The coronavirus pandemic has turned the film industry upside down (and has even killed off some movie theaters), resulting in stunted grosses for the unlucky flicks released just before the global shutdown and since the worldwide reopening. But some 2021 movies have thrived while others have crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. Gojira vs. Kong, for instance, was released on March 31 in theaters and on HBO Max (without an additional charge) simultaneously and still managed to become the third-highest-grossing movie worldwide. And F9's massive $681.4 million haul makes it the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of the year (Nobody and A Quiet Place II were hits as well). So not all of the films that've land at cineplexes DOA can be blamed on COVID-19. Keeping the spring successes of Kongzilla and F9 in mind (not to mention Spider-Man: No Way Home's record-breaking opening weekend during a rise in infections due to the omicron variant), we've compiled a list of the biggest losers since April. Here they are:
34. Eternals
Loss: $2 Million
The second MCU movie to lose money in a decade, Eternals may seems to e further proof of the end of the studio's stronghold on the global box office. After all, none of the MCU's non-Sony-affiliated offerings this year (including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Black Widow) reside among the top 5 highest-grossing movies of 2021. Three Chinese films and four Hollywood movies (including a Sony Marvel flick) have made more dough.
33. Zola
Loss: $3 Million
32. Die in a Gunfight
Loss: $4 Million
31. The French Dispatch
Loss: $5 Million
30. Werewolves Within
Loss: $6 Million
29. The Green Knight
Loss: $6 Million
2017's King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword cost its studio $150 million. While The Green Knight didn't fail as bad commercially, it adds to Camelot's long cinematic losing streak -- which has lasted for over 40 years.
28. Midnight in the Switchgrass
Loss: $7.5 Million
27. Resident Evil: Raccoon City
Loss: $10 Million
26. Black Widow
Loss: $33 Million
The first MCU movie to lose money in a decade, Black Widow may represent the end of the studio's stronghold on the global box office. After all, none of the MCU's non-Sony-affiliated offerings this year (including Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals) reside among the top 5 highest-grossing movies of 2021. Three Chinese films and four Hollywood movies (including a Sony Marvel flick) have made more dough. The $200 million production budget -- and the $23 million spent on US television ads alone -- was more money that audiences were willing to bet on Black.
25. Spencer
Loss: $11 Million
24. Mortal Kombat
Loss: $14 Million
23. Spirit Untamed
Loss: $17 Million
Though animated movies have been uncommonly popular during the pandemic (especially The Croods: A New Age), families didn't seem to be interested in this spin-off of a movie about horses in the Old West that came out 19 years ago.
22. Queenpins
Loss: $19 Million
21. Joe Bell
Loss: $19.5 Million
20. Dear Evan Hansen
Loss: $21 Million
19. Malignant
Loss: $24 Million
18. Licorice Pizza
Loss: $27 Million
Apparently, this Best Picture Oscar-nominee was as unappealing to audiences as its titular meal.
17. Voyagers
Loss: $27 Million
This Lord of the Flies in space tale is the second big YA movie to bomb in theaters this year. But at least Chaos Walking has the excuse of opening in early March, when even the theaters that were open were pretty empty.
16. House of Gucci
Loss: $35 Million
With a $75 million production budget and an estimated $12.8 million (on the conservative side) spent on marketing, director Ridley Scott's second release -- and first flop -- of the year was nowhere near what discerning and cautious audiences were willing to brave Delta variant-infused theaters for.
15. In the Heights
Loss: $36 Million
In the Heights' debut was preceded by universal critical praise and the cast includes creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. But evidently, moviegoers couldn't have cared less. Maybe they watched it on HBO Max? The colorism controversy probably didn't help either.
14. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
Loss: $36 Million
2021 has already had its share of assassin movies -- some good (Without Remorse); some horrible (The Virtuoso). And there are more on the way (Kate, No Time to Die). To be real, there are too many on the way. Maybe audiences had had enough by the time The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard rolled out.
13. Respect
Loss: $44 Million
12. The Boss Baby: Family Business
Loss: $52 Million
11. Nightmare Alley
Loss: $59 Million
Someone had the brilliant idea of pushing Nightmare Alley back two weeks so that it could release on the exact same day as Spider-Man: No Way Home. So instead of serving as counter-programming to the biggest movie of the year, Nightmare actually had to give up screens to meet the demand of fans eager to see Spidey's latest adventure. As a result, the vast majority of the money that Guillermo del Toro's first film since his Oscar-winning The Shape of Water will most certainly be getting left on the table.
10. Reminiscence
Loss: $66 Million
9. Cruella
Loss: $82.6 Million
This unnecessary villain origin story debuted in theaters and Disney+ simultaneously. The streaming price added an additional $29.99 on top of a Disney+ subscription and home viewers are estimated to have shelled out $22 million. But that still doesn't come close to covering the movie's $200 million production budget (and $12.6 million spent on promo for TV alone).
8. Space Jam: A New Legacy
Loss: $78 Million
Michael Jordan's original Space Jam was an unqualified smash -- making around $45 million in profit -- but LeBron James' follow-up barely got off the bench.
7. Encanto
Loss: $78 Million
With a $150 million production budget and an estimated $14 million spent on marketing, Disney's first exclusive theatrical release of an animated movie two years crapped out.
6. Snake Eyes
Loss: $94 Million
About an hour of Snake Eyes is a decent ninja movie but the giant CGI reptiles, the infinity stone, the stupidest nickname origin imaginable and -- worst of all -- the forced cameos by Scarlett and the Baroness ensured that the best G.I. Joe movie of them all lost the most money.
5. Jungle Cruise
Loss: $186.5 Million
Jungle Cruise's $200 million production budget and the $19.5 million spent on TV ads far surpassed the moviegoing public's desire to see a knockoff of an Indiana Jones flick -- or even Romancing the Stone.
4. The Last Duel
Loss: $120 Million
With a $100 million production budget and an estimated $50 million (on the conservative side) spent on marketing, this #MeToo-themed medieval tale was nowhere near what discerning and cautious audiences were willing to brave Delta variant-infused theaters for.
3. No Tie to Die
Loss: $126 Million
With a $900 million break-even point caused by an astronomic production and marketing budget, as well as multiple delays, Daniel Craig's final Bond outing turned out to be a financial suicide mission.
2. The Matrix Resurrections
Loss: $137 Million
This wholly unnecessary Matrix sequel (aren't they all?) managed to make less money over the Christmas weekend than Wonder Woman 84 did a year ago -- and in the midst of a vaccine-less pandemic.
1. West Side Story
Loss: $248 Million
Facing a $300 million break-even point, Steven Spielberg's first musical fell far short of expectations (like most musicals this year). That includes snagging a mere $2.8 million over Christmas weekend!
Updated 1/2/22
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