Cool films with a rich cast that failed at the box office (12 photos)

Many films from this selection have acquired cult status and become true “classics”. Only "The Big Lebowski" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" are worth it. Surprisingly, despite great directors, a gripping script and a whole bunch of great actors, these films failed at the box office. Yes, it's strange. You can blame this on the insidious and greedy film industry or on the wrong viewers who “didn’t get the message.” But in reality, there are many reasons for box office failures. For example, unsuccessful advertising campaigns, poor timing of the film, and so on. So, let's look at some cool films with a rich cast that failed at the box office.

But first there are a couple of things to note. If the difference in the budget and the total gross is a plus, then this does not mean success, since the film can pay off by collecting an amount 2-3 times higher than the original budget. But none of these films earned at least twice what they spent. Well, that's it, now you can look at the post.

The Big Lebowski, 1998





Budget: 15 million

Box office: 47 million

Actors: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Philip Hoffman

"Where's the money, Coen brothers?" - we ask, and the directors will just shrug their shoulders. The first reaction of critics to the film was sharply negative, which is why the initial box office receipts only slightly exceeded the budget. In total, the film grossed $47 million, which is a tiny fraction of how it influenced subsequent cinema and popular culture.

Kingdom of Heaven, 2005



Budget: 130 million

Box office: 218 million

Actors: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Edward Norton, Liam Neeson

The studio's interference in Ridley Scott's directorial affairs prevented the film from earning sufficient box office returns and good reviews. Only after the release of the author's version, the film attracted a wide audience and admiration from critics.

Fight Club, 1999





Budget: 63 million

Box office: 101 million

Actors: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, Holt McCallany

Even the worldwide release only slightly exceeded the budget spent - a huge failure for the studio, which chose the wrong strategy for the advertising campaign. But this psychological thriller still remains a cult classic, just like its creator, David Fincher.

Child of Man, 2006



Budget: 76 million

Box office: 70 million

Actors: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Charlie Hunnam

The film's worldwide release did not even cover its budget, which is surprising, since the film received three Oscar nominations and also received two prizes at the Venice Film Festival.

Cloud Atlas, 2012



Budget: 102 million

Box office: 130 million

Actors: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant

The problem with the box office failure was supposedly the complexity of the material (we are talking about six stories from different time periods that are intertwined with each other). Nobody believed in the film except its creators. Even Hugh Grant expressed regret that the film did not find its audience, which, of course, changed over time.

Babylon, 2022



Budget: 78 million

Box office: 63 million

Cast: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Phoebe Tonkin, P.J. Byrne

Worldwide distribution fell short of the stated budget, mainly due to the film's outstripping reputation for maximalism, which speaks to the limitations of Hollywood success, despite the resilience of the industry.

Inferno, 2007



Budget: 50 million

Box office: 34 million

Actors: Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Chris Evans, Mark Strong, Benedict Wong

This ambitious sci-fi thriller about saving the sun grossed only $3 million in the United States! Today the film has very positive ratings on all Internet platforms.

Timekeeper, 2011



Budget: 150 million

Box office: 185 million

Actors: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Moretz, Christopher Lee, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths

And although the filmmakers made almost nothing from it, the film received due attention from the Oscars, winning in five categories.

Only Lovers Left Alive, 2013



Budget: 7 million

Box office: 7.609 million

Actors: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Jeffrey Wright, Mia Wasikowska

A magnificent love story, the worldwide box office of which barely crossed the budget line.

How the coward Robert Ford killed Jesse James



Budget: 30 million

Box office: 15 million

Actors: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Michael Parks

The strongest male cast, but a complete box office failure. Nevertheless, this film received good reviews from critics and two Oscar nominations.

Blade Runner 2049, 2017



Budget: 150 million

Box office: 267 million

Actors: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Jared Leto, Robin Wright

This film is more successful than other films on this list, but it is worth considering that the production company Alcon Entertainment suffered a loss of $80 million.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998



Budget: 18.5 million

US box office: 10 million

Actors: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci

Some critics consider this film unworthy of such great attention, others argue that one should not take too emotionally a comedy in which everything is already grotesque. Actually, for the same reason, the film did not pay off at the box office and was not even exported outside the United States.