Here are ten highly anticipated movies of 2024 that fell short at the box office despite initial excitement. These films highlight the unpredictability of the box office, where critical acclaim, star power, or fan anticipation doesn’t always translate to financial success.
10. Argylle
Spy film Argyll by Matthew Vaughn got plenty of attention and applause among filmgoers who followed the screening for it united big names in their cast list like Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Dua Lipa’s acting debut. The promise of the film to sweep the viewers away through the myriad of locations did not hold up because of its overly complex story and use of spy clichés. Although the film received critical acclaim for the performances of the actors, especially Cavill’s, it failed to win over the audience because the story was too predictable and lacked excitement. Despite the high marketing campaign, bad word-of-mouth and stiff competition from other action movies were the main causes of the movie’s low box office intake.
9. Rebel Moon
Director Zack Snyder’s ambitious Rebel Moon, which is a space opera, was introduced as an epic sci-fi film in the scents of “Star Wars”. Despite the film being visually stunning, it was the length of the film and the lack of character depth that put off viewers who are not fans of the genre. People who adored Snyder’s previous creation recognized his special style, but it was really far from mainstream popularity. A poor review from critics of a confusing plot and an exaggeration of the film with CGI did not make the movie as successful as it was expected resulting in the box office catastrophe of the movie which Snyder meant to make to be the first one of a new franchise.
8. Megalopolis
For years, Francis Ford Coppola nourished the dream of making Megalopolis a reality and brought it to us at last. Starring among others, Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza were part of the cast of this star-studded movie. With its investigation of the prospects of utopia, it proved to be an ecology of secularism. It was densely packed with the themes of the esoteric and time-consuming but still, it kept people away from the flick. The movie that was extremely ambitious was both supported and attacked. It was hailed as a win for its grand ode to utopia, while the key drawback was parts that were too philosophical to reach the masses. In addition, the movie was costly with few people showing any interest; therefore, it was actually the movie’s low revenues that largely contributed to its box office failure as it fell far behind the target.
7. The Watchers
Ishana Night Shyamalan’s first film as a director, The Watchers, is a thriller about a young artist left alone in the forest. Despite a very good idea, the film did not provide the suspense and touching quality that was expected. Critics noticed the lack of character development as well as the predictable course of the story, which made its atmospheric visuals seem like a massive shadow. Not staying out of the crowd in the release calendar was what this film had trouble with, disappointing box office returns, especially concerning its connection with the Shyamalan family legacy.
6. The Bikeriders
Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders tells an intense and depressing story, implying the downfall of a make-believe motorbike brand and starring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer. Despite the deeply touching performance, negative aspects such as the grim tone and the focus on a niche subject made the film hardly attractive to the general public. The movie was criticized for being emotionless and having a weak narrative which ultimately made the movie just okay. They (i.e. critics) thought it (i.e. the film) could have been more successful if it would have been more emotional and touching. In this regard, they gave it a lukewarm review. Its (i.e. the film’s) limited draw and fierce contest were to blame for the low revenues in spite of the film being anticipated with great enthusiasm.
5. The First Omen
The First Omen is a new movie that serves as a prequel to the well-known horror movie The Omen. It has the purpose of exploring the origin of the now-familiar evil character but in this case, this movie did not manage to deliver the scary aspect successfully. The film was deemed to be unoriginal by both viewers and critics, as edge-of-the-seat action scenes take precedence over the real paranoia of the narrative. The expansion of the franchise’s mythology, which was intended to be thematic, was unsuccessful and disillusioning. The movie was a poor performer due to the lack of marketing and lukewarm critical response, which made the horror fans upset and the box office results very bad.
4. The Crow
Bill Skarsgård, the anticipated relaunch of The Crow turned out to be a fiasco that couldn’t evoke the same magic that the 1994 cult classic did. The film did, on the one hand, boast an immersive lead performance and visually appealing cinematography, but was on the other hand infected with an overtly banal plot and unimaginative direction. Long-time fans gave it the thumbs down saying that it lacks the same zest as the original they were so into while the new ones’ audience’s interest was very lukewarm. The limited release of the movie and its close schedule with another set of films created a situation in which they didn’t gain profits but instead they footed the bill for it due to timing issues.
3. Lisa Frankenstein
This offbeat horror-comedy, with the lead actors Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse, seemed to be a good twist on Shelley’s classical story, but it was a bust. People found the fun unconvincing and the story quite heavily loaded with Gen Z tropes. With the girl resurrecting her almost ideal boyfriend being the core idea of the film, it undoubtedly had rewarding prospects; however, a wavering tone and amateur work were responsible for the negative reviews from critics. The film, being a particular kind of movie, didn’t manage to appeal to a broader audience, so it ended up being a box-office failure.
2. Madame Web
Sony’s effort to grow its favorite superhero Spider-Man universe is noble, but the schedule for its next installment is shattered. Although it managed to gather a remarkable ensemble and delve into quite arcane Marvel lore, the film’s weak screenplay and confusing storyline pulled the audience away. Criticisms have been aimed mostly at the film’s lack of focus and its limp action scenes. With superhero fatigue an increasingly prominent trend among the general public, the show attracted very little attention and wound up being another Sony disaster in its poor project of the MCU.
1. Joker: Folie à Deux
After the huge success of Joker, the sequel introduced Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in a musical-psychological drama. In conclusion, Folie à Deux which is mainly spelled by its temporal boldness, has gathered fans and enemies. Some of them liked the acting of the actors and the film’s unique style, but a greater number couldn’t bear musical excursions and therefore were not compelled by the plot in contrast to its forerunner. The picture, which was now under performing, did not live up to the huge success of the original due to the large scale expectations, mixed reviews, and the amount of negativity.
