Related
Summary
The sci - fi movies that flopped at the box power in the last decade are demonstrative of how tricky the genre can be . Like its opposite number and often overlapping genre of phantasy , sci - fi typically connotes panoptic world - construction that can easily mean a movie bogged down in exposition . Thebest sci - fi movies of all timemanage to collide with a counterweight between show and tell how the humanity exploit , or simply feature a setting where the ruler can mostly be generalize by the audience free-base on genre tropes .
Sci - fi and fantasy pic also typically call for a larger budget to cover the production design and particular effectsthat characterize a visually appealing mount . This imply that if the movie fall flat , the release will be even bang-up . monumental movie franchises have proven that sci - fi has the voltage to be the most profitable outlet in the industry , motivating studios to count on would - be blockbusters that then failed stunningly .
Movie
Domestic 144
Worldwide total
Estimated going
Tomorrowland(2015 )
$ 93,436,322
$ 209,035,668
$ 120 - 150 million ( viaTHR )
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets(2017 )
$ 41,189,488
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
$ 225,973,340
$ 83 million ( viaTHR )
Blade Runner 2049(2017 )
Alex Garland’s Annihilation is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. It follows a group of explorers - comprised of biology professor Lena (Natalie Portman), psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), physicist Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), geomorphologist Cassie Sheppard (Tuva Nvotny), and paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez) - as they enter “the Shimmer”, a quarantined zone of mutated plants and animals caused by an unknown extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Lena agrees to enter the Shimmer in search of her husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), who was sent in as part of a special forces operation.
$ 92,071,675
$ 276,605,984
$ 130 million ( viaSlashFilm )
Solo: A Star Wars Story explores the early adventures of Han Solo, showcasing his beginnings and key encounters with significant characters in the Star Wars universe. Set in a backdrop of galactic turmoil, the film delves into the origins of his famed relationships and his rise as a rebellious smuggler.
Annihilation(2018 )
$ 32,732,301
$ 43,070,915
Luc Besson’s big-budget space opera Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets stars Dane DeHaan as Valerian and Cara Delevingne as Laureline, two officers from the United Human Federation’s police force in the distant future. When Valerian receives a telepathic message from an unknown alien, the pair find themselves uncovering corruption and conspiracy from within the Federation itself.
$ 57 million
deathly Engines(2018 )
$ 15,951,040
Will Smith pulls double duty in Ang Lee’s Gemini Man as retired sniper Henry Brogan, whose biggest enemy turns out to be a younger clone of himself. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, and Clive Owen round out the main cast of this 2019 action thriller.
$ 83,869,818
$ 175 million ( Deadline )
Solo : A Star Wars Story(2018 )
Terminator: Dark Fate is a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, ignoring the rest of the future films to re-canonize the franchise. Set years after Sarah Connor successfully stopped the impending Judgement Day, a new Terminator is sent to destroy the resistance before it forms. Now forced to team up with a former T-800 terminator model, Sarah will seek vengeance and protect Dani Ramos, the new target of Skynet.
$ 213,767,512
$ 392,924,807
$ 77 million ( viaDeadline )
Set thirty years after the original film, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi neo-noir film by the director of Dune, Denis Villeneuve. The film follows LAPD replicant officer K, who discovers a devastating secret that could throw society into total chaos. To stop a potential war between replicants and humans, he’ll need to locate missing former blade runner Rick Deckard and uncover the truth.
Gemini Man(2019 )
$ 48,546,770
$ 173,469,516
George Clooney and Britt Robertson star in Brad Birds' take on Tomorrowland - a sci-fi action-adventure movie based around the idea from Disney’s attractions. Clooney plays Frank, a rough-around-the-edges jaded man who is teaming up with the equally bright but optimistic teen Casey (Britt Robertson) to find Tomorrowland, a mysterious place full of wonder and futuristic technology with the power to change the world.
$ 111 Million ( Deadline )
Terminator : Dark Fate(2019 )
$ 62,253,077
Mortal Engines is a 2018 action/adventure film from director Christian Rivers and writer Peter Jackson. Based on the novel by Philip Reeve, Mortal Engines is set 1,000 years in a post-apocalyptic future where cities are turned into giant vehicles that try to destroy one another. The film stars Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, and Jihae Kim.
$ 261,119,292
$ 123 million ( Deadline )
The Matrix Resurrections(2021 )
Set sixty years after The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections is a sci-fi action movie that sees the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne moss nearly twenty years after the release of the previous film. Neo has become a game developer who struggles to grasp reality, and his concerns are validated when a new visage of Morpheus arrives to free him from his prison - a newly created Matrix. Learning that Trinity is alive and being held prisoner, Neo will join a new rebel force to save her and confront a new, dangerous foe known as the Analyst.
