Every year Forbes produces a list of films, that despite having a large budget with a star studded Hollywood cast, their box office performances have not been as well received as expected after being presented on the world stage. The list has been made using data from Box Office Mojo and takes into account films that have been released up to 21st November in more than 2,000 cinemas.
Breaking records is not an easy task, and having a cast full of well known faces doesn't go far if the plot of the movie doesn't manage to capture the attention of the viewers, who are tired of seeing poor remakes and film after film with far too similar developments. An array of genres appear in the list, ranging from superheroes, historical dramas, animations and science fiction, however the biggest losers have been from the comedy genre who have struggled to crack a smile.
The expensive ticket prices, as well as the growing viewing platforms that are available today such as streaming, have lead to the public only tending to pay for a cinema ticket when their is a film with a striking plot full of quality. So, with that in mind, here are 10 films that have caused a distinct lack of interest in the box office arena throughout 2016.
1 'Masterminds'
Box office: 22 million dollars
Despite being lead by well known comedy stars such as Own Wilson, Zach Galifianakisand Kristen Wiig the action comedy, 'Masterminds' directed by Jared Hess didn't manage to win over the public. The films worldwide gross was 22 million, a little bit lower than the estimated figure of 24 million.
2 'Snowden'
Box office: 34.3 million dollars
Playing a controversial character is not always the easiest route to success, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt knows this quite well. The film based on the American NSA agent, which was released in autumn, was expected to achieve a box office of around 40 million dollars. However, it seemed that the romance of Gordon-Levitt and teenage star Shailene Woodley didn't seem to captivate the viewers, and 'Snowden' only managed to gain just over 34 million dollars.
3 'Grimsby'
Estimated box office: 35 million dollars
Box office: 28.7 million dollars
Action comedies seem to be the least favourite genre according to the Forbes list. Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong play two adopted brothers who work for the secret service. 'Grimsby' only managed to receive 28.7 million dollars, around 7 million euros short of its projected figure.
4 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot'
Box office: 24.9 million dollars
2016 has been Margot Robbie's year. The Australian has caught the attention of millions after playing Harley Quinn in 'Suicide Squad', as well as interpreting Jane, Tarzan's partner in 'The Legend of Tarzan'. However, not everything has gone to plan for the actress. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot has not had the same reception has her previous films, after it earned just under 25 million dollars. The Paramount film was predicted to achieve over 35 million dollars in the box office.
5 'Keeping up with the Joneses'
Box office: 26.9 million dollars
Isla Fisher and Zach Galifianakis return to lead a cast in another 2016 box office blunder. The two comedy stars play a couple whose lives change when they discover their next door neighbours are actually government spies. With a hefty budget of around 40 million dollars, 'Keeping Up with the Joneses' directed by Gregg Mottola film only managed to rake in 26.9 million dollars.
6 'Ratchet and Clank'
Estimated box office: 20 million dollars
Box office: 11.8 million dollars
There is always an animated film that pops up in the best box office films of the year, and the notable animated performance of 2016 was 'Finding Dory'. The story of the energetic blue fish outshone other animated films such as 'Ratchet and Clank', whose viewers were left disappointed. Kevin Munroe's film could only muster up 11.8 million dollars from the box office, despite Sony predicting around 20 million dollars before its release.
7 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'
Estimated box office: 28 million dollars
Box office: 16.4 million dollars
In recent years, it has become more and more common for producers to make reboots, remakes, spin-offs and sequels to a range of already successful films. Lionsgate wanted to put a twist on Jane Austins famous novel by turning the Bennett sisters into zombies. This risky gamble didn't pay off as the estimated box office of 20 million for 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' was not achieved, and instead the film made 16.4 million dollars.
8 'Popstar: Never Stop Stopping
Estimated box office: 20 million dollars
Box office: 9.5 million dollars
Although 'Popstar: Never Stop Stopping' included famous faces in the world of music such as Adam Levine, Pink and Usher, the musical film has been one of the biggest failures of the year. This lead to it receiving only 9.5 million dollars, a fair way out of its predicted box office figure of 20 million dollars.
9 'Free State of Jones'
Estimated box office: 50 million dollars
Box office: 23.2 million dollars
The American public didn't seem too keen in recalling upon one of the more darker episodes of the country's history, the American Civil War, where Matthew McConaughey was put in the skin of a southern farmer who decides to create a free state in the movie 'Free State of Jones'. This historical drama which was released in the summer of 2016 could only accept 23.2 million dollars from the box office, despite being predicted 50 million dollars.
10 'Max Steel'
Box office: 4.4 million dollars
The saturation in superhero movies being released on the big screens over the past few years could be said to be down to the success of Marvel and DC. The two big comic companies dominate the world box office, so it really no surprise that other producers such as Mattel don't have the biggest impact in the industry. 'Max Steel' tells the story of the adventures of a teenager who fuses his body with an alien companion to create extraordinary powers. The film only managed to take in 4.4 million dollars from the box office.