2024’s Biggest Flops: 5 Hollywood Movies That Lost Over $100 Million

It is a well-known fact that box office collections have been crucial in determining whether a movie has made it through or failed to impress the critics and the audience. Movies such as Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and more, impressed the audience and critics; there were several which unfortunately couldn’t.

Despite featuring a strong cast, a good story, and renowned directors, some movies that were expected to perform exceptionally well at the box office failed to do so. Over the years, audience’s expectation for movies has been raised a little high and they are not willing to accept anything less. Here is a list of the top five films that were not only disappointing to watch but also tanked at the box office in 2024.

5 Movies That Failed to Make a Lasting Impression in 2024

Where 2024 was fantastic for many actors, including Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Timothée Chalamet, and more, with their movies not only receiving positive responses but also grossing well at the box office. However, it cannot be said for all the actors whose movies, despite being highly awaited, failed to perform.

Some movies received positive responses from critics and audiences but failed to gross box office collections. These movies did not find their footing at the box office, thus landing in the list of the biggest flops of 2024.

1. Joker: Folie à Deux

Joker: Folie à Deux starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and more was one of the highly awaited movies of 2024. Directed by Todd Phillips, the movie reportedly had a budget of $190-$200 million and managed to gross over $206 million at the box office, turning out to be one of the biggest flops of 2024. (via Box Office Mojo)

Upon the announcement of a musical sequel to 2019’s Joker, fans were thrilled to see where the story goes and how the music would play a part in their story. But as it turned out, not only were they disappointed, but reportedly, a lot of them walked off in the middle of the movie. The failure of the movie resulted in heavy losses to the studios, turning out to be the biggest flop of 2024.

2. Megalopolis

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Megalopolis starred Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Grace VanderWaal, and more. It was known to be the director’s most ambitious project and followed a visionary architect as he clashed with a corrupt mayor, who opposed his plans to revitalize New Rome.

It was heavily inspired by Roman history, especially the Catilinarian conspiracy of 63 BC and the transition of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. On a budget of $120-136 million, the movie only managed to gross over $13.9 million with mixed reviews and turned out to be one of the biggest flops of 2024. Audiences complained that the visuals in the movie come off as a very confusing puzzle.

3. Argylle

Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard, Louis Patridge, and more, was one of the most anticipated spy action comedy movies. The movie follows a writer being involved in the world of espionage written by her. Even with the stunning visuals, star-studded cast, and action sequences, the movie failed to impress the audience.

On a budget of $200 million, Argylle only managed to gross $96.2 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). Moviegoers complained that towards the end, the action sequence in the movie seemed a little stretched and unnecessary. It was also reported that despite a poor performance at the box office and negative reviews, a prequel is in the works.

4. Madame Web

Sony Pictures’ Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, and more, was probably one of the most awaited movies in 2024. As a part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, fans had high expectations for the movie, and it was indeed marketed in a way that audiences would go to theatres to watch it twice. However, upon release, Madame Web received the most negative reviews from critics and the audience. Against a budget of $80-$100 million, the movie grossed over $100.5 million. (Via Box Office Mojo)

It should be noted that no other project except the Venom trilogy from Sony Pictures from the SSU has managed to impress the fans. The studio’s recent release, Kraven The Hunter, is the last entry in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, which also did not work at the box office. Madame Web’s writing, pacing, and action have been heavily criticized, and as a result, it has been dubbed as the worst comic book movie. It holds about an 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

The fifth installment in George Miller’s long-running post-apocalyptic action franchise, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, starred Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth in the lead. On a budget of $168 million, the movie was expected to gross $400 million to break even, but it only managed to gross over $173 million worldwide. (via Box Office Mojo) The movie holds 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It has been reported that the marketing campaign for the movie was relatively weak, which also added to the list of reasons why it failed at the box office. Audience members praised Taylor-Joy’s performance in the movie; they did not forget to mention that Charlize Theron’s absence was deeply felt. The nine-year break between the movies also added to the fact that the audience wasn’t keen to return to the theatre to see the next installment.

BONUS: The Fall Guy

Directed by David Leitch, The Fall Guy, starring Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, was one of the unfortunate movies that received a positive response from the critics but failed to perform at the box office. On a budget of $125 – $150 million, the movie only managed to gross over $181 million, where it reportedly needed $275 to $300 million to break even (Via Box Office Mojo).

The Fall Guy’s failure at the box office is one of the biggest mysteries because critics and the audience believed that it deserved a better reception. The reviews also noted that the film was entertaining, the chemistry was on point, and the story was also interesting to watch.