7 Sci-Fi Movies That Should Never Have Bombed

The sci-fi genre has consistently provided audiences with huge-scale blockbusters, repeatedly dominating the box office with its most popular releases. Those considered the best sci-fi movies are usually the ones that either earn the most money or those that especially impress critics, leading to the perceived failure of those that don’t fall into those brackets. However, critical opinions are subjective and often change over time, and box office figures rarely speak to a movie’s actual quality. And, with those movies deemed successful often spawning great sci-fi franchises, the ones that aren’t usually end up fading into obscurity or gaining cult followings and ending up classified as overlooked gems.

In many cases, the specific reasons why a movie fails or succeeds are usually fairly evident. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, as there are many great sci-fi movies that nobody saw that end up largely forgotten. Despite earning the status of box office bombs, there are many movies that never should have ended up that way, as they seem to have had massive potential before becoming baffling failures at the box office.

7) John Carter (2012)

John Carter has gone down in history as one of the biggest and most infamous box office bombs of all time. Though the numbers don’t lie, it’s a harsh fate for a decent movie, which, by all metrics, deserved to succeed. It’s a great sci-fi action movie with eye-catching cinematic set pieces that also adapts beloved source material from famed writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. Though John Carter had so many great qualities, it never managed to achieve the popularity it deserved.

6) Sunshine (2007)

Danny Boyle’s 2007 movie Sunshine is often cited as one of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the 2000s. Written by Alex Garland and starring Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh, and Hiroyuki Sanada, it seemed on paper to be unable to fail. Despite being an incredible sci-fi horror, Sunshine bombed heavily at the box office and is now remembered as a criminally underrated film with an unbelievably talented cast.

5) Annihilation (2018)

Although it is regularly cited as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 2010s, Annihilation is another entry into the genre that didn’t perform well at the box office. Another Alex Garland movie, Annihilation‘s stellar female-led cast brought Jeff VanderMeer’s novel to life in eye-catching fashion. While its intriguing premise and a cast of big-name stars should have led to success, Annihilation instead struggled to make back its budget and is remembered as a box office flop of remarkable quality.

4) Donnie Darko (2001)

2001’s Donnie Darko is considered by some to be a sci-fi movie masterpiece, with its mind-bending premise leading to it becoming well-known as the movie that launched Jake Gyllenhaal’s career into the stratosphere. Its marketing campaign, which involved the movie’s plane crash, was massively impacted by the events of September 11, 2001, which ultimately affected its box office performance. Considering its quality, it seems a little unfair that it didn’t meet expectations in terms of financial success, as at any other time it would likely have performed far better.

3) The Thing (1982)

While it is now considered one of the most terrifying sci-fi movies of all time and a classic of the genre, John Carpenter’s The Thing wasn’t always so well-appreciated. Upon its initial release, it was met with negative reviews and unfavorable comparisons to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which ultimately hurt its box office performance. Though it seems crazy to consider today due to The Thing‘s continued cultural relevance, it’s another exceptional sci-fi movie that flopped at the box office.

2) Children Of Men (2006)

Children of Men isn’t necessarily the best-known sci-fi movie, but its reputation is excellent. A cult favorite with a huge following, the 2006 dystopian movie is considered by some to be one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century so far, with its bleak story standing out as one of the most innovative in sci-fi cinema. Although Children of Men is a great movie that impressed fans and critics alike, it flopped at the box office and has also been remembered as a baffling box office bomb.

1) Dredd (2012)

2012’s Dredd is famous for being a comic book movie flop with a huge following, with its poor box office performance often bemoaned by almost everyone who has seen it. Another movie that employed the talents of Alex Garland, Dredd‘s excellent adaptation of the 2000 AD comics character of the same name makes for a gripping watch, with its sci-fi action at once gritty and deeply entertaining. Sadly, a poor marketing campaign hurt the movie, and its poor box office takings led to sequel plans being put on hold indefinitely. Considering what a great movie it is, Dredd simply never deserved to bomb at the box office.

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