Biggest Box-Office Flops of Big-Time Movie Stars

They’re the biggest names on the big screen. You’ll shell out your hard-earned cash just because their names are on the cast list. They’re so big they’re bulletproof.

Well, not exactly. Just because a movie star is cranking out box-office hits doesn’t mean there isn’t a stinker in their closet somewhere. Here's a look at the biggest box-office flops of big-screen stars, listed in order from the highest-grossing flop to the lowest.

Fun fact: The combined gross of these 50 movies is around $365 million, or about the same overall gross as the 360th highest-grossing movie of all time, "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." 

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: Faster

Year: 2010

Worldwide gross: $35.6 million*

*Minimum release of 100 theaters, according to Box Office Mojo.

Bottom Line: Faster

OK, so The Rock’s biggest flop wasn’t exactly a complete bust. Although $35.6 million is hardly blockbuster material, at least it was profitable. With a production budget of $24 million, the film came out $11.6 in the black.

But by Johnson’s standards, this is a pretty weak showing. We’re talking about the guy who helped rake in $112 million for "The Tooth Fairy."

By those standards, one can only assume the title "Faster" was referring to movie patrons switching lines to see a different movie.

Gal Gadot: Keeping Up With the Joneses

Year: 2016

Worldwide gross: $29.9 million

Bottom Line: Keeping Up With the Joneses

"Keeping Up With the Joneses" wasn’t exactly a small-budget indie film. The 20th Century Fox film had a production budget of $40 million, which means that box-office gross comes in a tad over $10 million short of breaking even.

To be fair, we didn’t know Gal Gadot as Wonder Women yet in 2016, so we kind of let the Joneses win this one.

Oops.

Vin Diesel: The Iron Giant

Year: 1999

Worldwide gross: $23.2 million

Bottom Line: The Iron Giant

If you’ve never seen "The Iron Giant," you should. It’s a great kids flick, and who in the world knew that Vin Diesel voiced the giant robot?

While $23.2 million might look respectable, the film had a $70 million production budget. That kind of ROI doesn't make Hollywood studios happy.

The movie rocks a 96 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, but it bombed out of theaters rather fast and furiously.

Chris Hemsworth: Blackhat

Year: 2015

Worldwide gross: $19.7 million

Bottom Line: Blackhat

Compared to most on this list, Thor fares pretty well.

"Blackhat" raked in a total worldwide gross of $19.7 million, but over half of that was overseas.

Still, with a production budget of $70 million, it’s not a highlight on his resume.

Ryan Reynolds: Waiting

Year: 2005

Worldwide gross: $18.6 million

Bottom Line: Waiting

He’s funny, he’s handsome and somehow he exists in both the Marvel and DC universes. However, back in 2005, America’s funniest heartthrob was just playing a waiter in the least PC restaurant of all time.

If you like Ryan and a little raunchy humor, give "Waiting" a watch. But if you have nightmares about seeing "the brain" or "the bat," you’ll understand why more people decided to skip it at the theater.

Hugh Jackman: The Fountain

Year: 2006

Worldwide gross: $16 million

Bottom Line: The Fountain

He’s badass as Wolverine. He’s been dashing as a romantic lead. He can sing and dance. Is there anything Hugh Jackman can’t do? Yep. Save "The Fountain" from drying up at the box office.

The metaphysical love tale has a lot of cool special effects, but the plot’s all over the place.

Still, its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is a respectable 74 percent, so perhaps it has Wolverine’s power of recovery.

Charlize Theron: Tully

Year: 2018

Worldwide gross: $15.6  million

Bottom Line: Tully

Charlize Theron has been everything on the screen from a beautiful lead in a romance, an MI6 agent, a tough superhero and even a homely serial killer. In "Tully," she’s a mom and, frankly, it looked like her most stressed-out character.

Apparently, not enough people were willing to pay for a babysitter to go see a film about how hard parenting is and the miracle of a nanny.

There’s a surprise ending? When you say "baby" and "surprise" together, we think we know what we’re getting.

Idris Elba: The Take

Year: 2016 

Worldwide gross: $14.9 million

Bottom Line: The Take

Technically, Idris Elba’s "Beasts of No Nation" hauled in far less, not even $1 million, but it never really had a big theater release. "The Take" had a $20 million production budget and couldn’t even make it back in the black.

Elba plays a CIA agent pursuing a bad guy in France. Unfortunately, while he was chasing bad guys across French rooftops, movie fans were jumping in line for other movies.

