Whether you are a veteran director like Steven Spielberg or a newcomer to the movie scene, chances are you will have at least one flop in your career. While some may be worse than others, both in terms of losing money and the actual plot, many go on to become cult favourites. May we direct you to now-iconic movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show or The Big Lebowski? This year, there have already been a few box office bombs. It is too early to tell whether they will become classics or remain on the scrap heap. Keen to find out what they are? Behold, the 8 biggest flops of 2026.
Animal Farm
British actor and filmmaker Andy Serkis had been working on an animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic satirical novel, Animal Farm, for 15 years. Having been developing the project since 2011, the movie finally hit the box office in May. For those uninitiated with the 1945 dystopian story, it follows a group of farm animals who overthrow their human master for a better life. However, when pig Napoleon seizes power, their hopes for freedom are crushed. The animated movie, released by Angel Studios and featuring a star-studded voice cast of Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, and Woody Harrelson, cost $34.8 million (£26 million) to make. Sadly, during its opening weekend, Animal Farm only brought in an estimated $3.3 million (£2.46 million) domestically. It also struggled to compete with other huge releases happening at the time, such as The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Desert Warrior
Next up is the historical action epic Desert Warrior, which had a $151.7 million (£113.2 million) price tag. The film was directed by Rupert Wyatt and starred Anthony Mackie, and became known as the most expensive project ever produced in Saudi Arabia when it was released in April. Still, its large budget did not attract fans, as Deadline reported the film grossed less than $600,000 (£447,675) worldwide during its initial theatrical release. Plus, Desert Warrior was poorly promoted and marketed; hardly any audiences had a clue it was being released. So, what was the storyline for it to flop this badly? Not to mention receiving a 26% critics Tomatometer score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Set in 7th-century Arabia, Princess Hind flees into the desert to escape the ruthless Emperor Kisra. In order to survive, she becomes a warrior with the help of a legendary bandit and works to unite warring tribes. Scathing reviews include The Hollywood Reporter’s: 'The film was shot five years ago and is only reaching theaters now, but it is likely to be swept away as quickly as desert sands.' The Audience consensus is a little kinder, though. It reads: 'A sword-and-sandal outing, Desert Warrior greatly benefits from its sweeping Arabian scenery and resonant themes of honor and survival.'
Masters of the Universe
OK, so this film was only released at the beginning of the month, so we cannot be too hard on it just yet. The American sword-and-sorcery superhero movie based on Mattel’s media franchise stars Camila Mendes, Kristin Wiig, Idris Elba, and Jared Leto, to name a few. In a nutshell, it centres around a young man on Earth who discovers a secret legacy as the prince of an alien planet. To return to his planet and protect his kingdom, he must recover a magic sword. While Amazon MGM had hopes of sparking a modern franchise with the film, it is reported it had an almost $201.1 million (£150 million) budget, it only raked in a weak $55.8 million (£41.69 million) at the box office. Rotten Tomato critics and fans are not as harsh. The former consensus says: 'By the power of Grayskull and with a little help from its self-deprecating script and spirited cast, Masters of the Universe is a delightful adventure that finds the humanity in He-Man.' Meanwhile, the audience says: 'A glossy, action spectacle that wears its heart on its jacked sleeve, Masters of the Universe is a stud of a film.'
Melania
Coupled with the fact that Melania was directed by Brett Ratner, who was effectively exiled from the industry in 2017 when multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, and that the First Lady’s husband, Donald Trump, is one of the most controversial people on the planet, it was not looking good for the documentary. The film details Melania’s life in the lead-up to the second presidential inauguration. However, many reviewers branded it as a highly orchestrated piece of propaganda. This saw it earn a 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and gross around $16.26 million (£12.13 million) domestically and about £223,765 internationally. In the UK, Yahoo reported it earned only $44,597 (£33,266) in its opening weekend. Just weeks after Melania’s release, it was pulled from cinemas. Freelance writer Kimberley Bond shared her verdict in an opinion piece for Metro. She described it as a 'beige vanity exercise' and agreed with the people in the cinema that it was 'two hours I won’t get back.'
