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The Biggest Box-Office Bombs of 2010

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Seriously Random Lists | Comments (25)



Jonah-Hex-bombs.jpg

You can measure a box-office bomb in several ways, and surely this list would look (slightly) different if you measured it simply on the difference between box-office gross and the production/marketing budget of the film. There’s a lot of variables you could use. But for the purposes of this list, we’re looking only at the real box office dollars of the 10 lowest grossing major studio releases (movies released in over 1500 theaters).

I think it’s also safe to assume that this is how the list will wind up at the end of the year, with only 9 major studio releases left this year and none of them with the potential to gross as low as any of the ten here (I know you’d all like to think that Yogi Bear or Gulliver’s Travels will fall miserably on their faces, but expect opening weekends in the $20 million range for both).

And if you’re wondering why I’m releasing the list this weekend, it’s because the box-office didn’t have a lot of highlights (except for whopping theater averages for both Black Swan and The King’s Speech, which bodes well for their prospects, both box-office and Oscar) and because the number one film on this list was released this weekend.

For the curious, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which might have made the list if it were gross vs. budget, was far from the top ten, with $31 million. Also, if it were gross vs. budget, I believe the number one film on this list would still be number one (as it lost even more money than Jonah Hex, not taking into account marketing).


10. Splice: $17 million

9. Youth in Revolt: $15.2 million

8. My Soul to Take: $14.7 million

7. Repo Men: $13.7 million

6. Case 39: $13.2 million

5. Let Me In $12.1 million

4. Extraordinary Measures: $12 million

3. 4.Jonah Hex $10.5 million

2. MacGruber $8.5 million

1. The Warrior’s Way: $5.5 million (Est. after a $3 million opening weekend)










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Comments

The Last Airbender, sadly, wasn't on this list, but at least that movie just barely broke even, it made Batman and Robin look like the Dark Knight.

Thank god Jonah Hex tanked. Of all the talentless human styrofoam dolls who inhabit Hollywood, Megan Fox easily makes the top 5. When the best film of your career was made by Michael Bay, you know you suck.

Posted by: Devil Child at December 5, 2010 8:42 PM

Glad to see Scott Pilgrim made at least a decent amount. Deserves better though.

Posted by: Aaliyah at December 5, 2010 8:45 PM

BOLD!

Posted by: twig at December 5, 2010 8:50 PM

I ALREADY MAKE TERRIBLE MOVIES AROUND THE CLOCK!

Posted by: D-Day at December 5, 2010 8:52 PM

Every tv show that gets cancelled and every movie that bombs just proves that either I or everyone else in America has really shitty taste. I actually saw 4 of these, and liked 3 of them.

Posted by: Lawdog at December 5, 2010 9:01 PM

My layman's analysis for why they bombed:

10. Polley + Brody not a good combo (I liked this movie).

9. Two words: Michael Cera.

8. I think by now people realize Wes Craven = a rent.

7. Forest Whitaker and Jude Law as action stars?

6. Renee Zelwegger in a horror movie? I think people prefer her in Rom-coms.

5. Not gory enough for hardcore vampire fans and not glittery enough for the Twi-hards. (I loved this and the original).

4. Based on the title people probably thought they were going to see the next Steven Seagal movie and instead got Patch Adams minus the attempts at humor.

3. A comic book movie that wasn't really marketed as a comic book movie. If I weren't a comic book geek, I would have thought it was a generic western about a disfigured bounty hunter who has a hooker for a sidekick. Plus it smelled way too much like Wild, Wild West. And that movie smelled baaaaaad!

2. Another movie based on an SNL sketch, by a cast member who wasn't a household name, c'mon what did they expect?

1. Does it star Jet Li or Jackie Chang? Not even Chris Tucker? Oh well....

Posted by: John W at December 5, 2010 9:15 PM

Unbold!!
(hope that works)

Posted by: The other Greg at December 5, 2010 9:39 PM

Dammit!

Posted by: The other Greg at December 5, 2010 9:41 PM

Bunch of stinkers.

Posted by: The Wanderer at December 5, 2010 9:50 PM

I had a friend/roommate who would typically watch around half of the worst movies of the year and watch them repeatedly. This included a movie like Miss March. He even owned Boat Trip. Freaking. Owned. It. I'm pretty sure Ready to Rumble was one of the most played movies while he lived with me as well. If not, one of the numerous Dane Cook movies would rank first. He's the only straight male that I know who saw two of the Twilight movies due to his own free will. Needless to say I also found out he was addicted to pain medication. The point? Even he didn't like Splice.

Posted by: Matt at December 5, 2010 10:10 PM

I'd say:

- Splice: horror movies rarely work in summer. Specially more esoteric ones.

