21 Disney movies that epically flopped at the box office

Danielle McAdam

21 February 2024 at 6:00 am·13-min read

Disney's epic fails

Disney endured a series of box office flops in 2023, with disappointing releases like The Haunted Mansion and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny losing the studio millions. The Thanksgiving box office results were particularly disheartening; both the animated musical fantasy Wish and the superhero blockbuster The Marvels failed to attract moviegoers. In fact, The Marvels had the lowest-grossing opening weekend in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The studio has high hopes for an epic comeback, with upcoming releases such as Captain America: Brave New World and Inside Out 2 offering the potential for a turnaround.

In the meantime, we've compiled a list of the biggest Disney box office bombs of the century so far. Read on to discover which movies make the roll of shame – some entries might even surprise you. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Treasure Planet (2002)

<p>Walt Disney Studios</p> — Walt Disney Studios

Disney's swashbuckling adventure saga Treasure Planet sailed onto screens in 2002. Featuring a cutting-edge animation style and a stellar cast of voice actors, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, and Martin Short, the film boasted a staggering $140 million (£97m) production budget.

Despite its current status as a cult classic, the movie failed to make a splash at the box office, earning just $110 million (£76m) globally upon its release. A significant factor in its dismal performance was the stiff competition it faced from the likes of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Die Another Day.

While it fell short by $30 million (£21m) compared to its production budget, the financial outcome becomes even more bleak when the costs of marketing the movie are factored in. Sources estimate that Disney suffered losses ranging from $85 million (£59m) to a colossal $240 million (£166m).

Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Disney released the ambitious sci-fi flick Meet the Robinsons in 2007, with the movie boasting a reported budget of $150 million (£77m).

Despite garnering positive reviews and technically turning a small profit of $19 million (£9m) against its production cost, the film is still considered a major flop.

According to Screen Rant, the film resulted in losses of more than $200 million (£103m) for Disney when marketing costs are factored in. Unsurprisingly, plans for a sequel were swiftly scrapped.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Disney's take on Charles Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey as the voice of the villainous Ebenezer Scrooge, hit screens in 2009.

Despite negative reviews that slammed everything from the overly spooky script to the motion capture CGI, the film grossed a respectable $325 million (£223m) globally, resulting in a profit of $125 million (£86m) against its production budget.

Unfortunately, that still wasn't enough to save the ill-fated holiday flick. When factoring in marketing costs, it's estimated the box office bomb lost Disney around $100 million (£68m).

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

The following year, Disney suffered another financial blow with the release of The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Starring Nicolas Cage, the 2010 fantasy blockbuster had a huge $150 million (£93m) production budget, yet only managed to gross $215 million (£133m) worldwide. The film's failure to make an impact at the box office was attributed to mixed reviews from critics and fierce competition from other releases, Inception and Despicable Me.

Although the big-budget production technically turned a modest profit, it was deemed a flop when factoring in distribution and marketing costs. By Screen Rant's calculations, this could ultimately have resulted in losses of up to $160 million (£99m) for the studio.

Mars Needs Moms (2011)

Disney released alien sci-fi film Mars Needs Moms in 2011, splashing out a hefty $150 million (£97m) on its production.

However, on its release the film received a slew of negative reviews, with criticism focusing on everything from the poor script to the creepy animation style. As a result, it earned a pitiful $39 million (£25m) globally, resulting in a loss of $110 million (£71m) – and that's before distribution and marketing are factored in.

Sources can’t agree on just how much money this particular box office disaster lost Disney, with estimates ranging from $143 million (£92m) to a staggering $336 million (£216m). Ouch.

John Carter (2012)

Disney debuted its action-adventure sci-fi saga John Carter in 2012. Despite the film's wacky concept, the studio was confident it would be the start of its next big franchise, and the project was allocated a juggernaut budget of $250 million (£161m), which made it one of the most expensive movies of all time.

However, the ill-fated flick struggled to attract cinema fans, pulling in just $284 million (£183m) worldwide. Expensive reshoots that drove up the original budget and a poorly executed marketing campaign were largely blamed for its failure.

While it technically turned a profit, the movie is estimated to have cost Disney anywhere from $151 million (£97m) to a devastating $341 million (£220m). Needless to say, ambitious plans for future John Carter movies were quickly forgotten.

