7 of 2024's Big Movies Already on Track to Become Box Office Flops
Any of these movies could fail if audiences aren't invested enough.
Despite a number of highly anticipated feature-length releases in 2024, the coming year could be just as rich in commercial failures. Let's take a look at the upcoming releases that fans are already predicting will flop at the box office.
7. Madame Web
Release Date: February 14, 2024
Budget: Undisclosed (Presumably $80 million)
Even though the upcoming film features some very interesting characters that would appeal to many hardcore fans, Sony may be making the same mistake they made with Morbius: releasing a nonsensical story that should theoretically be directly related to Peter Parker, but doesn't involve him at all.
6. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Release Date: March 29, 2024
Budget: Undisclosed (Presumably $75 million)
It's unlikely that a sequel to the original two films and Afterlife will be an absolute commercial failure, but given that both Answer the Call and Afterlife underperformed in theaters, it's unlikely that a miracle will happen and Frozen Empire will suddenly break box office records. Besides, the commodification of nostalgia hasn't been appealing to consumers for a long time, so it's not a given that the movie's reviews will be any less chilling than its tie-in.
5. The First Omen
Release Date: April 5, 2024
Budget: Undisclosed
20th Century Studios is working on the cult horror franchise The Omen, 18 years after the negatively received 2006 remake. Original screenwriter David Seltzer is not involved in the project, so fans may react negatively. However, we should not forget that Seltzer was the screenwriter of the remake, so a fresh look at the franchise by young horror filmmakers could be the salvation for The First Omen.
4. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Release Date: April 12, 2024
Budget: Undisclosed (Presumably $200 million)
Yes, Godzilla vs. Kong brought Warner Bros. and Toho gigantic profits, but if the budget is as high this time around, will the new film be able to break even? Let's not forget that even in 2019, King of the Monsters was the least successful film in the franchise, precisely because the endless kaiju action scenes made the movie too boring for audiences. It's important that the new movie still has some substance underneath.
3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Release Date: May 24, 2024
Budget: Undisclosed (Estimated $168-230 million)
Fury Road was released in 2015, and now, nine years later, we're getting a prequel spinoff dedicated to Imperator Furiosa. The problem is that 9 years later, interest in the franchise is unfortunately waning. Since explicit scenes of brutality reduce the number of potential viewers, and if the budget was 230 million, the break-even point has to be $470 million, which even the popular in its time Fury Road did not reach.
2. Kraven the Hunter
Release Date: August 30, 2024
Budget: Undisclosed (Presumably $130 million)
Kraven the Hunter is another movie from Sony that explores characters that Disney doesn't have a license for. Unfortunately, that's the exact problem, as Kraven is a very niche character that only hardcore Spidey fans will care about. The general audience doesn't have much motivation to see the movie, even without Aaron Taylor-Johnson 's performance.
1. Joker: Folie à Deux
Release Date: October 4, 2024
Budget: $150 million
The sequel to 2019's surprise hit, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is the most controversial example on this list. Sure, Phoenix's popularity and appeal to Lady Gaga fans could spark a new zeitgeist. Still, some feel the sequel is unnecessary, and fans of the first installment are alarmed that it's being marketed as a musical movie.