Harrison Ford: The Mosquito Coast

Year: 1986

Worldwide gross: $14.3 million

Bottom Line: The Mosquito Coast

By 1986, Harrison Ford had already become Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Rick Deckard. He was Hollywood gold.

In "The Mosquito Coast," Ford plays a man who uproots his family to go live in the jungle to create their own little utopia. Surprise, surprise, it doesn’t really go that well.

The movie’s budget was $25 million, so it’s box office take was a bit of a disaster. It was so bad that some moviegoers thought that it starred Mark Hamill.

Jennifer Lawrence: Winter’s Bone

Year: 2010

Worldwide gross: $13.8 million

Bottom Line: Winter's Bone

J-Law was still a fledgling actor when "Winter’s Bone" came out. She plays a teenager who has to protect her younger siblings as her mother suffers from a condition and her father is gone.

Oh, yeah, it’s also in a totally messed up society. Wait. This sounds familiar! Though "Winter’s Bone" didn’t do well at the box office, it’s a highly regarded film by most accounts.

And Lawrence was nominated for an Oscar, Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe for her role.

Zoe Saldana: The Words

Year: 2012

Worldwide gross: $13.2 million

Bottom Line: The Words

With Bradley Cooper starring in this drama about a writer who steals another writer’s work, Zoe Saldana plays the role of supportive wife.

Fortunately, this one all turns out great. Just kidding. Movies about writers pretty much never end well. Rotten Tomatoes gives "The Words" a 23 percent rotten rating, so see it at your own risk.

For our money, you can turn the sound off and watch Zoe and Bradley for two hours and come out OK.

Seth Rogen: The Interview

Year: 2014

Worldwide gross: $11.3 million

Bottom Line: The Interview

This tale about a couple of goofy reporters hired by the CIA to interview and kill North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was the wrong premise at the wrong time.

Remember when Sony Entertainment was hacked by North Koreans? Yep. The whole thing left moviegoers feeling awkward and opting for "American Sniper" instead.

Mila Kunis: Extract

Year: 2009

Worldwide gross: $10.8 million

Bottom Line: Extract

Can you imagine?

A movie released in 2009 that’s written by Mike Judge of "Beavis and Butthead" and "Office Space" fame that stars Jason Bateman, Kirsten Wiig, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck and J.K. Simmons ... and it flopped?

Kunis plays a new employee at an extract plant that plans on taking the company for all its worth.

Chadwick Boseman: Marshall

Year: 2017

Worldwide gross: $10.1 million

Bottom Line: Marshall

You probably know him as Black Panther, but the late Chadwick Boseman also rocked the big screen as James Brown in "Get on Up" and Jackie Robinson in "42."

With such a strong history of playing iconic personalities, it’s a bit of a surprise that his portrayal of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall fell so flat at the box office.

It’s rated 84 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes by fans, so if you like Boseman, don’t let the box office numbers be your judge and jury. Give it a watch.

Emma Stone: The Rocker

Year: 2008

Worldwide gross: $8.77 million

Bottom Line: The Rocker

To be fair, Emma Stone wasn’t much of a draw yet in 2008. Her only movie appearance of note before "The Rocker" was in "Superbad."

In "The Rocker," Stone is the lone female member of a rock band that goes haywire. While the movie didn’t completely bomb, it obviously didn’t get fans banging their heads all the way to the theater.

Benedict Cumberbatch: The Fifth Estate

Year: 2013

Worldwide gross: $8.55 million

Bottom Line: The Fifth Estate

Expecting to capitalize on the dramatic news stories of the time, "The Fifth Estate" is the story of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Despite the cultural relevance of the movie and how ridiculously fun it is to say "Benedict Cumberbatch," this one only brought in $8.55 million at the box office.

If only Dr. Strange could go back in time and not make this movie.

Cate Blanchett: Pushing Tin

Year: 1999

Worldwide gross: $8.4 million

Bottom Line: Pushing Tin

Cate Blanchett has been a great actress on the big screen since the early 1990s. However, "Pushing Tin," a film about uber-competitive air traffic controllers, isn’t a real bright spot in her career.

The film is awkward and unsetting as these guys compete to land the most planes. It’s not something you want to think about when you’re flying or at the movies.

This one crashed hard, bringing about 25 percent of its production budget.

Julia Roberts: Satisfaction

Year: 1988

Worldwide gross: $8.2 million

Bottom Line: Satisfaction

How could a movie with America’s darling, Julia Roberts, bomb at the box office? Easy. We didn’t know who she was yet.

"Satisfaction" was Roberts' big-screen debut. Ironically, after her success in "Pretty Woman," the movie was renamed "Girls of Summer" for its television debut.