- Youth in Revolt: Michael Cera in an indie movie being Michael Cera. America does not approve.

- My Soul to Take: was this that Wes Craven 3D movie?

- Repo Men: Jude Law and Forest Whitaker are good actors, but not stars.

- Case 39: Didn't they sit on this turd for 2 years?

- Let Me In: those that liked the orignal didn't go see this. Those that didn't like the original had no reason to see it.

- Extraordinary Measures: January dump of what should have been a straight-to-cable movie.

- Jonah Hex: piece of crap?

- MacGruber: when's the last SNL movie to have worked?

- The Warrior's Way: "ninjas.....damn."

Posted by: Fredo at December 5, 2010 10:30 PM

I guess it probably shows how weird (and possibly poor, although I'll defend MacGruber to the death) my tastes are that I saw seven of these movies.

Posted by: Hector at December 6, 2010 1:36 AM

I saw SPLICE,REPO MEN, and MACGRUBBER in the theater. Does that make a bad person? Hell, Macgrubber was funny for about 10 minutes. I actually liked SPLICE. Repo men, not so much. Good ideas, awful execution.

Posted by: Sean at December 6, 2010 2:17 AM

Sorry to see Splice in this list. Any attempt at intelligent horror deserves better. Badly marketed?

The rest? Unsurprised.

Posted by: PaulB at December 6, 2010 6:22 AM

I liked Repo Men :(

Posted by: jcollier at December 6, 2010 7:14 AM

I haven't seen any of these and only heard of...maybe two.

And I pretty much say the same thing all the time, Lawdog.

Posted by: Candee at December 6, 2010 7:41 AM

Splice deserves to be seen. It is flawed, but entertaining, thought provoking, and disturbing. I've heard mostly good things about Let Me In but the previews were less than compelling and fans of the original were not enthused. No interest in the others beyond maybe a TNT viewing. And The Warrior's Way looks like a movie found on Sci-Fi, the CG looks atrocious on the previews and that never bodes well. Not surprised at all on that one bombing.

Posted by: TylerDFC at December 6, 2010 7:55 AM

Splice never even had wide release. I was lucky enough to see it in theatre.

You have to wonder when they say a movie bombs and no one had a chance to see it.

the Warriors Way isn't out yet in Canada, or if it is, it came out this weekend, so seems early to call a box office failure.

Posted by: idleprimate at December 6, 2010 8:06 AM

I like : Let Me In

Posted by: Giorgis Tan at December 6, 2010 12:54 PM

You cannot rank a bomb by box office. You must consider production cost vs. box office. Therefore, MacGruber wouldn't make the top 10.

Hector, I'll defend MacGruber to your death too.

Posted by: Patricia at December 6, 2010 8:19 PM

I was proud that I hadn't seen any of these.

Does that make me elitist?

Posted by: pissant at December 6, 2010 9:29 PM

I guess I was one of the 12 people in the country who saw The Warrior's Way. And I only saw it because Black Swan wasn't playing, which I had planned on seeing.

Repo Men was better than the reviews said, I had quite a bit of fun with that movie.

As for Macgruber, yes it was stupid, but fuck me did I laugh a lot. You're gonna need the whole box (rips throat)

Posted by: Vick at December 6, 2010 9:36 PM

Shamefully, I kind of enjoyed Youth in Revolt. FUCK IT I JUST ENJOY MICHAEL CERA BEING MICHAEL CERA OKAY

Splice was pretty good except for the sex scene. Which everyone in my local multiplex (fyi, the AMC Garden State Plaza 16) giggled at while I just gaped there in horror).

I'm honestly surprised Jonah Hex grossed so little. Maybe there's hope for America. (Or maybe Megan Fox just couldn't show enough of her ass.)

Posted by: Inferno at December 6, 2010 11:35 PM

I genuinely feel bad for Josh Brolin. From most reviews, it sounds like he actually was good as Jonah Hex, but was given zero support to make the rest of the movie hold up.

That, Splice, and Repo Men are on my Netflix queue. I would have seen any of these in theaters if I had a chance, as well as Scott Pilgrim.

Are these solid numbers for dvd/bluray sales? What kind of money do the studios make back on those? I'd imagine Scott Pilgrim will sell a decent number of discs to make up for the meager box office.

Posted by: Markus at December 7, 2010 9:49 AM

So I order Splice on PPV awhile ago because I thought some of you people said it was pretty good. That movie haunts me now. I thought Adrian Brody was creepy before but now I will never be able to watch another one of his movies. All I will ever remember him for is having sex with that cloned creature thing.
That movie was awful, and I will never forgive any of you who said it was good. My mind and eyes were violated!

Posted by: Dingle Berry at December 7, 2010 9:55 AM