Ajay Kumar at 06:05, 18 August 2023

2023-08-18T06:05:56Z

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{{short description|Film industry term}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{For|the album|Box Office Bomb (album){{!}}''Box Office Bomb'' (album)}}

A '''box-office bomb''', '''box-office flop''', '''box-office failure''', or '''box-office disaster''' is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production budget, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after release has technically "bombed", the term is more frequently used for major studio releases that were highly anticipated, extensively marketed and expensive to produce that ultimately failed commercially.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/greatestflops.html |title=Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Flops |publisher=Filmsite.org |access-date=March 6, 2013}}</ref><ref name="cnbc.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2012/03/20/The-15-Biggest-Box-Office-Bombs.html |title=The 15 Biggest Box Office Bombs |publisher=CNBC.com |date=August 23, 2010 |access-date=March 6, 2013}}</ref>

== Causes ==
=== Negative word of mouth ===
With the advent of [[social media]] platforms such as [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]] in the 2000s, [[word of mouth]] regarding new films is easily spread and has had a marked effect on box office performance. A film's ability or failure to attract positive or negative commentary can strongly impact its performance at the box office, especially on the opening weekend.<ref name=GreatCinemaDisruption>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficepro.com/a-century-in-exhibition-the-2010s-the-great-disruption/|title=A Century in Exhibition-The 2010s: The Great Disruption|date=August 27, 2021|access-date=January 17, 2022|publisher=boxofficepro.com}}</ref>

=== External circumstances ===
Occasionally, films may underperform because of issues largely unrelated to the content of the film, such as the timing of the film's release. This was one of the reasons given for the commercial failure of ''[[Intolerance (film)|Intolerance]]'', [[D. W. Griffith|D. W. Griffith's]] follow-up to ''[[The Birth of a Nation]]''. Owing to production delays, the film was not released until late 1916, when the [[United States non-interventionism#20th century non-interventionism|widespread antiwar sentiment]] it reflected had started to shift in favor of [[American entry into World War I]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/into.html|title=Intolerance (1916)|website=www.filmsite.org |access-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref> Another example is the 2015 critically panned [[docudrama]] about [[FIFA]] entitled ''[[United Passions]]'', which may have been adversely affected by bad publicity relating to a corruption scandal. It was released in theaters in the United States at the same time [[2015 FIFA corruption case|FIFA's leaders were under investigation for fraud and corruption]], combined with general indifference to [[association football]], and the film grossed only $918 at the US box office in its opening weekend.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/2496658/fifa-film-united-passions-the-worst-in-us-history|title=FIFA film 'United Passions' one of worst in U.S. box office history|date=June 18, 2015|publisher=[[ESPN]]|access-date=June 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618160721/http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/2496658/fifa-film-united-passions-the-worst-in-us-history|archive-date=June 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sometimes, a film's performance may be adversely affected by national crisis or a disaster, such as the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, [[Hurricane Harvey]] in 2017, and the [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema|COVID-19 pandemic]] in the early 2020s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/box-office-hitmans-bodyguard-annabelle-creation-mayweather-mcgregor-hurricane-harvey-1202539879/|title=Box Office Disaster: Lackluster Releases, Mayweather-McGregor, Hurricane Harvey Create Slowest Weekend in Over 15 Years|last=Kelley|first=Seth|date=August 27, 2017|work=Variety|access-date=November 9, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.boxofficeguru.com/091701.htm |title=Weekend Box Office |publisher=Boxofficeguru.com |date=September 17, 2001 |access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last= Erlichman| first= Jon| date= March 13, 2020| title= Box office bomb: COVID-19's impact on the movie theatre business| url= https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/box-office-bomb-covid-19-s-impact-on-the-movie-theatre-business-1.1405416| work= [[BNN Bloomberg]]| access-date = March 17, 2020}}</ref>

=== High production costs ===

In evaluating box-office gross numbers, it is important to keep in mind that not all that money is returned to the film studio. Some of the gross is kept by the film exhibitors and the film distributor. The scratch formula for making a rough estimate of a studio's portion of the gross is that the studio usually gets half.<ref name="Hornaday">{{cite news |last1=Hornaday |first1=Ann |title=We're awash in box-office statistics. But what do the numbers really mean? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/were-awash-in-box-office-statistics-but-what-do-the-numbers-really-mean/2018/04/05/87adf58a-38d7-11e8-8fd2-49fe3c675a89_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 5, 2018}}</ref>