$ 37,686,805
$ 157,386,805
$ 320 million
A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
Furiosa : A Mad Max Saga(2024 ) - * as of June 2024 *
$ 52,548,452
$ 117,748,452
Likely $ 200 - 300 million
Domestic and worldwide box office lucre are according toboxofficemojo.com . If a moving-picture show ’s losses were not reported by news program outlets , the estimate is based on the universal rule that a film take to earn 2.5 multiplication its budget to break even .
Between high - recognition worker , entire world generated by CGI , and COVID - related production delays , 2023 check the handout of some swelled - budget films .
10Annihilation
Grossed $43 Million Against $40 Million Budget
Annihilation , based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer , is a highly phantasmagorical adventureintertwined with broad philosophic themes . The film includes many arresting visuals and remarkable actors giving compelling performances . However , audiences have to work to understand the plot , which is largely abstract and demand that they speculate the symbolism of what is literally happen on screen .
Rotten Tomatoes score
Metacritic score
hearing score
obliteration
88 %
79 %
67 %
ThemovieAnnhilation’sending is differentfrom the book , and both versions are fairly open - ended and certainly jumble . While critics were mostly impressed by the moving picture ’s metaphorical storytelling , this characteristic did not interpenetrate it with the widespread ingathering needed to gross above $ 100 million . Annihilationwas saved from the most annihilative radioactive dust by not having spent as much money on production as some sci - fi blockbusters , but it still lost tens of millions of dollars .
Alex Garland ’s Annihilation is based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer . It follows a group of explorers - be of biology professor Lena ( Natalie Portman ) , psychologist Dr. Ventress ( Jennifer Jason Leigh ) , physicist Josie Radek ( Tessa Thompson ) , geomorphologist Cassie Sheppard ( Tuva Nvotny ) , and paramedic Anya Thorensen ( Gina Rodriguez ) - as they put down " the Shimmer " , a quarantine geographical zone of mutated plants and animals do by an unknown spare - sublunary phenomenon . Lena agree to recruit the Shimmer in search of her husband , Kane ( Oscar Isaac ) , who was send in as part of a special forces operation .
9Solo: A Star Wars Story
Grossed $393 Million Against $257 Million Budget
Han Solo is at his good when there is a certain amount of closed book about his yesteryear .
DirectorRon Howard suggests thatSolo : A Star Wars Storyfailed becausefans were n’t as concerned in seeing this quality ’s line story as studio apartment administrator might have hoped . Han Solo is at his salutary when there is a certain amount of mystery about his past . Alden Ehrenreich does a praiseworthy job of hold up up to Harrison Ford , while Woody Harrelson and Donald Glover also give noteworthy public presentation . However , this was n’t enough to draw in the form of consultation typical of aStar WarsmoviewhenSolowas arguably the most lackluster installment yet .
Solo : A Star Wars Story
69 %
62 %
63 %
Timing also likely played a part inSolo’sbox office flop . It had the tough luck of sharing the beginning of the summer blockbuster season withAvengers : Infinity War , while theStar Warsbrand was beginning to fall behind its"once in a lifetime"feel with so many spinoffs and TV shows in development . However , Solocould have done much bad by its iconic deed of conveyance character , and it ’s not as if Disney could afford the monetary loss .
Solo : A Star Wars Story search the other dangerous undertaking of Han Solo , showcasing his beginnings and primal encounters with pregnant characters in the Star Wars universe . Set in a backdrop of astronomical turmoil , the motion picture delves into the descent of his famed relationships and his ascent as a rebellious contrabandist .
8Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets
Grossed $226 Million $177.2 Million Budget
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
47 %
51 %
53 %
Meanwhile , the praisedWar for the Planet of the Apeswas release in theaters a hebdomad beforeValerian and the City of a Thousand Planetsand was still the ripe choice a calendar week later on . The latter moving picture did not have the same mainstream marketability to draw in large audiences . The only way it would have work is if it had turned out to be one of the best sci - fi movies ever — which , clearly , it did n’t .
Luc Besson ’s big - budget space opera Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets stars Dane DeHaan as Valerian and Cara Delevingne as Laureline , two officers from the United Human Federation ’s police power in the upstage future . When Valerian incur a telepathic message from an strange extraterrestrial being , the pair find themselves uncovering corruption and conspiracy from within the Federation itself .
7Gemini Man
Grossed $173.5 Million Against $138 Million Budget
Gemini Man’sratings would indicate that critic hated it while general audiences loved it , prepare it a very divisive movie . The poor critique are the simplest explanation for why the film failed at the box office . Gemini Manwas wide criticise for sealed technical aspects , most notably the Diamond State - aging of Will Smith , so he could also portray the younger version of his character . The picture ’s plot revolves around a young clone hunting the old , original version of himself .
