, the film's copyright expired, allowing distributors to virtually air it for free, turning this forgotten film into a Christmas classic, joining such films as A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, and Christmas Vacation as holiday staples.
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  (#2) The Rocky Horror Picture Show

  • Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry, Meat Loaf, Barry Bostwick, Christopher Biggins, Richard O'Brien, Charles Gray, Koo Stark, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Gaye Brown, Peter Hinwood, Henry Woolf, Imogen Claire, Ishaq Bux, Anthony Milner, Annabel Leventon, Fran Fullenwider, Sadie Corré, Hugh Cecil, Rufus Collins, Tony Then, Peggy Ledger, Perry Bedden, Stephen Calcutt, Hilary Farr, Jeremy Newson, Pamela Obermeyer, Lindsay Ingram, Kimi Wong-O'Brien, Petra Leah, Frank Lester, Gina Barrie, John Marquand, Mark Johnson, Tony Cowan

  This 1975 musical comedy horror film is a parody to the sci-fi and horror B movies of the 1930s through the 1960s. The story follows a young engaged couple, and when their car breaks down near a castle, they seek to use the telephone to call for help. They discover the castle is occupied by people in elaborate costumes celebrating an annual convention. The strangers attempt to seduce the couple and are eventually released.

  The film was initially released in only one theater and after tickets sold out, it was released in another eight cities. However, after ticket sales plunged, the planned national rollout was canceled. 

  The Rocky Horror Picture Show replaced Night of the Living Dead at Greenwich Village’s Waverly Theater in Manhattan in 1976. By the end of the month, patrons began showing up in costumes resembling those in film to view the movie again and again, thus beginning its cult following. 
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  (#3) The Big Lebowski

  • Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Tara Reid, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Elliott, Asia Carrera, John Turturro, Flea, Mark Pellegrino, Peter Stormare, Aimee Mann, David Thewlis, Ben Gazzara, Jon Polito, Dom Irrera, Carlos Leon, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Wendy Braun, Jack Kehler, Christian Clemenson, Marshall Manesh, David Huddleston, Harry Bugin, Richard Gant, Leon Russom, Peter Siragusa, Mike Gomez, Torsten Voges, Irene Olga López, Philip Moon, Paris Themmen, Kiva Dawson, Warren Keith, Lu Elrod, Luis Colina, Jerry Haleva, James G. Hoosier, Jesse Flanagan, Jennifer Lamb, Gérard L'Heureux, Terrence Burton, Ajgie Kirkland, Robin Jones

  Jeff Lebowski, a slacker and bowling enthusiast, is mistaken for a millionaire with the same name. The loafer Lebowski is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity. The millionaire Lebowski's wife is taken and he enlists the help of the other Lebowski, along with his bowling buddies, to free her.

  Its poor box office performance was attributed to timing, as it went up against the mega-hit Titanic.

  With strong performances from John Goodman and Jeff Bridges and a wide variety of memorable supporting performances, the movie prompted more than 90 festivals in 30 cities and even inspired its own religion. 
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  (#4) The Thing

  • Kurt Russell, Keith David, John Carpenter, Adrienne Barbeau, Wilford Brimley, Richard Masur, Norbert Weisser, Donald Moffat, Charles Hallahan, Joel Polis, David Clennon, Richard A. Dysart, T. K. Carter, Peter Maloney, Thomas G. Waites, Larry J. Franco, Nate Irwin, Jed, William Zeman

  The film follows a group of Antarctic researchers who find themselves trapped with a shape-shifting alien that absorbs its targets. The Antarctic crew is unsure who they can trust, and the movie presents the feeling of paranoia punctuated with outbursts of especially gory aggression.

  The box office dud failed to meet financial forecasts, perhaps perpetrated by unfavorable critical reviews. New York magazine's review stated it was “more disgusting than frightening, and most of it is just boring.” Timing was another issue, as it was competing against E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

  The very things that made The Thing flop are what made it appreciated later - wild special effects, absolute hopelessness, and the ambiguous ending. It simply just needed to sit for a while and wait for moviegoers to discover it on their own.
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  (#5) Fight Club

  • Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Helena Bonham Carter, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Eion Bailey, Lauren Sánchez, David Lee Smith, Edward Kowalczyk, Holt McCallany, Zach Grenier, Bob Stephenson, Christina Cabot, David Andrews, Brian Tochi, Matt Winston, Ezra Buzzington, Carl Ciarfalio, Tim De Zarn, Jim Jenkins, Richmond Arquette, Philip Hawn, Leonard Termo, Thom Gossom Jr., Charlie Dell, David Jean Thomas, Paul Dillon, Michael Shamus Wiles, Stuart Blumberg, Marcio Rosario, Pat McNamara, Michael Arturo, Markus Redmond, Tommy Dallace, Rachel Singer, George Maguire, Robby Robinson, Paul Carafotes, Peter Iacangelo, Joel Bissonnette, Christopher John Fields, Scotch Ellis Loring, Eugenie Bondurant, Eddie Hargitay, Kevin Scott Mack, Mark Fite, Evan Mirand, Sydney 'Big Dawg' Colston, Bennie Moore, Chad Randau, Lou Beatty Jr., Matt Cinquanta, Joon B. Kim, Michael Girardin, Christie Cronenweth, Baron Jay, Hugh Peddy, Tyrone R. Livingston, Andi Carnick, Owen Masterson, Rob Lanza, Van Quattro, Trey Ore, Jawara, Gregory Silva, Valerie Bickford, Alekxia Valdez, J.T. Pontino, Dierdre Downing-Jackson, Anderson Bourell, Todd Peirce, Louis Ortiz

  Fight Club is a darkly comic drama based on Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 novel of the same name. It follows a man who is discontented with his unfulfilling white-collar job, so he forms a fight club with a soap salesman. The two become embroiled in a strange relationship where reality is not always as it seems.

  The film failed to meet the studio's expectations at the box office, and the critical reception was mixed. It simply was too dark for mainstream audiences and the twist ending left viewers with very polarized reactions.

  Its real success came when it was released on DVD. Ten years after its premiere, it finally found its audience and sold six million copies. 
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  (#6) The Shawshank Redemption

  • Morgan Freeman, Rita Hayworth, Tim Robbins, Clancy Brown, James Whitmore, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Bob Gunton, David Proval, Gil Bellows, Jude Ciccolella, Mark Rolston, Paul McCrane, Ned Bellamy, Frank Medrano, Brian Delate, Don McManus, Bill Bolender, Joseph Ragno, Neil Giuntoli, Larry Brandenburg, Ken Magee, James Babson, Neil Summers, Rohn Thomas, Alfonso Freeman, V.J. Foster, Dion Anderson, Brian Libby, Gary Lee Davis, John D. Craig, Richard Doone, Dorothy Silver, Brian Brophy, Joe Pecoraro, Alonzo F. Jones, Alan R. Kessler, Paul Kennedy, James Kisicki, Robert Haley, Fred Culbertson, Mack Miles, Brad Spencer, Michael Lightsey, John R. Woodward, John Horton, Charlie Kearns, Gordon Greene, Ron Newell, Renee Blaine, Eugene C. DePasquale, Claire Slemmer, Scott Mann, Dennis Baker, Morgan Lund, Harold E. Cope Jr., John E. Summers, Donald Zinn, Dana Snyder, Cornell Wallace, Rob Reider, Chuck Brauchler

  The film centers on a man who is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for taking the lives of his wife and her lover. While in prison, he develops a friendship with another inmate as he navigates the severity of prison life.

  The Shawshank Redemption had a lackluster financial performance when it hit theaters in 1994. Many attribute its underperformance to its title, which may have misrepresented the film as a sad downer against a gray depressing backdrop.

  After seven Oscar nominations , the film rebounded and is now widely considered a classic.
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  (#7) Office Space

  • Jennifer Aniston, John C. McGinley, Mike Judge, Gary Cole, Ron Livingston, Orlando Jones, Stephen Root, Diedrich Bader, Richard Riehle, Ajay Naidu, David Herman, Alexandra Wentworth, Michael McShane, Greg Pitts, Paul Lee Willson, Joe Bays, Kinna McInroe, Todd Duffey

  Office Space satirizes the everyday work life of a typical mid-to-late '90s office cubicle worker. It focuses on a handful of individuals who are fed up with their meaningless and mundane jobs.

  It barely recouped its production budget at the box office, and at the time, was considered a flop. Its creator, Mike Judge, said of its initial performance: "Man, I made the hugest turd of a movie.”

  After repeated airings on Comedy Central, the 9-to-5 absurdities and associated humiliations evolved into a blockbuster. It sold well on home video, becoming a cult classic, thus allowing this cubicle comedy to help carry us through the workweek. 
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  (#8) Blade Runner

  • Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Joanna Cassidy, James Hong, William Sanderson, Brion James, Joe Turkel, Morgan Paull, Monty Pyke, Kevin Thompson, John Edward Allen

  Set in a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019, synthetic humans are bio-engineered to work on off-world colonies. When a fugitive group of synthetic humans escapes back to Earth, a weary cop reluctantly agrees to hunt them down and bring them in.

  A hefty production budget made it nearly impossible for the film to become financially successful, especially considering it was up against E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Rocky III.