A large budget can cause a film to fail financially, even when it performs reasonably well at the box office; 1980's ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'', for example, exceeded its planned production schedule by three months,<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.filminquiry.com/the-production-of-heavens-gate/|title=Unmaking of an Epic – The Production of Heaven's Gate| website= filminquiry.com | first= Alexander |last= Miller| date= April 27, 2015 |access-date=November 7, 2017| df=dmy-all}}</ref> causing its budget to inflate from $12 million to $44 million.<ref>{{cite news|last=Burr|first=Ty|title=Ty Burr revisits 'Heaven's Gate'|date=November 24, 2012|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/11/24/burr-revisits-heaven-gate/km6gp1cBbxY75qxWrFs6tM/story.html|access-date=January 13, 2020|archive-date=December 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208124051/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/11/24/burr-revisits-heaven-gate/km6gp1cBbxY75qxWrFs6tM/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film only earned $3.5 million at the box office.<ref>{{cite web|title=Heaven's Gate (1980)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heavensgate.htm|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=January 13, 2020}}</ref>

For the 2005 film ''[[Sahara (2005 film)|Sahara]]'', its budget ballooned to $281.2 million for production, distribution, and other expenses.<ref name="Sahara expenses LATimes" /> The film earned $119 million in theaters and $202.9 million overall with television and other subsidies included, resulting in a net loss of $78.3 million.<ref name="Sahara expenses LATimes">{{cite web|date= April 15, 2007|title= $78 million of red ink?|last=Bunting| first=Glenn F. |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]| url= https://articles.latimes.com/2007/apr/15/business/fi-movie15 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140507124536/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-movie15apr15-story.html |archive-date= May 7, 2014|url-status= live |access-date= January 13, 2020| df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| first= Glenn F. |last= Bunting| url= https://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/05/business/fi-cussler5 |title= Jurors hear tales of studio maneuvering| work= Los Angeles Times| date= March 5, 2007| publisher= | url-status= live| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090327110637/https://articles.latimes.com/2007/mar/05/business/fi-cussler5| archivedate= March 27, 2009| access-date= August 4, 2021| df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2012, Disney reported losses of $200 million on ''[[John Carter (film)|John Carter]].'' The film had made a considerable $234 million worldwide, but this was short of its $250 million budget plus worldwide advertising.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17442200 | work=bbc.co.uk| publisher= BBC News | title=John Carter flop to cost Walt Disney $200m | date=March 20, 2012| df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The 2007 film ''[[The Golden Compass (film)|The Golden Compass]]'' had a production budget of $200 million. To be able to fund the film, [[New Line Cinema]] had to sell all of the film's international distribution rights to various film distributors around the world. The film underperformed domestically, but was an international success; however, New Line did not have a cut of the international box office. These events were major factors in New Line becoming a division of [[Warner Bros. Pictures]].<ref name=StudioBankruptingBombs>{{Cite web|url=https://www.universityfox.com/stories/failed-movies-that-singlehandedly-put-their-studios-out-of-business/|title=Failed Movies That Singlehandedly Put Their Studios Out of Business|website=University Fox|date=December 12, 2019|access-date=February 2, 2022|archive-date=May 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509150910/https://www.universityfox.com/stories/failed-movies-that-singlehandedly-put-their-studios-out-of-business/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Recovery ==
Films that are initially viewed as "flops" may recover income elsewhere. Several films have underperformed in their countries of origin, but have been sufficiently successful internationally to recoup losses or even become financial successes.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mendelson|first1=Scott|title='Pacific Rim' And More Domestic "Flops" That Became Global Hits|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2013/09/02/pacific-rim-and-more-domestic-flops-that-became-global-hits/|work=Forbes|access-date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> Films may also recover money through international distribution, sales to [[television syndication]], distribution outside of cinemas, and releases on [[home media]].<ref>{{cite web|title=11 Beloved Movies That Were Box Office Flops|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/59990/11-beloved-movies-were-box-office-flops|publisher=Mental Floss|access-date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> The 1995 post-apocalyptic action film ''[[Waterworld]]'' was the most expensive film ever made at the time undergoing significant production difficulties. While it performed relatively well in the US box office, it did not initially turn a profit and became known as a box office flop. However, international box office takings and video sales led it to turn a profit.<ref>{{cite web |first=Mike Jr. |last=Fleming |title=Isn't It Time To Take 'Waterworld' Off The All-Time Flop List? |date=August 7, 2013 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|url=https://www.deadline.com/2013/08/isnt-it-time-to-take-waterworld-off-the-all-time-flop-list |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref>