Mercy
With a $59.8 million (£44.6 million) budget, Mercy is a science fiction thriller starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. It is set in a near-future LA, where justice is served by a highly advanced AI system called Mercy. When Pratt’s character, an LAPD police detective named Chris, is accused of murder, his fate is in the hands of Ferguson’s emotionless AI judge, who gives him just 90 minutes to prove his innocence. While the premise does sound enticing, especially during an era where AI and tech advancements are moving at such a fast pace, the film failed to capture an audience, grossing $24.3 million (£18.12 million) domestically and $54.6 million (£40.7 million) worldwide. It also marked the worst box office debut of Chris Pratt’s career.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
When you attach established actors like Cillian Murphy and Ralph Fiennes to a picture, you just presume it is going to be a hit, right? Well, this was not the case for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a post-apocalyptic horror film and sequel to Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later. The premise is as follows, according to Netflix: 'Decades after an unstoppable plague tears through the UK, a former doctor searches for a cure, while a teenager fights to escape a violent gang.' Compared to some of the other films in this list, it pulled in a respectable $58 million (£43.29 million) worldwide against a reported budget of roughly £46.9 million. Of course, that is not enough to break even, let alone make a profit. However, the movie was a success in the eyes of the critics, as it pulled in a near-perfect 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Similarly, the Popcornmeter, which is where the general audience shares their two cents, achieved a score of 88%.
Mother Mary
Anne Hathaway is having quite the year. The Oscar-winner has an unprecedented lineup of five major films slated for release in 2026, including April’s Mother Mary (which we are here to talk about), May’s The Devil Wears Prada 2, July’s The Odyssey, August’s The End of Oak Street, and October’s Verity. Due to the last three still awaiting release, we have only got Mother Mary and TDWP to analyse. As we all know, the long-awaited sequel to Lauren Weisberger’s iconic novel was a massive commercial and cultural success, and officially propelled the franchise past the $1 billion (£744.8 million) mark. Unfortunately, the nicher Mother Mary did not do as well. Despite this being expected, TDWP is way more commercial than the David Lowery-directed psychosexual pop-drama, having Anne Hathaway and Michaela Cole attached to the bill should have piqued interest. However, it ended up being a box office and critical flop, costing around $19.9 million (£14.89 million) to make but only making about $2.98 million (£2.23 million). Should Rotten Tomatoes’ 70% Tomatometer propel you to watch it, here is a rough plot outline: When iconic pop star Mother Mary (Hathaway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance, long-buried wounds rise to the surface.
Metro's verdict
Metro’s Senior Film & Entertainment Reporter Tori Brazier said she surrendered to the weirdness and gave it a respectable 3 out of 5 stars. Her verdict: Mother Mary is a marmite movie, and to be admired for Lowery’s unfettered vision. It is further elevated by its powerhouse central duo, and reminds everyone that Anne Hathaway is a quietly brilliant talent.
The Bride!
Last but not least, woman of the moment Jessie Buckley and acclaimed actor Christian Bale starred in March’s The Bride! The American Gothic romance film was also written by Maggie Gyllenhaal and is her maximalist take on Bride of Frankenstein. In 1930s Chicago, groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious brings a murdered young woman back to life to be a companion for Frankenstein’s monster. But things did not go to plan for Frankenstein or Gyllenhaal, as the film was a major flop, for many reasons. First, its $89.9 million (£67.09 million) production budget was way too high for an arthouse, genre-bending crime story. The movie ended up grossing just $23.88 million (£17.82 million). Secondly, it gained mixed reviews (57% on the Tomatometer) and poor audience reception.
Metro's verdict
Tori also reviewed The Bride! and said that while she wanted to love it, it was 'too much of a monster mash.' She concluded: 'The Bride! is dazzling to behold but a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster mash-up of ideas.'