Apparently, "Satisfaction" was too sexually charged as a name for a movie that featured the actress who won our hearts as a hooker. Huh.

Margot Robbie: Goodbye Christopher Robin

Year: 2017

Worldwide gross: $7.4 million

Bottom Line: Goodbye Christopher Robin

You may have first discovered her in "The Wolf of Wall Street," but if you didn’t, you certainly learned who Margot Robbie was when she exploded on the big screen as the precocious Harley Quinn in 2016’s "Suicide Squad."

Unfortunately, "Goodbye Christopher Robin," was her follow up to that. There was nothing wrong with the writing of "The House at Pooh Corner." This movie just didn’t resonate at the box office.

Will Smith: Six Degrees of Separation

Year: 1993

Worldwide gross: $6.4 million

Bottom Line: Six Degrees of Separation

While "Six Degrees of Separation" has positive ratings from both critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes, it just didn’t pan out in the theaters.

Made in 1993, this was one of Smith’s first film roles, and it appears The Fresh Prince suffered from a couple of degrees of separation from DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Meryl Streep: Plenty

Year: 1985

Worldwide gross: $6.15 million

Bottom Line: Plenty

Surely, Meryl Streep can do no wrong, right? Well, everyone has to start somewhere.

Early in her career, she played a bored English housewife in "Plenty." Believe it or not, Streep earned no nominations for the role. Probably the last time that happened.

Her next film was "Out of Africa," which did pretty OK.

Ryan Gosling: Half Nelson

Year: 2006

Worldwide gross: $4.7 million

Bottom Line: Half Nelson

In "Half Nelson," Ryan Gosling plays a high school teacher who’s lost his way outside of the classroom.

Both critics and fans give it rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but as a moneymaker, this Gosling project gets an F.

Tom Hanks: A Hologram for the King

Year: 2016

Worldwide gross: $4.6 million

Bottom Line: A Hologram for the King

Who doesn’t love The Tom?

From "Forrest Gump" to "Apollo 13" and "Saving Private Ryan," Tom Hanks has been as close to a sure thing as Hollywood has seen since Marilyn Monroe.

You’d think by 2016 his name would be enough, but that wasn’t the case for "A Hologram for the King." The film still garnered a 70 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but that wasn’t enough to draw people to the theaters.

Ian McKellen: Restoration

Year: 1995

Worldwide gross: $4 million

Bottom Line: Restoration

“Restoration" stars Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan, Ian McKellen and a couple of other big names. That makes it a bit of a surprise that it couldn’t break out at least a little bit at the box office.

The period piece set in 17th-century England clearly didn’t resonate with audiences. Either that or they thought they saw McKellen at the theater door bellowing, "You shall not pass!"

Bradley Cooper: The Midnight Meat Train

Year: 2008

Worldwide gross: $3.5 million

Bottom Line: The Midnight Meat Train

Bradley Cooper has made us laugh ("The Hangover"), made us cry ("A Star Is Born") and even made us stand up and salute ("American Sniper").

But even Bradley’s dreamy eyes can’t overcome a cringe-worthy movie title like "The Midnight Meat Train."

Amy Adams: Junebug

Year: 2005

Worldwide gross: $3.4 million

Bottom Line: Junebug

While "Junebug" was squashed at the box office, Amy Adams made the most of her role.

She earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the socially innocent Ashley.

When life hands you lemons, you know.

Jake Gyllenhaal: Enemy

Year: 2014

Worldwide gross: $3.4 million

Bottom Line: Enemy

This thriller with some doppelganger action did better overseas than it did in the United States.

It appears that one Jake Gyllenhaal is enough for the U.S. audience. When this movie hit the theaters, people stayed home in droves.

Good thing for Gyllenhaal, his latest on-screen performance as Mysterio in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" raked in a cool $739 million internationally, so he’s gonna be OK.

Brad Pitt: By the Sea

Year: 2015

Worldwide gross: $3.33 million

Bottom Line: By the Sea

Written and directed by his then-wife, Angelina Jolie, the pair starred in this tale of a couple on vacation in a quiet resort town in the 1970s.

It turns out that the Brangelina fad had faded by 2015, and this film flopped on the big screen.

Nicole Kidman: Margot at the Wedding

Year: 2007

Worldwide gross: $2.9 million

Bottom Line: Margot at the Wedding

Nicole Kidman has been a superstar ever since "Days of Thunder" in 1990. But that doesn’t mean that everything she does is pure gold.

In "Margot at the Wedding," Kidman plays the part of Margot who goes, you guessed it, to a wedding. It’s her sister’s wedding, and Margot disapproves, so family drama ensues.