The Lone Ranger (2013)

On paper, 2013's The Lone Ranger looked like a guaranteed hit. After all, it boasted the star power of Johnny Depp, who had previously fronted the wildly successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise for Disney.

Hoping to launch a new money-spinning live-action movie series, the studio handed the Western epic a massive $215 million (£133m) production budget. However, the movie opened to a slate of negative reviews upon its release and pulled in just $260 million (£161m) globally.

When factoring in additional costs, the film suffered losses estimated to range between $230 million (£142m) and $277 million (£172m). Unsurprisingly, Disney ditched its plans for any future sequels.

Tomorrowland (2015)

The 2015 adventure saga Tomorrowland seemed destined for silver screen success. It was based on a beloved Disney theme park attraction, boasted the star power of George Clooney, and had a budget of $190 million (£122m) behind it.

In a surprising turn of events, the movie earned just $209 million (£134m) globally upon its release, with a poor marketing campaign once again blamed for failing to draw in audiences.

While technically making a modest profit against its production budget, it's thought the film lost Disney between $170 million (£109m) and $266 million (£171m) when other costs are factored in.

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

Disney Pixar’s family-friendly animated flick The Good Dinosaur hit the silver screen in November 2015, hoping to take the Thanksgiving box office by storm.

While the project had a giant $200 million (£128m) budget behind it, industry experts said at the time that it would need to bank an eye-watering $500 million (£321m) to break even when factoring in costs such as marketing and distribution. (As reported by Variety in winter 2015.)

Despite the studio's hopes that The Good Dinosaur would be a roaring success, it received a lukewarm reception from audiences and pulled in just $332 million (£213m) worldwide. Disney is believed to have lost around $167 million (£108m) as a result.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time had all the makings of a hit blockbuster, including a $130 million (£104m) production budget and a star-studded cast featuring Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, and Chris Pine.

Surprisingly, the fantasy-adventure flick failed to attract moviegoers, earning just $132 million (£98m) globally upon its 2018 release. Tough box office competition from another Disney release, the superhero movie Black Panther, is thought to have been a significant factor in its downfall.

Though the film technically turned a small profit against its production budget, Screen Rant suggests expenses such as marketing and distribution will have cost Disney around $193 million (£143m).

Mulan (2020)

Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan dropped in March 2020.

Unfortunately, it was released just as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, resulting in an understandably poor box office performance that saw it gross just $70 million (£53m) against its whopping $200 million (£152m) production budget.

While the film later became a hit on the streaming platform Disney+, allowing the studio to recover some of its losses, it still wasn't enough. All in all, Mulan is estimated to have lost the studio between $140 million (£107m) and $150 million (£114m), with some experts even suggesting that audiences have grown tired of live-action remakes of beloved Disney classics.

Onward (2020)

Yet another victim of the pandemic was Disney Pixar’s Onward, which hit screens in March 2020.

The animated fantasy flick boasted the vocal talents of Hollywood megastars Chris Pratt and Tom Holland yet pulled in a mere $142 million (£108m) against its estimated $175 million (£132m) budget.

Like Mulan, the movie later found success on Disney+. However, Statista reports it still lost the studio a painful $130 million (£99m).

Jungle Cruise (2021)

<p>Disney Walt Studios</p> — Disney Walt Studios

Jungle Cruise had all the necessary ingredients to be the next big blockbuster. Based on a beloved Disney World theme park ride, it boasted the star power of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and had a hefty $200 million (£147m) budget behind it.

Despite high expectations, the action-packed adventure saga performed poorly at the box office, earning just $220 million (£162m) globally.

The pandemic was once again cited as a reason for its failure, while Disney's strategy of releasing movies straight to streaming shortly after a cinematic release is also believed to have played a role. Instead of opting to buy a movie ticket, audiences were willing to wait a few extra weeks to watch the film at home.

The film is reported to have lost Disney around $151 million (£111m).

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

When the trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon dropped, it was showered with praise for its diversity, with fans seemingly eager to meet the first-ever Southeast Asian Disney princess.

However, this buzz failed to translate to silver screen success. The 2021 flick grossed just $130 million (£96m) globally despite an estimated production budget in excess of $100 million (£73m).

