{"id":604408,"date":"2026-09-18T15:20:35","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T15:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/604408\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T15:20:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T15:20:35","slug":"9-of-the-biggest-box-office-flops-of-2026-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/604408\/","title":{"rendered":"9 of the Biggest Box Office Flops of 2026, So Far"},"content":{"rendered":"

Though 2026 was full of box office hits<\/a>, several films struggled to find an audience.<\/p>\n

In 2026, blockbusters including Project Hail Mary<\/a>, The Odyssey<\/a> and Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/a> had huge success on the big screen (with the latter two combining for the most successful collective weekend in box office history, per Variety<\/a>). In fact, this year has marked several new records for the box office, including breaking the all-time summer record with $4.7 billion in revenue, according to the outlet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, other films disappointed in the box office. Highly anticipated films like DC Studios’ Supergirl<\/a> and Maggie Gyllenhaal’<\/a>s The Bride!<\/a> fell short of box office expectations, and big-budget productions like Masters of the Universe<\/a> left a large gap between revenue and production expenses.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu<\/a> performed well in the box office individually, but paled in comparison to the rest of the franchise.<\/p>\n

Here are nine of the biggest box office flops of 2026, so far.<\/p>\n

01 of 09<\/p>\n

Supergirl\"Milly<\/p>\n

Milly Alcock in ‘Supergirl’
Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures<\/p>\n

The eponymous Marvel film focusing on Supergirl<\/a>, Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock<\/a>), was one of the biggest box office flops of the year.<\/p>\n

During its opening weekend in June, Supergirl garnered $38 million in North America and $62.6 million globally, per Variety<\/a>. The numbers fell short of the projected $50-55 million opening weekend revenue, and were even more disappointing when taking into account the film’s $170 million production budget and $120 million marketing allowance.<\/p>\n

By the time Supergirl hit HBO Max in September, it had earned $126 million, per Forbes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

02 of 09<\/p>\n

The Bride!\"Jessie<\/p>\n

Jessie Buckley in “The Bride!”
Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures<\/p>\n

Gyllenhaal’s feminist reimagining of The Bride of Frankenstein also struggled to connect with audiences. The film starred Christian Bale<\/a> as Frankenstein and Jessie Buckley<\/a> as his wife.<\/p>\n

During opening weekend, the film earned $7.3 million in the U.S. and $13.6 million worldwide, compared to the studio’s projections of $40 million globally. The film had a $90 million production budget and a $65 million marketing budget \u2014 however, Variety<\/a> theorized, in part, that the failure in the box office was a result of an influx of Frankenstein-themed films, as it was released just a few months after Guillermo del Toro<\/a>‘s Frankenstein<\/a> in late 2025.<\/p>\n

03 of 09<\/p>\n

Mother Mary\"Anne<\/p>\n

Anne Hathaway in ‘Mother Mary’
Credit: Eric Zachanowich\/A24<\/p>\n

Mother Mary<\/a> \u2014 the David Lowery-directed A24 pop psychodrama<\/a> starring Anne Hathaway<\/a> \u2014 didn’t match its star power in the box office, despite being a hit with critics.<\/p>\n

The drama explored the fraught relationship between Hathaway’s pop star and her costume designer (played by Michaela Coel<\/a>) and featured music from Jack Antonoff<\/a>, Charlie xcx<\/a> and FKA Twigs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The film had a limited release on opening weekend in April, making $170,000 across five locations, according to Variety<\/a>. By the time it hit streaming in late May, it had grossed only $2.5 million domestically and $121,000 more in international sales compared to its $20 million budget, per Forbes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The film’s soft reception at the box office was somewhat of a surprise \u2014 particularly since it featured Hathaway, whose successful year has included starring roles in The Odyssey, The Devil Wears Prada 2<\/a>, The End of Oak Street<\/a> and Verity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Two movies have done unbelievably well and one movie \u2026 was very well respected,” Hathaway reflected in August ahead of the release of Oak Street.<\/p>\n

04 of 09<\/p>\n

Moana\"Catherine<\/p>\n

Catherine Laga’aia in Disney’s live-action ‘Moana’
Credit: Courtesy of Disney<\/p>\n

The live-action remake<\/a> of the 2016 animated Disney favorite Moana<\/a> didn’t perform as well as its predecessors.<\/p>\n

The film topped the box office compared to other movies in its opening weekend, but largely fell short of revenue expectations<\/a>. The film, starring Catherine Laga\u02bbaia<\/a> as titular character Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson<\/a> as Maui, debuted at $43 million domestically and $95 million total worldwide, underperforming compared to its $250 million production budget.<\/p>\n