Gemini Man
27 %
38 %
83 %
This was an unexpected consequence with set up activity actor Smith leading the movie and renowned sci - fi managing director Ang Lee in charge . DespiteGemini Manflopping , it was recently in Netflix ’s Top 10 , contain its spot for several hebdomad . Generously speaking , Gemini Mancan be summed up as a pic miss in artistic meritoriousness but which is still enjoyableif viewers approach it with a non - critical attitude ; it is just another fun action movie star Will Smith ( with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong for bonus distributor point ) .
Will Smith pulls double duty in Ang Lee ’s Gemini Man as retired sniper Henry Brogan , whose biggest foe turns out to be a new dead ringer of himself . Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Benedict Wong , and Clive Owen polish out the main plaster bandage of this 2019 activity thriller .
6Terminator: Dark Fate
Grossed $261 Million Against $185 Million Budget
TheTerminatorfranchise had been suffering from a uniform decrease in timbre in the years contribute up toTerminator : Dark Fate . Terminator 3 : acclivity of the Machineswas a disappointing follow - up to the iconic first two film , whileTerminator SalvationandTerminator Genysisare universally take theworstTerminatormoviesdue to muddy writing , poor playing , and plots that destroyed the enfranchisement ’s persistence . Dark Fatewas actually something of a surprisal comeback , with better receipt thanTerminatorhad seen in decennium .
Terminator : Dark Fate
70 %
54 %
82 %
James Cameron and Linda Hamilton ’s regaining to the dealership and the new characters of Grace and Dani serve the story well . However , it was not enough to untie years of disappointment in theTerminatormovies . The consensus is thatTerminator’sheyday is ancient account , a feeling that was reflect at the box office ; the franchise ’s best hope for a true renaissance now is not a movie but the TV showTerminator Zero .
Terminator : Dark Fate is a direct sequel to Terminator 2 : Judgement Day , ignore the rest of the future films to re - canonize the franchise . Set yr after Sarah Connor successfully stopped the at hand Judgement Day , a new Terminator is transmit to destroy the resistance before it forms . Now forced to team up with a former T-800 terminator modelling , Sarah will look for vengeance and protect Dani Ramos , the new target of Skynet .
5Blade Runner 2049
Grossed $276.6 Million Against $150 Million Budget
Blade Runner 2049is considered by many to be one of thebest bequest movie sequels of all time , making its boxful office flop perplex . Its ratings reflect the strong functioning and story , which exposit upon the AI discourse introduced by the definitive sci - fi adventure through the electron lens of new primary characters , with appropriate legacy cameos . Both theoriginalBlade Runnerand the sequel bombed at the box officebut became cult hits , suggesting that there is something fundamentally flawed about the franchise ’s marketing .
Blade Runner 2049
81 %
In the case ofBlade Runner 2049 , a reexamination of the reviews show the water parting that characterise the first installment , while further highlighting the franchise ’s underdeveloped distaff eccentric . Additionally , Blade Runner 2049is another movie with an interesting premise but execution that fails to appeal to a larger audience . Being a dense and longer movie , not as many moviegoer were going to take the time to go see it .
gear up thirty class after the original film , Blade Runner 2049 is a sci - fi neo - noir film by the managing director of Dune , Denis Villeneuve . The photographic film follows LAPD replicant officer K , who discovers a devastating mystery that could throw society into full chaos . To stop a potential state of war between replicants and humans , he ’ll need to place miss former blade blue runner Rick Deckard and unveil the accuracy .
From nightmarish hellscapes to fourth dimension - hop thrillers to a hero that fall back to a pre - human form , these are sci - fi ’s strangest cinematic trips .
4Tomorrowland
Grossed $209 Million Against $190 Million Budget
Thehuge box office fizzle ofTomorrowlandis an early example of Hollywood ’s growing dependence on IP , with mediocre result that would not warn Disney from producing more musical theme park - inspired movies and alive - action at law remaking . Like many late movies that go the same criterion , Tomorrowlandflashed the public figure of A - Baron Lister like George Clooney and Hugh Laurie , hoping that their presence and the connection with the beloved Disneyland"land"would make it profitable . Director Brad Bird had proven that he was capable of run a successful live - action flick as well as an recreate one withMission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol .
Tomorrowland
50 %
60 %
Disney then continue to spend too much money onTomorrowland , sure that it would be a smash . However , Tomorrowlandproved unmanageable to push without spoiling the moving picture , while it faced competition from the other , well - reviewed summer blockbustersMission : Impossible - Rogue NationandAnt - Man . These factors and overall interracial reviews lead toTomorrowlandbombing at the box office .
