Sometimes, when a movie opens in theaters, the fight to become a box office hit can look like bloodsport. While some bad movies wind up making billions, some more deserving movies wind up making next to nothing at all. But what of all the box office flops actually deserve a sequel?
True to the spirit of capitalism, Hollywood operates by the simple adage: "Give the people what they want." When a movie is a hit, chances are good that a sequel – or even, perhaps, an entire franchise – will happen later. But with people's attention always divided and only so much expendable cash to go around, some flicks with serious potential for longevity see their future prospects cut way too short. Let's also not forget that hindsight is 20/20, and that many movies are considered "bad" at first (especially to critics) only to wind up so-called cult classics.
From franchise non-starters to cult darlings, here are 32 movies that flopped at the box office but actually deserve a sequel.
32. Equilibrium (2002)
Equilibrium's story about cops in a dystopian future is awfully derivative of sci-fi classics like Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and 1984, and its visual aesthetics too evocative of The Matrix. Still, though audiences ignored Equilibrium at first, the picture has slowly drawn attention as a cult movie. If nothing else, it has slick (if also silly) action choreography revolving around its own invented martial art called "gun kata." Far from Christian Bale's best movie, Equilibrium has its merits, and its setting of a post-World War III totalitarian state is too interesting not to see more of.
31. Blue Beetle (2023)
Blue Beetle was a solid movie at an awkward time. Historically, it was groundbreaking as the first Hollywood superhero movie with a Latino lead. But this monumental moment happened amid the dual labor strikes of 2023 and when the DC Universe was undergoing a top-down creative reboot under James Gunn. Blue Beetle, which chronicles teenager Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) obtaining alien superpowers, was effectively dumped in theaters to little fanfare despite positive reviews. There can still be a place for Blue Beetle in the new DCU, but that doesn't change how his debut movie was criminally overlooked.
30. The Replacement Killers (1998)
Antoine Fuqua's action thriller had all the makings of a would-be franchise. Chow Yun-fat, a superstar in his native Hong Kong, was at last making headway in Hollywood. Mira Sorvino was an Oscar-winning actress on the cusp of blockbuster stardom. Combined with budding director Fuqua, The Replacement Killers – in which Chow plays a professional killer who needs the help of an expert documents forger (Sorvino) to escape China – could have marked a new era in Hollywood action. But studio meddling held the movie back, which led The Replacement Killers to bomb with critics and barely made back its $30 million at the box office. While both Chow and Sorvino are now past their prime as headlining stars, The Replacement Killers still deserves a second look and maybe even a second shot.
29. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Plagued by expensive marketing, a generic title, and Tom Cruise still recovering from Scientology controversies, the time loop sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow – where Cruise stars as a soldier in a war between humanity and aliens, and is forced to live and die the same fatal mission – just barely got the edge over the theatrical box office in its early summer 2014 run. (One of its biggest direct competitors? The Fault in Our Stars.) Eventually the movie enjoyed positive word-of-mouth and later won its reputation as an overlooked genre classic that deserves at least another entry. Every so often there's talk of such a sequel; director Doug Liman even confirmed that a script was finished in October 2019. But the original movie's lukewarm box office means investors still have cold feet.
28. The Last Witch Hunter (2015)
In the same year that Furious 7 grossed a billion dollars worldwide Vin Diesel saw his fuel run out with the dark supernatural action movie The Last Witch Hunter. Loosely inspired by Diesel's own Dungeons & Dragons character, Diesel stars as an immortal warrior who operates in the modern day to stop a new Black Plague. The concept of Diesel as a badass with a sword who lives forever ought to sell itself, and the commercial appeal of dark fantasy media – evidenced by Game of Thrones, The Witcher, and more – should give The Last Witch Hunter stronger legs. It wasn't even an outright bomb; the movie earned a respectable $140 million worldwide. But terrible reviews have damned "The Last Witch Hunter 2" (or whatever it might be titled) to purgatory. In 2024, Diesel hinted on his Instagram page that a sequel was still in development.
27. Underwater (2020)
Notably the last movie to be released by "20th Century Fox" before it was retitled under Disney's ownership, the moody and claustrophobic sci-fi horror Underwater had a last minute surprise that ought to have given it franchise juice. Spoilers: The creature causing the movie's destruction is none other than Cthulhu, from H.P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu." While Underwater's director William Eubank said the inclusion of Cthulhu was a last-minute decision, it still opens up possible sequels to introduce more monsters from Lovecraft's weird canon. Sadly, Underwater bombed at the box office due to its historically bad January release date and negative word of mouth, dooming Underwater's future to drown with it.
26. Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Shoot 'Em Up, a mostly-forgotten gem from the late 2000s, willfully ditches story and plot for experimental action choreography and editing. The result is nothing short of impressive, with its "story" – that of Clive Owen playing a highly trained former black ops soldier who teams up with a prostitute (Monica Belluci) to protect a newborn baby from assassins – being an excuse to stage some of the most exciting action sequences ever put to screen. While the movie flopped in theaters during its September 2007 release, Shoot 'Em Up is an idea begging to be revisited.
25. Spawn (1997)
In the 1990s, Image Comics challenged the reign of Marvel and DC Comics with a slew of creator-owned original characters. Among Image's most popular new icons was Todd McFarlane's Spawn, a deceased U.S. soldier who returns to the living world as a vengeful avatar of Hell. In 1997, a live-action film starring Michael Jai White hit theaters just a few years shy of the massive superhero boom. Spawn wasn't a box office dud necessarily – in the U.S., it opened at number two behind Harrison Ford's Air Force One – but notoriously bad reviews have kept Spawn from his resurrection. McFarlane has since publicly explored a smaller budget reboot, but White proved himself a formidable lead and his Spawn deserves another shot at life.
24. The Iron Giant (1999)
To be clear: The Iron Giant, directed by Brad Bird, is an incredible movie that tells an emotionally complete story. A sequel isn't necessary. However, the movie's notoriously bungled release in theaters is something of a cruel cosmic joke, and if there were any justice in the world it would be one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Its tender story about friendship centers on Hogarth (voiced by Eli Marienthal), a young boy in 1957 who befriends a giant robot from outer space (Vin Diesel). While the movie's warm and resonant story about purpose and identity wraps up in a neat bow, a similarly carefully crafted sequel could progress the story forward, or see the Giant befriend new kids from different backgrounds and time periods. What a shame The Iron Giant soars as a cult classic and not the massive success it deserves to be.
23. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
It's the movie that Robert Downey Jr. himself has said landed him Iron Man. But imagine an alternate timeline where there was the Kiss, Kiss, Bang Bang Cinematic Universe (KKBBCU)? From writer/director Shane Black comes this deliciously clever crime noir satire, where Downey Jr. plays a thief turned protege to a Los Angeles detective (Val Kilmer) who stumbles upon a conspiracy involving an old childhood sweetheart (Michelle Monaghan). Despite razor-sharp dialogue and an ingenious reinvention of hard boiled mysteries, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang failed to crack the code for box office success. But its happy ending is begging to see a continuation.
22. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
Edgar Wright's cult smash Scott Pilgrim vs. The World covered all the most critical beats in Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, which chronicles its title character battling the exes of his new girlfriend Ramona. As much as some die-hard fans may want to see it, a "sequel" is pretty much impossible. Not to mention, a critically acclaimed Netflix series (which reimagines the story) already stars the movie's cast. But what if a new movie explored Scott and Ramona's happily ever after? What if a movie took on the characters in their 30s instead of their slacker 20s? Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was a box office failure that found a dedicated audience as soon as it hit DVD and Blu-ray. A sequel where the characters wrestle with proper adulthood would speak to the original movie's audience who've since grown up themselves.
21. Cloud Atlas (2012)
The Wachowskis' mystifying sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas centers on the premise of shared human connectivity, that our souls are echoed across time and space. This is made explicit in how the movie's ensemble cast play different characters of varying backgrounds in different time periods. While this drew some controversy – and admittedly, Jim Sturgess in yellowface makeup is off-putting – the Wachowskis were striving to tell a story about the expansive beauty of our species, warts and all. Although Cloud Atlas befuddled critics and had a poor opening weekend, its story is flexible and ripe for further exploration in theoretical sequels. And the Wachowskis have long ago proven themselves capable of doing something so unexpected.
