10 Big-Budget Action Movies That Were a Total Waste of Money
John Carter (2012)
With a bloated production budget of more than $300 million, John Carter grossed just $284 million worldwide and stands as one of the biggest box office flops to date. It fell short of its break-even mark, which is roughly estimated to be around $750 million.
Tron: Ares (2025)
Tron: Ares stands as one of the most disappointing entries in the Tron franchise. Despite Jared Leto’s presence, the film was a box office flop in 2025, earning just over $140 million worldwide against a $220 million production budget. The movie fell far short of its break-even mark, which was estimated to be well above $500 million.
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Even though Assassin’s Creed is a hugely popular franchise, Michael Fassbender’s highly anticipated debut as the popular game character fell flat after the film grossed only $240 million worldwide. The movie carried a budget of $125 million and fell short of its break-even mark of around $310 million.
Dark Phoenix (2019)
X-Men: Apocalypse’s sequel, Dark Phoenix, was a big box office disappointment for the franchise’s fans. Even though the film crossed the $250 million mark worldwide, its bloated $200 million budget meant it had to gross around $500 million to enter the profitable zone, which it failed to do.
Green Lantern (2011)
Despite the presence of Keanu Reeves, 47 Ronin was a big commercial flop. With a budget estimated to be around $225 million, the action film grossed just over $150 million worldwide, suffering massive losses.
Green Lantern (2011)
Ryan Reynolds’ role as the popular DC superhero Green Lantern did not gain much attention from audiences, as the movie barely managed to cross $200 million worldwide against a budget of around the same amount. The film suffered losses worth millions and fell short of its break-even mark, estimated to be around $500 million.
Cutthroat Island (1995)
A film already riddled with a chaotic production involving multiple rewrites and recasts, Cutthroat Island offered little hope at the box office. With a production budget of around $115 million, it grossed just $16 million worldwide, suffering a loss of at least $250 million.
The 13th Warrior (1999)
Based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead, The 13th Warrior was made on a huge $160 million budget. However, the film grossed only $61 million worldwide, falling far short of its break-even point by around $340 million and becoming a major box office flop.
Catwoman (2004)
Another movie based on one of DC’s most popular characters, Halle Berry’s 2004 film Catwoman did not turn out as expected. The film grossed just over $80 million worldwide against a $100 million budget, falling short of its break-even mark of $250 million, and becoming a box office disappointment.
The Alamo (2004)
Even though The Alamo featured several large-scale war battle sequences, it failed to gain box office traction or audience interest upon release. Made on a budget of over $100 million, the film earned just around $25 million worldwide, resulting in massive losses.