“If you love it, great. If you don’t, no problem<\/a>,” Johnson told PEOPLE after the film debuted. What “really mattered,” he continued, was that “the culture really stood up.”<\/p>\n

However, the original Moana remains the most-watched movie on Disney+, while Moana 2 made more than $1 billion at the box office, according to Variety<\/a>.<\/p>\n

05 of 09<\/p>\n

Masters of the Universe\"Idris<\/p>\n

Idris Elba and Nicholas Galitzine in ‘Masters of the Universe’
Credit: Amazon MGM Studios<\/p>\n

Even with Masters of the Universe’s disappointing take-home at the box office, the action franchise remake found success on streaming.<\/p>\n

The franchise began in 1982 as a Mattel toy line, then evolved into multiple animated series<\/a> and a 1987 live-action movie<\/a>, followed by the 2026 iteration. The cast included stars like Nicholas Galitzine<\/a>, Alison Brie<\/a>, Camila<\/a> Mendes<\/a> and Jared Leto<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On opening weekend in early June, Masters of the Universe garnered just $29.3 million domestically. By the time it came to streaming in late July, it had earned a total of $113.5 million, according to Box Office Mojo<\/a> \u2014 far below the $340 million it needed to break even, per a Forbes<\/a> estimate.<\/p>\n

The film’s results weren’t all bad. It became No. 1 on Prime Video during its debut week streaming.<\/p>\n

06 of 09<\/p>\n

Animal Farm\"Napoleon,<\/p>\n

Napoleon, voiced by Seth Rogen, and Randolph, voiced by Andy Serkis, in ‘Animal Farm’
Credit: Angel<\/p>\n

Despite an all-star cast \u2014 including Seth Rogen<\/a>, Gaten Matarazzo<\/a>, Steve Buscemi<\/a>, Glenn Close<\/a> and more \u2014 the latest adaptation of George Orwell<\/a>‘s Animal Farm couldn’t hold up at the box office.<\/p>\n

After hitting theaters at the same time as hits Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2 in May 2026, Animal Farm earned $6.5 million against a $35 million production budget, per Box Office Mojo<\/a> and SlashFilm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

07 of 09<\/p>\n

Desert Warrior\"Anthony<\/p>\n

Anthony Mackie in ‘Desert Warrior’
Credit: Hulu<\/p>\n

After originally premiering at the Zurich Film Festival in September 2025, the Anthony Mackie<\/a>-led Desert Warrior hit American theaters in April. However, the Saudi-backed film grossed just $596,000 in its first few days in theaters \u2014 far short of its $150 million budget, per Deadline<\/a> and The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>. It is the most expensive film ever produced in Saudi Arabia, per The New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The film was first shot in 2021 and faced a series of challenges, including its director, Rupert Wyatt, leaving the project and later returning.<\/p>\n

08 of 09<\/p>\n

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple\"Ralph<\/p>\n

Ralph Fiennes in ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’.
Credit: Sony Pictures<\/p>\n

Released in January, the third installment in the 28 Days Later franchise nabbed $58 million worldwide \u2014 just over a third of $151 million that the sequel 28 Years Later garnered less than a year prior in 2025.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, director Nia DaCosta chalked it up to releasing the two films too close together, questioning if it was “maybe too soon.”<\/p>\n

“People were like, ‘Oh yeah, I saw that last summer!’ I’m like, ‘No, no, so there’s a sequel!’ ” she told Empire<\/a> in May 2026. “It’s so funny, because literally every barometer we use in the industry to determine whether or not a movie is good, and people like it and want to see it, was through the roof, and yet our box office wasn’t there. I made a great film, and I’m really proud of it, and people liked it.”<\/p>\n

09 of 09<\/p>\n

The Death of Robin Hood\"Hugh<\/p>\n

Hugh Jackman in ‘The Death Of Robin Hood’
Credit: Aidan Monaghan\/A24<\/p>\n

Hugh Jackman<\/a>‘s latest take on the tale of Robin Hood couldn’t be saved at the box office.<\/p>\n

The R-rated film \u2014 also starring Jodie Comer<\/a>, Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/a> and Murray Bartlett<\/a> \u2014 followed Jackman’s Robin Hood as he seeks to leave behind a life of crime under the care of Comer’s Sister Brigid. However, the film only snagged $6 million at the box office compared to its $20 million budget, per Forbes<\/a> and Deadline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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