The 2020s have delivered blockbuster hits like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, surpassing $1 billion, and Spider-Man: No Way Home among the all-time top 20. Yet, for every success, there are films that failed to find an audience, losing hundreds of millions.
Strange World (2022)
Disney's animated adventure Strange World boasted a voice cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Lucy Liu, and Gabrielle Union, and featured Disney's first gay lead character. Despite a 72% Rotten Tomatoes score, the film grossed only $73 million against a $180 million production budget. Deadline Hollywood estimated total losses could reach $197 million.
Amsterdam (2022)
David O. Russell's Amsterdam starred Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington. Inspired by the 1933 Business Plot, the film received a 32% Rotten Tomatoes rating, with the Chicago Sun-Times calling it "jaw-droppingly terrible." On an $80 million budget, it earned just $29.4 million worldwide, with losses around $108 million after marketing.
The Marvels (2023)
The sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel saw Brie Larson team up with Monica Rambeau and Ms. Marvel. Despite a 63% Rotten Tomatoes score and being the highest-grossing film directed by a Black woman (Nia DaCosta), it made $206 million against a $219 million budget. Including marketing, losses hit $237 million, partly blamed on the SAG-AFTRA strike preventing star promotions.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
The sequel to the billion-dollar Joker added Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and shifted to a legal drama with songs. Premiering at Venice, it earned a 31% Rotten Tomatoes rating and $227 million worldwide. With a $371 million budget plus marketing, it lost $144.3 million and earned seven Golden Raspberry nominations.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Harrison Ford's final outing as Indy, co-starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, scored 71% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $384 million. However, against a $295 million budget plus marketing, it lost about $134 million—half the gross of 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Lightyear (2022)
The Buzz Lightyear origin story featured Chris Evans voicing a human Buzz, with a 74% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Costing $200 million, it earned $226 million globally, resulting in an estimated loss of over $100 million. Factors included casting Evans instead of Tim Allen and a confusing premise as a film within a film.
