5 Biggest Box Office Bombs of 2026 So Far

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2026 feels like a turning point for movies, with people returning to theaters in increasing numbers. Several films have exceeded expectations, with Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary performing so well that its release on streaming was postponed. However, the biggest surprise is the indie horror film Obsession, which is poised to become one of the most profitable horror movies ever made – it’s already earned over $287 million worldwide despite costing only $750,000 to produce.

Of course, not every movie succeeds, and many released during this busy period have flopped. While films like the sci-fi movie Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die didn’t perform well, earning only $9.3 million despite a $20 million budget, it’s nothing compared to some of this year’s biggest failures. Even though we’re only halfway through 2026, these movies have already made headlines due to the enormous financial losses they’ve incurred.

5) Animal Farm

Andy Serkis’ animated film based on George Orwell’s novel was originally announced in 2012. The long fourteen-year wait for its release should have hinted at problems, and after changing distributors – including a potential deal with Netflix – the movie finally premiered in theaters to poor reviews. It reportedly cost around $35 million to make.

The movie Animal Farm was shown in theaters for 35 days and earned most of its $5.5 million domestically within the first ten days. When comparing the film’s budget to its box office earnings, it appears to have lost at least $29 million – and that doesn’t even include marketing or how much Angel Studios spent to acquire it.

4) The Bride!

Maggie Gyllenhaal received a lot of attention after her successful first movie, The Lost Daughter, earning Oscar nominations and critical acclaim. This led to excitement around her next project, The Bride!—a fresh, punk-inspired take on the Frankenstein story set in Chicago. Initially developed with Netflix, the film was later picked up by Warner Bros. when budget disagreements arose, adding a daring new title to WB’s collection of films.

Despite a $90 million budget, the film The Bride! was difficult to market because of its unusual and unique style. It wasn’t clear if it was a comedy, a dramatic romance, a feminist statement, or a psychedelic take on monster movies—perhaps it was all of those things! Critics were split, and the film earned only $24 million worldwide, meaning the studio likely lost at least $66 million. However, for director Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Bride! appears poised to become a beloved cult classic – the kind of success that can’t be manufactured.

3) Melania

As a movie fan, I’ve noticed that documentary box office numbers usually don’t make much of a splash. They tend to appeal to a smaller audience than big blockbusters and rarely have huge marketing budgets behind them. Honestly, we only really talk about documentaries at the box office when they really overperform – think Michael Moore films or something unexpectedly popular like March of the Penguins. Those are the ones that get everyone talking!

It’s unusual for a documentary to fail dramatically at the box office, but Amazon MGM experienced this with its film about Melania Trump. The movie, directed by Brett Ratner – his first project since facing sexual assault allegations that derailed his career – was released shortly before unedited photos linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case surfaced featuring Ratner. While Amazon reportedly paid $40 million for the film (and the actual production costs may have been higher), Melania only earned $16.7 million worldwide. This means the movie likely lost at least $23.3 million.

2) Masters of the Universe

It feels like Amazon MGM Studios has had a mixed year, with two of the biggest box office disappointments alongside one major success, Project Hail Mary. The recent Masters of the Universe movie marked the return of He-Man after nearly forty years, but despite several revival efforts, the franchise struggled for decades to get made. Now that it’s finally here, the film suggests that the property may have become too specialized to appeal to a broad audience.

The new Masters of the Universe movie cost around $200 million to make, which is typical for big summer films. However, it has only earned about $86 million worldwide so far, meaning it’s likely lost at least $114 million. This doesn’t even include the money spent on promoting and advertising the film.

1) Desert Warrior

As much as everyone’s talking about how well Obsession did at the box office this year, the opposite story is happening with Desert Warrior. It stars Anthony Mackie, directed by Rupert Wyatt – you might know him from Rise of the Planet of the Apes – and it’s actually the most expensive movie ever made in Saudi Arabia, with a $150 million budget! They finished filming way back in 2022, but it took a long time to get finished and finally came out in 2026.

If you didn’t know about the movie Desert Warrior, you’re not alone – almost no one did! It received very poor reviews (only 26% positive on Rotten Tomatoes) and was only shown in US theaters for two weeks. Worldwide, it made just over $733,000. This means the film likely lost at least $149 million, making it one of the biggest box office failures ever. It’s now considered alongside other major flops like The Flash, Battleship, and Joker: Folie à Deux.

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2026-06-17 01:41