20. Van Helsing (2004)
Hugh Jackman will forever be known as Wolverine. But in 2004 the hunky heartthrob had a different shot at an action franchise. In Van Helsing, directed by Stephen Sommers, Jackman starred as the world-famous vampire hunter from Bram Stoker's original Dracula. In contrast to the character's usual portrayal as an elderly academic, Jackman's Van Helsing was younger, more roguish, and came armed to the brim with unique weapons including crossbows, shotguns, and a spinning blade shaped like the sun. (Bloodborne fans should really check out Van Helsing.) Although the movie did fine at the box office, its intake was not nearly enough for Universal to proceed with its drafted plans for a sequel. Overwhelmingly bad reviews were the official nails in the coffin, which compelled Jackman to keep his Wolverine claws for another two decades.
19. Aeon Flux (2005)
The acclaimed '90s MTV animated series Aeon Flux, about an assassin in the future who operates in a dystopian city-state, saw a live-action 2005 version on the big screen with Charlize Theron in the main role. The movie bombed hard with critics and at the box office, though you can't blame that on director Karyn Kusama. According to Kusama, the movie was heavily re-edited without her involvement, turning what was an experimental sci-fi art movie into something much louder and dumber. Since Aeon's Flux, Kusama has since found further acclaim through movies like Jennifer's Body, The Invitation, and the show Yellowjackets (as executive producer). While no one is clamoring for an Aeon Flux sequel, it would feel right for Kusama and her team to give it another go, this time with complete control.
18. Videodrome (1983)
At the dawn of satellite and cable TV and home video, director David Cronenberg saw our collective humanity get numb. With his 1983 classic horror Videodrome, Cronenberg dove into the dark side of our screens with its story about a TV executive (James Woods) who gets obsessed with a bootleg program in which people are tortured and murdered on camera. Although Videodrome had a confusing release – released in theaters for just a short time – it has earned retrospective praise as an unflinching piece that speculates on media's power to completely annihilate our sense of self. While a direct sequel is kind of impossible given its grim ending, a new story set in its universe is begging to be made. Just imagine it: Videodrome for the era of social media, doom scrolling, misinformation, and predatory algorithms.
17. Dredd (2012)
During Star Trek but before The Boys, Karl Urban donned the uniform of British comic book antihero Judge Dredd for Pete Travis' R-rated thriller, simply titled Dredd. The movie sees Urban as Judge Dredd, a licensed law enforcer in a crime-ridden dystopian city who reluctantly takes on a rookie partner (Olivia Thirlby) when they are both trapped in a 200-story high-rise apartment block ruled by a ruthless drug lord (Lena Headey). While critics adored Dredd, bad marketing kept the movie from box office success. (Audiences eventually came around due to its unadulterated violence and ultra-cool Urban in the main role.) According to Urban, talks of a sequel have happened including a follow-up series with Urban again in the lead role.
16. Tomb Raider (2018)
For a long time, the bar was hilariously low for video game movies. That all began to change in 2018, when Alicia Vikander got herself into fighting shape to play Lara Croft, the famed adventuring archaeologist from the Tomb Raider video games. The movie, directed by Roar Uthaug, hewed close to the grounded 2013 reboot game, which envisioned a more academic Lara Croft who survived the elements (as opposed to backflipping over boobie traps). While Vikander's performance was praised and Tomb Raider performed admirably at the box office, it wasn't enough to break even nor enough for MGM to retain the IP rights after it expired. Still, Vikander proved herself as Lara Croft, and it's a crime that she's hung up her thigh holsters.
15. The Fall Guy (2024)
The Fall Guy started out as a 1980s TV show with five seasons, so why not a film franchise too? In 2024, after his performance as Ken in Barbie stole the whole show, Ryan Gosling wired up as stuntman-in-love Colt Seavers in David Leitch's The Fall Guy. Besides its clever gags at the modern movie biz, The Fall Guy won over critics with its hilarious story about a stuntman who gets caught up in a murder mystery and races to save the production of his ex-girlfriend's first movie. The Fall Guy topped the box office in its opening weekend, but it still underperformed according to projections and its expensive price tag meant it needed to be a bigger hit than it wound up being. Still, The Fall Guy is ripe for endless sequelizing. And, action!
14. Annihilation (2018)
Alex Garland's Annihilation, based on Jeff VanderMeer's novel – the first in a four-book series – follows a group of female scientists who enter a dangerous zone known as "The Shimmer," where plants and fauna are mutating due to a dangerous alien presence. A muscular piece of sci-fi horror, Annihilation drew rave reviews but only a modest box office, its stable of A-list stars like Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson eclipsed by its own dark vibe. In the face of stiff competition from family-friendly fare like Game Night and Black Panther, Annihilation failed to generate enough revenue to see the rest of VanderMeer's Southern Reach books play out as movies.
13. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2005)
This is one of those times where a movie makes money and even nabs some prestigious Oscar noms, but still can't be considered a franchise-worthy success. In 2005, Peter Weir's sea-faring period epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, set during the Napoleonic Wars, sailed for gold only to be rewarded in silver. (We're not kidding. Know what movie beat it for number one at the box office? Elf.) Still, the Russel Crowe-led picture is celebrated by critics and audiences in retrospect, all of them yearning for the rest of the book series – a whopping 21 in total! – to some day reach the shores of the big screen.
12. Serenity (2005)
Aim to misbehave. A few years after the cult sci-fi TV show Firefly was canceled, it had one last ride in a big screen continuation/finale Serenity. Despite some word-of-mouth buzz from Firefly's passionate online fandom, Serenity still only opened at number two at the U.S. box office and generally underperformed during its theatrical run. But the movie was beloved by fans, and has only drawn further acclaim over time as more people discovered Firefly via streaming. While the opportunity has passed for any kind of revival, be it a new season of Firefly or a sequel to Serenity, it's a miracle that Serenity exists at all. You really can't stop the signal.
11. The Northman (2022)
After two esoteric horror movies, Robert Eggers stepped up for what he believed was his most mainstream movie up to that point in The Northman, a Viking-era revenge epic based on the folk legend Amleth. Despite the combined strength of a star-studded cast with Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Nicole Kidman, The Northman misfired like a bad arrow at the box office; pundits believed its audience of hip twenty and thirty-somethings were split between it and the sardonic Nic Cage movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Still, The Northman had the backing of critics who praised the movie's intensity. Though Amleth's story is wrapped up at the end, it's not hard to imagine a sequel that follows a different Viking berserker on their own mission of revenge.
10. Transformers One (2024)
It's hard to fathom, but even proven franchises can struggle at the box office. Case in point: In late summer 2024, the star-studded animated Transformers prequel, Transformers One, rolled out in theaters and still didn't make an impact. Although the movie had strong online word-of-mouth – supported by its inspiring narrative concerning oppression and revolution, not to mention genuinely gorgeous 3D animation – Transformers One wound up the second-lowest grossing movie in the franchise's history, surpassing only the original 1986 movie. The filmmakers have confirmed in interviews they know the overall road map of a trilogy, but it is only contingent upon continued interest in their unique take.
9. Legend (1985)
With so many legacy sequels out there, it's bizarre how Ridley Scott's haunting storybook fantasy Legend hasn't received that same treatment. Directed by Scott and starring Tom Cruise, the movie tells of brave Jack (Cruise) who stands up to Darkness (Tim Curry) as he tries to plunge the world into eternal night. Critics in 1985 panned Legend; though there was praise towards its sets and Curry's makeup as Darkness, most critics were left in the cold over its shabby story, plot, and characterization. In spite of this, Legend has become a cult film and Cruise's oversized stardom has given it even more power. While it's unlikely either Cruise or Scott would be willing to return, Legend is practically screaming for more especially in an era ruled by Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
8. The Lone Ranger (2013)
Before The Avengers saved the world, it was heroes like The Lone Ranger who caught the imagination. In 2013, director Gore Verbinski strove to resurrect the iconic cowboy in a lavish big screen movie starring Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp (as his loyal sidekick Tonto, a casting decision which drew plenty of criticism). Essentially an origin story in the tradition of modern superhero movies, Hammer plays a lawyer turned masked Texas Ranger who seeks to bring his brother's murderers to justice. Critics found The Lone Ranger bloated and overrun, clocking in at an exhausting two and a half hours and lacking the energy of Verbinski's past films like Pirates of the Caribbean. Still, it had lots of potential, and Disney clearly hoped The Lone Ranger could be its next big franchise. Subsequent controversies surrounding both of its stars has rendered The Lone Ranger unlikely to ride again.
7. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
For a moment in 2015, James Bond and Ethan Hunt had some competition in Guy Ritchie's The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Based on the 1960s TV show, this action-comedy spy-fi stars Henry Cavill as an American agent who is forced to team up with his Soviet rival (Armie Hammer) along with the daughter of a nuclear scientist (Alicia Vikander) to thwart a criminal organization attempting to heat up the Cold War. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. didn't draw in much of a crowd when it hit theaters – a report from The Hollywood Reporter revealed it was estimated to have lost millions for Warner Bros. – but critics and audiences have since hailed The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as one of the greatest action-comedy franchises that never was.
6. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
One might say: This was a real roll of the dice. In 2023, the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons returned to the big screen (decades after a poorly received 2000 movie) in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Molded in the same style as Guardians of the Galaxy and Ocean's Eleven, Honor Among Thieves sees a party of adventurers team up to steal a precious relic that can help them stop a powerful sorceress in the Forgotten Realms. Although it packed plenty of heart and humor, tough competition from the more broadly appealing The Super Mario Bros. Movie and minor controversies surrounding the game itself led Honor Among Thieves to stumble at the box office. Still, it wasn't an outright failure, and there has been talk of a sequel.
5. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Calling Sky Captain! Come in, Sky Captain! A stylish homage to 1930s-era pulp heroes and an innovator of new techniques in VFX filmmaking, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow didn't really take off as a box office hit but has since flown steady as a cult classic. Set in an alternate 1930s, Gwyneth Paltrow plays a photojournalist who hires an old paramour, the dashing "Sky Captain" (Jude Law) to investigate a case of missing scientists. With beautiful art deco aesthetics and set in a wholly original universe, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow has all the fuel for a franchise. Unfortunately, its underwhelming box office has grounded it seemingly forever.
4. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021)
On one hand, it's not a great idea to anchor a would-be franchise around a mute ninja. It's also not a great idea to have giant snakes, undercooked characters, magical relics, and loads of Japanese stereotypes. Coupled with a pandemic-era box office, and what you have is a recipe for a box office bomb. (Worldwide gross: A measly $40 million.) But Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, a prequel/reboot that tried and failed to launch a new era for the G.I. Joe series, has some worthwhile merits, namely capable leads Henry Golding (post-Crazy Rich Asians) and Andrew Koji. This origin story of the coolest member of the Joes, the commando Snake Eyes, chronicles his bond and subsequent rift with his rival Storm Shadow. It may lack brains and refinement, but Snake Eyes has muscle and Golding deserves to actually suit up in that dope costume.
3. Saban's Power Rangers (2017)
When you think of Power Rangers, you probably don't imagine a remake of The Breakfast Club with the moody vibes as Twilight. But that's what Dean Israelite's 2017 reboot Power Rangers was – and somehow, it wasn't a disaster. A reboot that targeted the Marvel crowd, Power Rangers strove to modernize the mighty morphin' '90s icons by turning real messy teenagers into true superheroes. Straying far from the original TV show – and even further from its real origins in Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger – Power Rangers tried to appease existing fans, stoke nostalgia, and invite newcomers all at once. At the box office, Power Rangers was pummeled by the monster that was Beauty and the Beast, but fans still hope for a sequel that would introduce the legendary Green Ranger.
2. The Green Hornet (2011)
Lost to memory as the film Seth Rogen got in shape for, The Green Hornet suffered from its January release window and people's unfamiliarity with The Green Hornet, an all-but-forgotten superhero from the 1930s. (If Bruce Lee hadn't starred in the TV show in the '60s, it might be even more obscure.) But Michel Gondry's movie version has aged well as an action-comedy that thrives on its sincere portrait of male friendship. While the movie lacks any real sting, the onscreen chemistry between Rogen and Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou – as sidekick Kato – is too potent to ignore. Here's hoping that the Green Hornet and Kato may one day strike again.
1. John Carter (2012)
It remains infamous as one of Disney's biggest disasters of all time. That's a shame, because John Carter doesn't deserve to be "the worst" anything. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' seminal science fantasy hero, John Carter tells the rise of its title hero (played by Taylor Kitsch), a U.S. Confederate soldier who winds up on Mars and embeds himself in the planet's own bloody civil war. An eye-popping spectacle, John Carter was set to become a whole new franchise for Disney. But its eye-watering production budget, rumored to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 million, meant it was a steep uphill battle to success. (And let's be real: Does the plain title "John Carter" actually inspire excitement?) In the end, John Carter's box office was so bad, Disney turned to acquiring Star Wars shortly afterward. Disney has since relinquished the rights back to the Burroughs estate, but in another lifetime, John Carter would be as big as Luke Skywalker.
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