Perhaps too many people have lived this one to want to see it on the big screen. For the wedding’s "something blue," they just had to look at the producer’s mood.

Christian Bale: Newsies

Year: 1992

Worldwide gross: $2.8 million

Bottom Line: Newsies

Did you watch this Disney film? If so, you saw a very young (18 years old) Christian Bale.

Even though the same choreographer who created the moves for "Dirty Dancing" was a part of it, "Newsies" just didn’t work with the moviegoing crowd.

Jonah Hill: Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

Year: 2018

Worldwide gross: $2.8 million

Bottom Line: He Won't Get Far on Foot

Speaking of "Superbad," let’s see how star Jonah Hill fares in this list.

It’s hard to imagine a movie in 2018 with Joaquin Phoenix in the lead and Jonah Hill in a supporting role bombing, but this one did.

Perhaps the idea of Seth from "Superbad" as a drug treatment counselor was just a bit too much for audiences to buy.

Will Ferrell: Everything Must Go

Year: 2011

Worldwide gross: $2.7 million

Bottom Line: Everything Must Go

Every once in awhile Will Ferrell branches away from his trademark, silly comedies. Sometimes it works, like in "Stranger Than Fiction."

But a movie about a down-on-his-luck salesman living in his yard after his wife throws him out didn’t make the sale with the cinema crowd.

If you’re a fan of Ferrell, it’s worth a watch.

Leonardo DiCaprio: The Basketball Diaries

Year: 1995

Worldwide gross: $2.4 million

Bottom Line: The Basketball

To be fair, Leonardo DiCaprio was just getting started in 1995.

While "The Basketball Diaries" has become a bit of a cult classic for DiCaprio fans, it sunk at the box office.

Like that really big boat Leo was on a couple of years later.

Robert Downey Jr.: Two Girls and a Guy

Year: 1998

Worldwide gross: $2.1 million

Bottom Line: Two Girls and a Guy

"Two Girls and a Guy" is the tale of two girls who find out they’re dating the same guy. Robert Downey Jr. as a playboy? Crazy thought.

The movie failed to draw crowds and raked in a measly $2.1 million at the box office.

Tony Stark keeps that kind of change in the glove compartment of his Iron Man suit.

Chris Evans: The Iceman

Year: 2013

Worldwide gross: $2 million

Bottom Line: The Iceman

This tale of mob hitman, Richard Kuklinski, gets decent reviews. Chris Evans appeared in the film as Mr. Freezy, a fellow hitman.

But moviegoers just couldn’t pull the trigger at the ticket window for this one.

It’s OK, Captain America, we still love you.

Brie Larson: Free Fire

Year: 2017

Worldwide gross: $1.8 million

Bottom Line: Free Fire

Brie Larson is one of those actors that you’ve seen in a lot of movies. You just didn’t know it. Now that’s she’s Captain Marvel, she’s a household name. Thanks, Marvel.

"Free Fire" was released in over 1,000 theaters just a couple of years ago, but it didn’t spark much of anything for the popcorn-loving crowd.

Scarlett Johansson: A Love Song for Bobby Long

Year: 2004

Worldwide gross: $1.8 million

Bottom Line: A Love Song for Bobby Long

Wait, what? A movie in 2004 with John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson and it flopped? Yeah, big time.

Scarlett was an up-and-comer at the time, but "A Love Song for Bobby Long" hit a sour note with critics and at the box office.

Keanu Reeves: Tune In Tomorrow

Year: 1990

Worldwide gross: $1.8 million

Bottom Line: Tune in Tomorrow

What happens when a couple falls in love and a radio drama scriptwriter starts putting their relationship into his scripts and predicting the next steps? Not many people care because that’s the basic plot of "Tune In Tomorrow."

Keanu Reeves, who’s so big in Hollywood he could go by just his first name, plays the lead. It’s a far cry from "John Wick" and not even as cool as "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure."

Bogus, dude.

Mark Ruffalo: Infinitely Polar Bear

Year: 2014 

Worldwide gross: $1.8 million

Bottom Line: Infinitely Polar Bear

Before he was the Hulk, Mark Ruffalo had carved out a pretty good career as a likable character actor.

In 2014’s "Infinitely Polar Bear," he plays the lead, Cam, who struggles with bipolar disorder and has to take on raising his kids solo for awhile.

While the movie has a strong message and fares well on Rotten Tomatoes, a confusing title and plot may have kept people from spending their dough to go see it on the big screen.