Other films have succeeded long after cinema release by becoming [[cult film]]s or being re-evaluated over time. High-profile films fitting this description include ''[[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/vertigo-from-box-office-flop-to-greatest-film-of-all-time-1.3561982|title=Vertigo: From box-office flop to 'greatest film of all time'|website=The Irish Times}}</ref> ''[[Blade Runner]]'', ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'', ''[[Citizen Kane]]'', ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59990/11-beloved-movies-were-box-office-flops|title=11 Beloved Movies That Were Box Office Flops|date=November 10, 2015|website=Mental Floss}}</ref> ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 5, 2021|title=Why Shawshank Redemption Was A Box Office Failure (Despite Its Popular Legacy)|url=https://screenrant.com/shawshank-redemption-movie-box-office-bomb-fail-reasons/amp/|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> and ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-01 |title=The Real Reason John Carpenter's The Thing Flopped At The Box Office |url=https://www.looper.com/254509/the-real-reason-john-carpenters-the-thing-flopped-at-the-box-office/ |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=Looper |language=en-US}}</ref> each of which initially lost money at the box office, but have since become popular.

== Studio failure ==
It is common for a single film's lackluster performance to push its studio into the red, in the sense of recording a net loss on its [[income statement]]. However, in extreme cases, a bomb may push its studio into [[bankruptcy]] or [[Closure (business)|closure]]. Examples of this include [[United Artists]] (''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'')<ref>{{cite news |last1=Welkos |first1=Robert W. |title='Heaven's Gate': The film flop that reshaped Hollywood |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-heavens-gate-flop-archive-20040612-snap-story.html |access-date=December 25, 2018 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> and [[Carolco Pictures]] (''[[Cutthroat Island]]'').<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sterngold |first1=James |title=Debacle on the High Seas |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/31/movies/debacle-on-the-high-seas.html |access-date=December 25, 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=March 31, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Largest box office loss |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/69937-largest-box-office-loss |access-date=July 17, 2019 |work=[[Guinness World Records]] |date=April 30, 2012}}</ref> ''[[The Golden Compass (film)|The Golden Compass]]'' was a success at the international box office and grossed $372 million worldwide; however, its underperformance at the box office in North America was seen as a significant factor in influencing [[Warner Bros.]]' decision to take direct control of [[New Line Cinema]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Davis |first=Erik |url=http://blog.moviefone.com/2008/02/28/breaking-new-line-cinema-says-goodbye/ |title=Breaking: New Line Cinema Says Goodbye! |publisher=Cinematical.com |date=February 28, 2008 |access-date=December 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028005801/http://blog.moviefone.com/2008/02/28/breaking-new-line-cinema-says-goodbye/# |archive-date=October 28, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2001, [[Square Pictures]], a division of [[Square (video game company)|Square]], released its only film, ''[[Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within]]''. It received mixed reviews from critics and failed to recover its $145 million cost. Following the film's struggles, Square Pictures did not make any more films<ref name=briscoe>{{cite news|title='Final Fantasy' studio to fold|work=[[The Independent]]|date=February 1, 2002|last=Briscoe|first=David|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/final-fantasy-studio-to-close-9276846.html|access-date=June 2, 2019}}</ref> and is now a consolidated subsidiary of [[Square Enix]] as [[Visual Works]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/ir/e/data/ar/download/20070831en.pdf|title=Square-Enix Co, LTD. Annual Report 2007|pages=29, 30, 53|access-date=March 5, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325013141/http://www.square-enix.com/jp/ir/e/data/ar/download/20070831en.pdf|archive-date=March 25, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[Mars Needs Moms]]'' was the last film released by [[ImageMovers#Disney era|ImageMovers Digital]] before [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s stake got absorbed by ImageMovers to a loss of nearly $140 million – the largest box-office bomb of all time in [[Real versus nominal value (economics)|nominal dollar]] terms. Despite this loss, the decision to close the production company had been made a year prior to the film's release.<ref name="deadline">{{cite news | first=Nikki | last=Finke | url=https://www.deadline.com/2010/03/disney-closing-zemeckis-digital-studio-in-2011/ | title=Disney Closing Zemeckis' Digital Studio | website=Deadline Hollywood | date=March 12, 2010 | access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref>

