Like every year post-COVID-19, 2024 held high hopes for movie releases at the start of the year. So far, 2024 has had a major release in every super genre, from superhero, Western, action, and comedy to horror. Also, with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, the year held much promise as several film releases were pushed into 2024.
So far, 2024, like the previous year, has produced two billion-dollar films, Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. However, with 2024 now in its last quarter, a retrospective look shows it has had its fair share of Box Office flops. With a few anticipated movie releases this fall, these have been the biggest Box Office flops of 2024.
1. Argylle
The Matthew Vaughn-directed spy action-comedy Argylle was one of 2024 earliest Box Office flops. Argylle was released theatrically on February 2, 2024, with a star-studded ensemble cast. The cast included Henry Cavill in the titular role, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, Ariana DeBose, and John Cena. Yet, with all of its stars and a $200 million production budget, Argylle failed to make an impression on audiences despite its high-stakes action. Argylle grossed a disappointing $96.2 million at the Box Office at the end of its theatrical run.
2. Madame Web
2023 was the year of superhero fatigue. While many believed Sony’s Spider-Man Universe’s (SSU) 2024 Madame Web might break the curse, it did exactly the opposite. Critics panned the Dakota Johnson-led Madame Web, which became the worst-performing big-budget, Marvel Comics-based movie in the last decade. Produced on a gross budget of $100 million, Madame Web underperformed with Box Office earnings of $100.5 million. Released theatrically on February 14, 2024, its commercial failure immediately cast a dark cloud on the superhero genre. However, thanks to the astronomical success of Deadpool & Wolverine, 2025 looks bright for the genre.
3. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Guy Ritchie’s last two film releases, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre and Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, had underperformed at the Box Office. Expectations were high for his 2024 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Although critical reviews were mixed, the movie failed again to impress the audience. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was centered around a fictionalized version of the historical Operation Postmaster. The movie starred Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, and Henry Golding. One possible reason the movie flopped could have been its attempt to blend action with an unconventional historical storytelling style. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was produced on a $60 million budget but could only rake in $27.3 million at the end of its theatrical run.
4. The Fall Guy
David Leitch’s The Fall Guy brought together two supporting casts from two of 2023 biggest films. While many envisaged watching Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s chemistry, The Fall Guy underperformed at the Box Office. Interestingly, critics found the movie entertaining as it generally received positive reviews. Released on May 3, 2024, The Fall Guy grossed $181.1 million against a production budget of $125–150 million. Although several critics blamed the timing of the release, believing it might have been overshadowed, The Fall Guy just didn’t resonate with its intended target audiences.
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
The 2024 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was created as a spin-off prequel to the Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron-led 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road. Since the latter had succeeded, expectations were high for a Furiosa origin story. Despite casting Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth as the movie’s main villain, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga became a box-office bomb. As the fifth installment in George Miller’s Mad Max franchise, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga made history as the worst-performing film. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga grossed $173.8 million against a $168 million budget.
6. Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1
For Western and non-Western genre audiences, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 was a movie many hoped would be a success. Kevin Costner first conceived the idea for the movie in 1988. Having stayed in development hell for decades, Costner reportedly put down $38 million of the film’s $50 million budget to get it made.
Costner had creatively chosen to release the movie in four installments, with Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 released on June 28, 2024. The epic Western film flopped woefully at the Box Office. Chapter 1 only grossed $38.2 million, receiving mixed reviews from critics. Despite its poor Box Office earnings, Kevin Costner is proceeding with completing all four installments.
7. Fly Me to the Moon
Greg Berlanti’s Fly Me to the Moon brought together Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, as well as Ray Romano and Woody Harrelson. The romantic comedy-drama was set against the backdrop of the famous Apollo 11 moon landing. Tatum played NASA launch director, with Johansson cast as an advertising executive whose job is to make the launch appealing to Americans and create a fake moon landing if the real attempt fails. Fly Me to the Moon had initially been planned for a streaming release on Apple TV+. Produced on a $100 million budget, Fly Me to the Moon struggled at the Box Office, painfully grossing only $42.2 million after its theatrical run.
8. Borderlands
2024 had its fair share of video game-adapted projects in film and television. Eli Roth’s science fiction action-comedy Borderlands was based on the Gearbox Software-developed video game. The movie packed a star-studded ensemble cast, comprising Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Edgar Ramirez, Gina Gershon, and Florian Munteanu. Despite its cast, Borderlands was an epic disaster, critically and commercially. Borderlands was largely panned and could only earn $33 million against its $110–120 million budget. Also, accounting for its marketing cost, Borderlands is one of 2024’s biggest losers
9. Megalopolis
After a 13-year hiatus from the big screen, 85-year-old Francis Ford Coppola returned with the 2024 epic science fiction movie Megalopolis. The movie had been close to his heart, having had the idea as far back as 1977. Megalopolis packed an ensemble cast consisting of several of Francis Ford Coppola’s frequent collaborators. Coppola reportedly put down $120 million of his own money to fund Megalopolis’ $120–136 million production budget. However, the movie’s plot failed to capture the interest of its intended audiences. Megalopolis is one of the biggest Box Office flops of 2024, grossing only $13 million from its $120–136 million budget.
10. Joker: Folie à Deux
The Todd Phillips-directed 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux was one of the year’s most anticipated movies. Expectations were high as it was a follow-up to Phillips’s 2019 billion-dollar Joker movie. Actor Joaquin Phoenix reprised his role as the Joker, with Lady Gaga joining the cast as the Joker’s love interest, Harleen “Lee” Quinzel.
Alas, Joker: Folie à Deux was a critical and commercial failure, with negative reviews. Although produced on an estimated $190–200 million budget, Joker: Folie à Deux has grossed only $201.4 million after three weeks. At this rate, it is estimated Joker: Folie à Deux will cost Warner Bros. projected losses of about $125–200 million. Besides the gloom of these biggest Box Office flops of 2024, check out the highest-grossing films in the last decade.
Follow Us