  Blade Runner earned two Oscar nominations in 1982, allowing it to reemerge. The visual effects were quite spectacular for its time and this, coupled with its Oscar nomination, brought it back into the spotlight.
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  (#9) Citizen Kane

  • Orson Welles, Alan Ladd, Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten, Arthur O'Connell, Ruth Warrick, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Paul Stewart, George Coulouris, Philip Van Zandt, Harry Shannon, Fortunio Bonanova, Walter Sande, William Alland, Dorothy Comingore, Louise Currie, Erskine Sanford, Sonny Bupp, Thomas A. Curran, Charles Bennett, Carl Ekberg, Buddy Swan, Gus Schilling, Georgia Backus

  The story follows a reporter that is assigned to decipher newspaper tycoon Charles Kane's dying words, specifically, his final elusive word: "Rosebud."

  William Randolph Hearst, a real-world newspaper magnate, threatened exhibitors and refused to run ads in retaliation for Orson Welles modeling Charles Foster Kane after him. Hearst waged a bitter fight to squash the film out of anger, even though Welles assured him that he did not model the character after him. This fight ultimately caused a financial loss during the film's initial run.

  Citizen Kane earned nine Academy Awards nominations, winning Best Original Screenplay. After the feud ended, the film rose to success with it reaching the top of many lists as one of the best films of all time. 
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  (#10) Heathers

  • Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty, Christian Slater, Glenn Shadix, Patrick Labyorteaux, Lisanne Falk, John Ingle, Phill Lewis, Kim Walker, Renée Estevez, Josh Richman, Aaron Mendelsohn, Jeffrey Weissman, Penelope Milford, Mark Carlton, Christie Mellor, Bess Meyer, Jennifer Rhodes, Jim Trenton, Jon Matthews, Jeremy Applegate, Kirk Scott, Mark Bringelson, William Cort, Larry Cox, Lance Fenton, John Zarchen, Chuck Lafont, Stuart Mabray, Sherrie Wills, Adrian Drake, Curtiss Marlowe, Betty Ramey, Carrie Lynn, Kevin Hardesty, Kent Stoddard, Andrew Benne, Sylvia Tobias

  Heathers is a dark teen comedy that follows a girl who is a member of the most popular clique at her high school, although she dislikes the other girls' cruel behavior. She and her boyfriend team up to confront the clique leader, Heather. They accidentally poison her so they attempt to make it look like it was self-inflicted.

  The film only took in one-third of its production budget and was pulled from theaters after five weeks.

  Its success mirrored the success of its rising stars: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty. After their careers took off, Heathers was revisited by their fans and became much more popular than when it was in theaters. 
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  (#11) Wet Hot American Summer

  • Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Meloni, Molly Shannon, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Ian Black, H. Jon Benjamin, Michael Showalter, Joe Lo Truglio, David Wain, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marguerite Moreau, Zak Orth, Kyle Gallner, Judah Friedlander, Samm Levine, Ken Marino, Marisa Ryan, Kevin Sussman, Nina Hellman, A.D. Miles, Donna Mitchell, Peter Salett, Whitney Vance, Gideon Jacobs, Greg Korin, Gabriel Millman, Jake Fogelnest, Christopher Cusumano, Cassidy Ladden, Ian Helfer, Joe Bryan, Keith Oney, Jordan MacLean, Avi Setton, Madeline Blue, Joseph Kariuki, Christi Berlane, Matt Carmeci, Jacob Shoesmith-Fox, Mike Carrera, Benjamin Coppola, Stephen O'Brien, Angel Berlane, Christopher Connors, Timothy Gasiewski, Kathleen Pandolfo, Zachary Montgomery-Wicks, Danny Hopkins, Christine Loebsack, Sandra Kennedy, Kevin Thomas Conroy, Bob Walz, Liam Norton

  The movie follows a group of summer campers and counselors all trying to complete their unfinished business before the last day of summer camp ends in 1981. 

  It was a complete commercial flop at the box office, making less than 20% of its production budget. This may be attributed to the critical reviews, which most were not favorable. Critics denounced the film, citing the script as the primary reason for their displeasure with the film.

  The film's success grew along with the success of its talent. It had many big names involved: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, and Molly Shannon. As these actors became more successful, so did Wet Hot American Summer. Netflix revitalized the storyline for an eight-episode revival called Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.
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  (#12) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

  • Anna Kendrick, Chris Evans, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, Michael Cera, Bill Hader, Thomas Jane, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Brie Larson, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, Clifton Collins, Jr., Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Johnny Simmons, Mark Webber, Ingrid Haas, Erik Knudsen, Don McKellar, John Patrick Amedori, Joe Dinicol, Matt Watts, Will Seatle Bowes, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Tara Mason, Satya Bhabha, Chantelle Chung, Nelson Franklin, Hope Larson, Joe Vercillo, Dan Cristofori, Kristina Pesic, Alexander Narizini, Kerr Hewitt, Abigail Chu, Michael Lazarovitch, Marlee Otto, Jung-Yul Kim, Ben Lewis, Ryan Allen, Tennessee Thomas, Joshua William James, Keita Saitou, Shôta Saitô, Walter Gasparovic, Mark LeRoy, Chuck Little, Maurie W. Kaufmann, Christine Watson, Celine Lepage, Craig Stickland, Emily Kassie, Jessica Martins

  The story follows a bass guitarist for a garage-rock band. When he meets the girl of his dreams, he learns he must defeat her seven evil exes to be with her.