== Independent films ==
The 2006 independent movie ''[[Zyzzyx Road]]'' made just $30 at the US box office. With a budget of $1.2 million and starring [[Tom Sizemore]] and [[Katherine Heigl]], its tiny revenue is due to its limited box-office release – just six days in a single theater in [[Dallas]] for the purpose of meeting [[Screen Actors Guild]] requirements – rather than its ability to attract viewers.<ref name="CHUD">{{cite news| last = Faraci| first = Devin| title = What if they released a movie and nobody came?| work = CHUD.com| date = December 31, 2006| url = http://www.chud.com/8378/WHAT-IF-THEY-RELEASED-A-MOVIE-AND-NOBODY-CAME/| access-date = January 2, 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110607011632/http://www.chud.com/8378/WHAT-IF-THEY-RELEASED-A-MOVIE-AND-NOBODY-CAME/| archive-date = June 7, 2011| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="EW">{{cite magazine| title = The Strange and Twisted Tale of ... The Movie That Grossed $30.00| url = https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20011268,00.html| access-date = January 24, 2008| magazine=Entertainment Weekly| first=Rob|last=Brunner| date=February 9, 2007}}</ref> According to co-star Leo Grillo, it sold six tickets, two of which were to cast members.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news| last = Mueller| first = Andrew| title = This Film Is Absolute Dross – People Are Going to Love It!| work = [[The Guardian]]| date= January 16, 2007| url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/jan/15/features.features11| access-date = January 15, 2007| location=London}}</ref>

Previously, the 2000 British film ''[[Offending Angels]]'' had become notorious for taking in less than £100 (~$150<ref name=MeasuringWorth>{{cite web |first=Lawrence H. |last=Officer |title=Dollar-Pound Exchange Rate From 1791: 2000–2002 |publisher=[[MeasuringWorth]] |url=http://www.measuringworth.com/datasets/exchangepound/result.php?year_source=2000&year_result=2002 |access-date=November 9, 2017}}</ref>) at the box office.<ref name="twitch">{{cite news| last = logboy| title= Offending Angels. £70k Budget, £89 Box Office. 8 DVD Sales to Double its Taking| work = Twitch.net| date= February 3, 2006| url = http://twitchfilm.com/news/2006/02/offending-angels-70k-budget-89-box-office-8-dvd-sales-to-double-its-takings.php| access-date = January 16, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110524001729/http://twitchfilm.com/news/2006/02/offending-angels-70k-budget-89-box-office-8-dvd-sales-to-double-its-takings.php#| archive-date = May 24, 2011 | url-status= dead
}}</ref> It had a £70,000 (~$105,000<ref name=MeasuringWorth />) budget but was panned by critics, including the [[BBC]], who called it a "truly awful pile of garbage",<ref name="BBC">{{cite news| last = Russell| first = Jamie| title = Offending Angels (2002)| work = [[BBC]]| date= April 10, 2002| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/04/10/offending_angels_2002_review.shtml| access-date = January 16, 2007 }}</ref> and ''[[Total Film]]'', who called it "irredeemable".<ref name="Total Film">{{cite news| last = Harley| first = Kevin| title = Offending Angels review| work = [[Total Film]]| date= May 2002| url = https://www.gamesradar.com/offending-angels-review/| access-date = June 15, 2021 }}</ref>

In 2011, the film ''[[The Worst Movie Ever!]]'' opened to just $11 at the US box office. It played in only one theater.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Worst Movie Ever! (2011) |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=worstmovieever.htm |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=August 25, 2011}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Film}}
* [[List of biggest box-office bombs]]
* [[List of highest-grossing films]]
* [[List of films considered the worst]]
* [[List of films considered the best]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://movies.yahoo.com/feature/getback-movie-flops.html GetBack.com: Biggest Film Flops and Fiascoes]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130512035847/http://blog.moviefone.com/2007/11/15/biggest-box-office-bombs Biggest Box-Office Bombs of All Time – Inside Movies Blog]

{{Film box office}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Box Office Bomb}}
[[Category:Film box office|Bomb]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]

Box-office bomb - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 06:05, 18 August 2023