Which movie is the biggest flop in history?

The Most Notorious Box Office Flops in Film History

When a movie dreams big but crashes hard at the box office, it becomes part of Hollywood legend—not for its artistry, but for its staggering losses. While many films take risks with bold visions and big budgets, some fall spectacularly short. One name that often tops this painful list? Cutthroat Island, the 1995 pirate adventure that sailed straight into disaster.

Starring Geena Davis and directed by her then-husband Renny Harlin, Cutthroat Island was meant to be a swashbuckling epic. Instead, plagued by production chaos, ballooning costs, and studio cold feet, it grossed only $15 million against a $98 million budget. It became a textbook example of how things can go wrong behind the scenes—and how loudly audiences can stay away.

But it’s not alone. Disney’s John Carter (2012) burned through over $250 million and barely made half that back, a sci-fi epic crushed by marketing missteps and audience indifference. Then there’s The Adventures of Pluto Nash, a 2002 sci-fi comedy starring Eddie Murphy that earned less than $8 million domestically on a $100 million tab—earning its place in infamy.

Other infamous misfires include Sahara, a costly 2005 adventure with Matthew McConaughey, and Mars Needs Moms, a motion-capture film that alienated both kids and parents, losing Disney an estimated $140 million. Even historical epics like The Alamo (2004) couldn’t escape the flop list, despite star power and grand ambitions.

These films remind us that big budgets don’t guarantee success. Sometimes, despite A-list casts, sweeping visuals, and studio backing, a movie just doesn’t connect. And in Hollywood, when a ship goes down, it really goes down—into the deep, dark waters of box office history.