  The film failed at the box office, grossing only half of its production budget. It went head-to-head with large budget films like The Expendables and Eat Pray Love that outspent Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in promotional dollars.

  The movie rebounded with home media and streaming sales. It is like many films that failed at appealing to the masses, once it received enough exposure on online streaming platforms, it found its niche audience and became a cult hit. 
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  (#13) Bringing Up Baby

  • Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Charlie Ruggles, Jack Carson, Billy Bevan, Walter Catlett, Fritz Feld, Dick Lane, May Robson, Paul Guilfoyle, Stanley Blystone, George Irving, Ralph Brooks, William "Billy" Benedict, Edward Thomas, William R Corson, George Humbert, Billy Franey, Patrick H. O'Malley, Jr., Jack Gardner, Edward Gargan, Frances Gifford, Tala Birell, Bobby Stone, John Kelly, nm0467071, Lorraine Krueger, Buster Slaven, Larry Steers, Leona Roberts, Frank Marlowe, Jack Stoney, Pat West, Crawford Weaver, Skippy, Geraldine Hall, Jean Stevens, Robert Weldon, Evelyne Eager, Buck Mack, Harry Campbell, Adeline Ashbury, Duke Green, Virginia Walker, Ida Vollmar, D'Arcy Corrigan, Teddy Mangean, Cynthia Westlake, Judith Ford, Jeanne Martel, Eleanor Peterson, Ruth Adler, Tex C.C. Gilmore, Nissa the Leopard, Dorothy Lloyd

  This 1938 film follows a paleontologist as he tries to impress a young society matron that is considering donating a large sum to his museum.

  Bringing Up Baby was not successful at the box office. There were critics that blamed the poor performance on Katharine Hepburn.

  Politico calls the film "one of the funniest movies ever made," and this box office disappointment is now considered a classic screwball comedy.
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  (#14) Brazil

  • Robert De Niro, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Jim Broadbent, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Jonathan Pryce, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, Charles McKeown, Sheila Reid, Barbara Hicks, Derrick O'Connor, Bryan Pringle, Kathryn Pogson, Kim Greist

  Brazil is a 1985 dystopian science fiction film that follows a low-level bureaucrat as he escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life by daydreaming of himself as a hero saving a damsel in distress.

  The film did poorly at the box office, generating less than two-thirds of its production budget. As an audacious dark comedy filled with strange, imaginative visuals, it just didn't appeal to most audiences.

  It found acclaim after receiving several awards, including two Oscar nominations. 
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  (#15) The Searchers

  • John Wayne, Natalie Wood, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Lana Wood, Harry Carey, Jr., Ken Curtis, Jeffrey Hunter, John Qualen, Hank Worden, Antonio Moreno, Henry Brandon, Olive Carey, Walter Coy, Beulah Archuletta

  The Searchers is a 1956 Western film based on a novel by Alan Le May. It follows a middle-aged Civil War veteran who spends years looking for his niece who was abducted.

  Although it wasn't considered a complete commercial flop, its critical reception was poor. Many complained that it was repetitious and too long at 119 minutes, which in today's moviegoing world, is considered within normal range for a feature-length film. There were also complaints that for such a simple story, the plot was not adequately apparent.

  The film received several awards, which helped to reignite interest in the film, and it is now considered one of the best films in the genre. 
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  (#16) The General

  • Boris Karloff, Mike Donlin, Glen Cavender, Frederick Vroom, James Farley, Joe Keaton, Marion Mack, Charles Henry Smith, Tom Nawn, Frank Barnes, Sergeant Bukowski, Jimmy Bryant, Henry Baird, Joe Bricher

  This 1926 silent film follows a railroad engineer from the South as he faces off against Union soldiers during the Civil War. 

  Variety was critical of the film, stating, "Its principal comedy scene is built on that elementary bit, the chase, and you can't continue a fight for almost an hour and expect results. Especially is this so when the action is placed entirely in the hands of the star. It was his story, he directed, and he acted. The result is a flop." 

  The era of silent films is long gone, but decades later, film buffs have rediscovered The General, and many now consider it to be one of the greatest films made.

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