10 Movies That Got Sequels Despite Being Box Office Bombs
#10: “Tron” (1982)
Olivia Wilde Bio: From The O.C. To Tron Legacy
The 1982 sci-fi adventure film, “Tron,” stars a fresh-faced Jeff Bridges as a computer hacker who gets transported inside the digital world and must participate in a series of Gladiator-like games. It’s honestly a pretty cool concept - and Disney thought so too, throwing a massive amount of money into its marketing. Unfortunately, “Tron’s” $50 million haul was a major disappointment. It may have taken 28 years, but the “House of Mouse” gave the property another go-around with “Tron: Legacy.” That film fared far better, being highly praised for its visual effects and soundtrack. A standalone follow-up, “Tron: Ares,” is currently scheduled for release in 2025.
#9: “Donnie Darko” (2001)
Top 10 Donnie Yen Moments
Was “Donnie Darko” too strange for mass audiences? Maybe its paltry Box Office performance can be blamed on the scarce advertising? It’s likely a little of both, with some bad timing thrown in for good measure. The film, which features a plane crash, was released just over a month after the 2001 attacks on America. But, regardless of the abysmal $517,000-plus initial run total, the movie became a cult classic, earning much more money in home video sales. And so, a sequel, “S. Darko,” followed in 2009 – albeit without original writer/director Richard Kelly’s involvement. Released directly to DVD and Blu-ray, “S. Darko” would go on to be trashed by critics.
#8: “Highlander” (1986)
A mix of sci-fi and fantasy – not to mention a helping of captivating drama, “Highlander” was a highly enjoyable sword-swinging viewing experience! However, not even stars Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery (nor its legendary Queen soundtrack) could elevate it to be a Box Office success in the late 80s. When home video sales showed promise however, the studio jumped on a sequel. Alas, “Highlander: The Quickening” fared far worse, barely making back half its budget. That didn’t stop this franchise though, as more sequels followed, and a popular TV series adaptation ran for six seasons. See kids, never give up!
#7: “Godzilla: King of The Monsters” (2019)
Top 10 Smart Decisions in Godzilla Movies
Godzilla has a storied cinematic legacy, one filled with enormous highs and gigantic lows. However, you may be surprised to know that 2019’s “Godzilla: King of The Monsters” was seen as a monster-sized flop. Following the success of monster-verse film "Kong: Skull Island" two years earlier, “Godzilla: King of Monsters” stomped its way into cinemas looking to take a bite out of the Box Office. Even though it raked in $386 million, the movie’s bigger budget (estimated at upwards of $200 million) made that total a disappointment. Luckily for us, the follow-up feature, "Godzilla vs. Kong" managed to deliver the goods, and profit – this despite being released simultaneously on Warner Bros.’ streaming service Max amidst the pandemic.
#6: “Hellboy” (2004)
Deadpool's Ed Skrein LEAVES Hellboy Reboot Over Whitewashing Controversy – The CineFiles Ep. 36
Like Godzilla, the superhero movie genre has seen its fair share of highs and lows. In the early 2000s though, things seemed to be heading in the right direction with big success stories like “X-Men” and “Spider-Man.” So, why not a little “Hellboy” in cinemas? While audiences and critics praised Guillermo del Toro’s action/horror superhero offering, it struggled at the Box Office. Not able to make it to $100 million, the $60 million dollar feature was labeled a “bomb.” Despite the lackluster haul, Del Toro and Co were tapped for a sequel - 2008’s "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." While that film did better business, the studio opted to nix a planned trilogy and go in the “reboot” direction – which may have been a mistake…
#5: The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Top 10 Movie Sequel Bombs of All Time
Few people would have guessed that the indie sci-fi horror flick “Pitch Black” would spawn a franchise when it was released in the year 2000. The film, thanks to its modest budget, became a Box Office success. Enough of one to get a sequel? That decision would be made thanks to the burgeoning success of one of its stars, Vin Diesel. Due to "The Fast and the Furious,” Diesel was on the rise, and “Chronicles of Riddick” was given the go-ahead with a major budget increase. Unfortunately, it bombed – big time. Even so, another sequel, 2013’s “Riddick,” went ahead - after some major bankroll finagling, that is. The film did OK and now a fourth film is in the works.
#4: “The Boondock Saints” (1999)
Top 10 Box Office Bombs That Deserved a Second Chance
Before any of them were overly famous, Norman Reedus, Sean Patrick Flannery and Willem Dafoe starred in the late 90s action thriller, "The Boondock Saints." The film follows two Irish brothers who become vigilantes of sorts after offing members of the Russian mob in self-defense. Unfortunately, it was a Box-Office failure. The movie’s underperformance could likely be attributed to its scaled down release in the wake of the Columbine School tragedy just a couple weeks earlier. But, with cult status filmily cemented in the years that followed, a sequel, "Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day," was released in 2009. With much more exposure, it fared slightly better – emphasis on the “slightly.”
#3: “G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra” (2009)
20 Movies That Bombed So Hard They DESTROYED a Franchise
“G.I Joe: Rise of Cobra” had a lot going for it. For one, there was an existing fanbase and a multitude of lore to mine from. It also had a flashy cast led by Channing Tatum. It should have been a big hit, right? Not quite. With a very hefty budget of $175 million-plus, the movie failed to meet the blockbuster benchmark, which is at least doubling the cost to make the film. Despite it being nowhere near a hit, the studio opted to give it a sequel – but not before giving it a major overhaul in the cast department. However, not even "The Rock" and Bruce Willis could give the Joes a reason to keep going on the big screen.
#2: “xXx: State of the Union” (2005)
Top 20 Box Office Bombs That Gained a Cult Following
The early 2000s really did belong to Vin Diesel! One of the mega star’s blockbusters during that time was the action flick “xXx,” centering on an extreme sports athlete turned spy for the NSA. When the studio wanted to make a sequel, however, Diesel said no – turning down a whopping $20 million in the process. So, they replaced him with rapper/actor Ice Cube for 2005’s "xXx: State of the Union." The results were not great by any measure, and it felt like the franchise was officially done. That is until Diesel decided to return! 2017’s "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" did big numbers as audiences flocked to see Vin do his thing one more time.
#1: “Blade Runner” (1982)
Blade Runner 2049 Review! - Mojo @ the Movies
Could it be that the beloved cinematic masterpiece that is Ridley Scott’s "Blade Runner" was a Box Office dud? Believe it. The now-celebrated film, which sees Harrison Ford’s character track down rogue replicant lifeforms, completely underperformed upon its release and actually polarized critics and audiences at the time. Of course, the years have been good to “Bladerunner,” and it has since enjoyed numerous re-releases and extended cuts. As for a sequel, it got that too. "Blade Runner 2049" arrived in 2017 along with Ryan Gosling, a returning Harrison Ford and a massive budget of $200 million. The three-hour R-rated film proved to be popular with audiences, but not enough to be a smash hit at cinemas.