Adam Sandler: Men, Women & Children

Year: 2014

Worldwide gross: $1.7 million

Bottom Line: Men, Women & Children

We know. You thought "Little Nicky" was going to show up here, didn’t you? Believe it or not, "Little Nicky" did better at the box office than "Happy Gilmore." Let that sink in for a bit.

"Men, Women & Children" takes a "sky is falling!" approach to raising kids in the smartphone/internet age.

Just because we’re all thinking it doesn’t mean it will be entertaining. Unlike.

Johnny Depp: City of Lies

Year: 2018

Worldwide gross: $1.6 million

Bottom Line: City of Lies

In "City of Lies," Johnny Depp plays an Los Angeles Police Department detective investigating the killings of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

Whether the interest in these cases has faded with the general public or just the idea of Depp in a movie centered around rappers seems weird, fans dropped this one like it’s hot.

But it wasn’t.

Chris Pratt: The Kid

Year: 2019

Worldwide gross: $1.6 million

Bottom Line: The Kid

One of the biggest shockers on this list. Chris Pratt in a "Billy the Kid" Western, and it can’t clear $2 million?

Despite a moderately large theater release, this shoot-em-up story fired blanks at the box office.

But if you want to see Star-Lord rocking a massive beard, "The Kid" is your chance.

Judi Dench: Red Joan

Year: 2019

Worldwide gross: $1.6 million

Bottom Line: Red Joan

It’s hard to believe that any movie released in 2019 with Dame Judi Dench as the lead would flop, but "Red Joan" pulled it off.

Critics called it "polite and listless" as well as "stuffy and boring." In “Red Joan,” Dench portrays an aging, former spy.

Apparently, she’s better suited to giving orders to spies like 007. 

Tom Hardy: Locke

Year: 2014

Worldwide gross: $1.4 million

Bottom Line: Locke

With only one character appearing on screen, "Locke" was a difficult sell.

Tom Hardy has 56 credits to his name, but he couldn't get people to pay and go see this movie at theaters.

Still, it has a 91 percent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 72 percent audience score.

Morgan Freeman: Street Smart

Year: 1987

Worldwide gross: $1.1 million

Bottom Line: Street Smart

With Christopher Reeves in the lead role, it was Morgan Freeman who came out looking like Superman in this super-flop.

Despite a miserable reception at the box office, Freeman received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Fast Black, a vengeful pimp.

You’ve gotta love Morgan.

James McAvoy: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

Year: 2014

Worldwide gross: $985,007

Bottom Line: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (James McAvoy)

Look at this cast: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, William Hurt, Viola Davis and BIll Hader.

We’re pretty sure the producers of this film wish Professor X could spin time back a bit so they could rethink their strategy.

To make matters worse, there are three versions of this tale, each told from a different perspective.

Viola Davis: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

Year: 2014

Worldwide gross: $985,007

Bottom Line: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (Viola Davis)

It seemed like Viola Davis came out of nowhere to wow us in "The Help." Then, she was suddenly everywhere.

She’s played some great roles in award-winning films, but like James McAvoy, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" is one she maybe should have turned down. It couldn’t even break the $1 million mark. 

After making this movie, we wonder if she went home, looked in the mirror and said, "You is kind. You is smart. You is not gonna do that again!"

Paul Rudd: The Catcher Was a Spy

Year: 2018

Worldwide gross: $953,953

Bottom Line: The Catcher Was a Spy

Paul Rudd is the lovable guy you’re always happy to see, but maybe not a big draw as a leading man. Still, by 2018 you would think that his face alone could help a movie top the $1 million mark.

In this film, he plays a major league catcher who is also a government spy. Perhaps you figured that out from the title.

It’s still probably better than "Ant-Man and the Wasp."

Joaquin Phoenix: I’m Still Here

Year: 2010

Worldwide gross: $568,963

Bottom Line: I'm Still Here

During what seemed to be an awkward time in Joaquin Phoenix’s personal life, "I’m Still Here" came out.

This film showed Phoenix as himself as he tried to transition from acting into music. The whole thing was about as fun as an intervention and felt like he needed one.

He bounced back in 2013 with "Her."

Samuel L. Jackson: No Good Deed

Year: 2003

Worldwide gross: $181,600

Bottom Line: No Good Deed

By 2003, Samuel L. Jackson was an established household name. But Sam and co-star Milla Jovovich couldn’t save this film noir.

Panned by both critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes, this is one Jackson would like to forget. Luckily for him, he’s been in just about every movie made ever since.

Seriously, he has 189 acting credits on IMDB.

Related: Biggest Movie Flops of All Time