10 Films With Disastrous Box Office Debut That Still Became Huge Hits
Sometimes the initial downfall doesn't mean that the movie is definitely going to flop. Miracles happen — these films prove it.
Their opening weekends were disastrous, but they found their audience and became hits sometime later.
There are various reasons for a movie to flop. It could be a poor marketing campaign that didn't deliver the news of the movie's release to the right audience, a topic that is not yet relevant at the moment of the release, or wrong timing — the reasons may vary, and the reasons for the postponed success are diverse, too.
Back when the physical media was still relevant, some movies found their way into stardom by offering lots of bonuses and smarter marketing, amassing a cult following later (we shouldn't probably use the word 'cult' when we talk about Fight Club, but whatever). And some just weren't initially available for the right audiences, so they generated the majority of their box office with the delayed releases in other countries.
And also you should never underestimate the power of word of mouth: those who, despite the critics' reviews, decided to see the premiere and praised the movie to their friends, will help it gain its audience.