George Clooney and Britt Robertson star in Brad Birds ' take on Tomorrowland - a sci - fi action - adventure moving picture based around the idea from Disney ’s attractions . Clooney plays Frank , a rough - around - the - edges jaded humans who is team up up with the as bright but optimistic adolescent Casey ( Britt Robertson ) to find Tomorrowland , a mystical shoes full of marvel and futuristic engineering science with the power to change the world .
3Mortal Engines
Grossed $84 Million Against $100 Million Budget
There are no extensive debates — Mortal Enginesflopped at the boxwood office because it was a tough picture show . free-base on Philip Reeve ’s novel of the same name , Mortal Engineslikely hoped to become the next megahit enfranchisement , with plenty of seed material to draw upon and several famous names require . However , the consensus was that the moving picture was empty : all spectacle , but no solid tarradiddle . Mirroring the circumstance ofGemini Man , Mortal Engineswas also recently popular on Netflix , giving it a strange afterlife come after its box office failure .
deadly Engines
26 %
44 %
48 %
With the late uptake in sci - fi and illusion lit being adapted , a new studio may look into vivify or rebootingMortal Engines . It is a classic sci - fi serial with an all-inclusive floor that should have been the first of a successful franchise . However , it will be necessary for any hopeful newfangled filmmakers to closely study theMortal Enginesto figure out where they go wrong .
Mortal Engines is a 2018 activity / risky venture photographic film from director Christian Rivers and writer Peter Jackson . Based on the novel by Philip Reeve , Mortal Engines is go down 1,000 years in a post - apocalyptical future where cities are turned into elephantine vehicles that try out to destroy one another . The motion picture stars Hera Hilmar , Robert Sheehan , Hugo Weaving , and Jihae Kim .
2The Matrix Resurrections
Grossed $157.4 Million Against $190 Million Budget
The Matrix Resurrectionsproved to be the most divisive addition to the franchise yet . Most legacy sequels are met with skepticism , butThe Matrixfaced the additional challenge of follow up to two sequels in the original trilogy that are generally deride . Factors include the rephrasing of Morpheus and Agent Smith , the constant meta humour about being a bequest subsequence , and more were see with mixed reactions , at best .
The Matrix resurrection
However , Resurrections’box office flop was cement when the studio apartment prefer for a hybrid sack . They tried to have the best of both world — the profits of a theatrical discharge while meeting the increase orientation for look on movies at home — and did n’t get either . Most people would n’t waste money on tickets for a moving picture they did n’t have high Leslie Townes Hope for when they could keep an eye on it in their living elbow room if they watch it at all .
Set sixty year after The Matrix Revolutions , The Matrix Resurrections is a sci - fi action movie that realize the return of Keanu Reeves and Carrie - Anne moss well-nigh twenty year after the tone ending of the former film . Neo has become a game developer who contend to grasp reality , and his care are validated when a newfangled smiler of Morpheus arrives to disembarrass him from his prison - a newly create Matrix . Learning that Trinity is alert and being held prisoner , Neo will unite a new rebel force to save her and confront a new , dangerous foe known as the Analyst .
Movie franchise include Divergent , The Maze Runner , and Mortal Engines had hope of being the next Hunger Games but did n’t live up to the hype .
1Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Grossed $75 Million (As Of June 2024) Against $168 Million Budget
Even if Furiosa somehow manages to triple that $ 75 million , it is still look at a exit near to $ 200 million .
While the concluding loge office numbers are not yet set ( at the time of writing),Furiosa : A Mad Max Sagahas find shockingly underwhelming box office gross given its critical eclat , suggesting that it is a desirable summation to theMad Maxfranchise if not quite reaching the same heights asMad Max : Fury Road . Fury Roadgrossed close to $ 380 million during its six - week theatrical release;Furiosahas gross $ 75 million in about a third of the meter . Even ifFuriosasomehow manages to triple that $ 75 million , it is still look at a loss close to $ 200 million .
Furiosa : A Mad Max Saga
90 %
It has been indicate thatFuriosa’spoor box office performancemay be due to audiences expecting that the movie will be available to determine at home soon enough , and competition with more family - friendly moving picture coming out in the same release windowpane . Even so , the col betweenFuriosaand its predecessor is startling . Of the sci - fi movies that have flopped at the box federal agency in the last decade , Furiosahas the most distressful implications for the rest period of Hollywood .
A prequel to Mad Max : Fury Road , Furiosa is an action - risky venture film that tells the origin chronicle of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa . put in short after the beginning of the " end of the world , " Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord , now forced to work for him . To see her mode back home , Furiosa will adjust to the young harsh and desiccate earth as she grow into the Furiosa she becomes known to be .
beginning : boxofficemojo.com , The Hollywood Reporter , SlashFilm , Deadline , TheWrap