According to Screen Rant, Raya and the Last Dragon lost Disney $120 million (£88m) once costs such as marketing and distribution were factored in. The film was also another unfortunate victim of the pandemic, while the studio's decision to release it simultaneously in cinemas and via its streaming platform was, once again, also deemed questionable.

Turning Red (2022)

Disney Pixar's 2022 animated feature, Turning Red, faced challenges in attracting moviegoers despite being the first Pixar project solely directed by a woman.

While the film garnered excellent critical acclaim, the praise sadly failed to generate much box office action. With a worldwide gross of just $20 million (£15m), the film fell tragically short of its $175 million (£130m) production budget.

In total, it's estimated Turning Red lost the studio around $167 million (£124m). Again, the decision to drop the flick in cinemas and on the Disney+ streaming platform simultaneously has been cited as a significant factor in its financial failure. Disney, we're seeing a theme here...

Lightyear (2022)

The beloved Toy Story franchise has been a major success for the Mouse House, so the studio naturally anticipated the 2022 spin-off Lightyear would achieve similar box office stardom. The project was allocated a budget of $200 million (£148m).

But despite its hefty production spend and generally positive reviews, the film underperformed at the box office, grossing just $226 million (£168m) globally.

Sources estimate additional costs resulted in the film incurring losses of somewhere between $106 million (£79m) and $122 million (£91m). The unfortunate flick was another victim of the pandemic, while some moviegoers also chose to skip it due to the controversial replacement of Tim Allen with Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz Lightyear.

Strange World (2022)

Disney's animated sci-fi adventure flick Strange World landed in cinemas in November 2022. It boasted the star power of Jake Gyllenhaal and Gabrielle Union, while sources suggest its budget was somewhere between $120 million (£89m) and $180 million (£134m).

Despite having the basic ingredients for box office success, Strange World tanked, grossing just $73 million (£55m) worldwide. A string of negative reviews and stiff competition from another Disney release, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, contributed to its disappointing performance.

Overall, sources estimate this box-office bomb cost Disney as much as $377 million (£280m).

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the hotly anticipated fifth entry in the Indiana Jones franchise, hit screens in June 2023.

Sources claim the movie had a production budget of around $300 million (£238m), making it one of the most expensive films ever made. And this eye-watering sum doesn't even account for marketing and distribution costs...

However, following a string of thoroughly average reviews, the summer blockbuster only managed to pull in $384 million (£304m) globally. According to Screen Rant, the flop has cost Disney at least $100 million (£79m).

Haunted Mansion (2023)

Disney's Haunted Mansion reboot dropped in July 2023, starring Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, and Tiffany Haddish.

Confident the project would be a box office hit, Disney allocated it a generous $150 million (£119m) production budget. However, negative reviews, combined with Barbie and Oppenheimer being released at the same time, saw the film pull in just $117 million (£93m) worldwide.

In total, it's estimated this spooky flop cost Disney a truly terrifying $100 million (£79m).

The Marvels (2023)

<p>Disney / Marvel</p> — Disney / Marvel

Marvel movies are usually a surefire hit at the box office. However, the latest instalment in the superhero saga, The Marvels, is gearing up to be the studio's biggest flop to date.

The film had a jaw-dropping production budget of $275 million (£218m), making it one of the most expensive movies ever made. Yet despite its super-sized budget and a star-studded cast including Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, The Marvels has made just $197 million (£157m) at the time of writing.

Sources have claimed the movie needs to gross more than $700 million (£553m) to start turning a profit, meaning this box office bomb is on track to lose Disney hundreds of millions by the end of its cinematic run. Numerous factors have contributed to its downfall, including its stars being unable to promote it due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes and tough box office competition from the likes of Napoleon and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Wish (2023)

One film that certainly hasn't been bothering The Marvels at the box office is Disney's other latest release, Wish. The animated fantasy flick aimed to draw in family audiences over the Thanksgiving period, but negative reviews and sharing a box office with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes means it's only managed to bank around $85 million (£68m) at the time of writing.

The film had an estimated production budget of more than $175 million (£139m), with Screen Rant estimating that, with additional costs factored in, Wish would need to gross at least $370 million (£294m) to be considered a box office hit. But with a lack of domestic and international success, it's almost impossible the movie will hit this target. Perhaps Disney had better get Wish-ing...

Now discover 23 low-budget movies that made millions

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