Fantasy Movies That Flopped so Hard They Killed the Franchise

Movie studios frequently try to create large, interconnected film universes inspired by well-known fantasy books or entirely new ideas. However, many of these efforts don’t succeed, either financially or with critics, when they first come out. Sometimes, just one weak opening weekend is enough for a studio to cancel plans for future movies that have been in development for years. These thirty films are examples of ambitious world-building projects that, despite their potential, ultimately led to the cancellation of their respective franchises.

‘Eragon’ (2006)

‘Eragon’ tells the story of a young farm boy who finds a dragon egg and becomes responsible for keeping it safe from a cruel king. The movie was meant to launch a film series based on Christopher Paolini’s books, but critics strongly disliked it because it differed greatly from the novels and featured weak writing. While the film did reasonably well in theaters worldwide, the studio ultimately decided to cancel any planned sequels.

‘The Golden Compass’ (2007)

‘The Golden Compass’ was an expensive movie based on Philip Pullman’s book ‘Northern Lights’. The studio, New Line Cinema, was hoping it would launch a successful fantasy series like another popular trilogy they had made. However, despite good actors and special effects, the film didn’t connect with audiences in the United States. Money problems and disagreements over the book’s content meant that no further movies were ever made.

‘The Last Airbender’ (2010)

The movie ‘The Last Airbender’ was a live-action adaptation of the popular animated series. Director M. Night Shyamalan originally intended to tell the complete story over three films, but the first movie was widely criticized for its casting and rushed plot. Due to the strong negative reaction, Paramount Pictures cancelled any further plans for sequels.

‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ (2013)

‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ tried to appeal to the same young adult audience that enjoyed popular supernatural movies and books. The film followed Clary Fray as she learned she was a Shadowhunter. However, it didn’t make enough money in theaters to warrant making a sequel. Instead of continuing as a movie series, the story was later reimagined as a television show called ‘Shadowhunters’.

‘Vampire Academy’ (2014)

‘Vampire Academy’ tried to launch a new movie franchise by mixing the popular tropes of paranormal romance with the familiar setting of high school. The film followed a young woman training to be a guardian and her friendship with a vampire prince. However, it wasn’t successful with critics or at the box office, and a later attempt to fund a sequel through crowdfunding also failed.

‘Seventh Son’ (2014)

Jeff Bridges plays a knight tasked with training an apprentice to battle an evil queen in ‘Seventh Son.’ The film had a troubled production, experiencing multiple delays and changes in distribution before its release. Critics generally disliked it, citing a predictable story and overuse of computer-generated imagery. Due to its box office failure, plans for any sequels were abandoned.

‘Pan’ (2015)

‘Pan’ aimed to tell the story of how Peter Pan and Captain Hook became who they are, set in a new version of Neverland. Warner Bros. invested a lot of money into making and promoting the film, hoping it would launch a successful series for families. However, the movie didn’t perform well in theaters and critics questioned some of the actors chosen for the roles. Because of the poor opening weekend, any plans for a follow-up movie were cancelled.

‘Warcraft’ (2016)

The movie ‘Warcraft’ brought the world of the popular video game Azeroth to the big screen using digital effects. Though it was very successful in China, it didn’t attract a large audience in North America. Reviews were mixed, with some critics finding the complex backstory and the way the movie handled both human and orc characters confusing. Because of the weak performance in North America, the studio decided to stop planning any further movies in the ‘Warcraft’ universe.

‘The Mummy’ (2017)

The movie ‘The Mummy’ was intended to kick off a big, interconnected series of films based on Universal’s classic monsters. Universal Pictures hoped to create a shared story universe, but the film didn’t do well with critics or at the box office. As a result, most of the planned sequels and spin-offs in the ‘Dark Universe’ were either cancelled or reimagined as separate, unrelated movies.

‘The Dark Tower’ (2017)

The movie ‘The Dark Tower’ tried to fit Stephen King’s huge book series into one film, but it didn’t quite work. Fans were unhappy with how short it was and the many changes to the story. Because the film didn’t do well in theaters and critics didn’t like it, plans for a TV show and more movies were canceled.

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ (2018)

Disney made a movie based on Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved science fantasy novel, ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ The studio invested heavily in the film, bringing on a well-known director and cast. However, the movie received mixed reactions from critics and didn’t attract a large audience, leading to financial losses. As a result, Disney decided not to proceed with plans to adapt the remaining books in the series.

‘Mortal Engines’ (2018)

‘Mortal Engines’ imagined a post-apocalyptic world where cities were built on massive, moving platforms that literally devoured smaller settlements. Produced by Peter Jackson and based on Philip Reeve’s novels, the film boasted impressive visuals and special effects. However, it didn’t perform well at the box office, resulting in a significant financial loss that prevented the studio from making any further films based on the remaining books in the series.

‘Artemis Fowl’ (2020)

The movie ‘Artemis Fowl’ was based on the well-known book series about a teenage criminal genius and a hidden world of fairies. However, the film had a difficult production process and ended up being released directly on a streaming service instead of in theaters. Readers of the books weren’t happy with how the main character and the story were changed. So far, there haven’t been any plans announced for a follow-up movie.

‘The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising’ (2007)

‘The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising’ aimed to launch a movie series based on Susan Cooper’s fantasy books. The film followed a boy who learns he’s the final member of an ancient, immortal group of fighters. However, it was criticized for deviating significantly from the books and for being poorly made. It didn’t perform well in theaters, and plans for further movies were cancelled.

‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’ (2009)

The movie ‘Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant’ condensed the first three books of Darren Shan’s series into a single film. It told the story of a boy who becomes the assistant to a vampire and joins a traveling show of unusual performers. However, the movie wasn’t successful enough to justify making more films based on the remaining nine books in the series, so Universal Pictures cancelled any plans for future adaptations.

‘I Am Number Four’ (2011)

‘I Am Number Four’ told the story of an alien teen with special abilities who was living in hiding on Earth to escape dangerous foes. Produced by Michael Bay, the film was meant to be the first in a series based on the Lorien Legacies novels. Although it wasn’t a total box office flop, it didn’t perform as well as the studio hoped, and no sequels were ever made, leaving the story unresolved in theaters.

‘Beautiful Creatures’ (2013)

‘Beautiful Creatures’ aimed to replicate the success of the ‘Twilight’ films, telling the story of a young couple with magical abilities in a small town in the South. However, the movie received lukewarm reviews and didn’t attract a large enough audience. As a result, the studio decided not to make any further films based on the remaining books in the series.

‘John Carter’ (2012)

The film ‘John Carter’ was inspired by the classic ‘Barsoom’ series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Disney spent a huge sum of money making it, hoping it would launch a successful new science fiction franchise. However, the movie struggled with its marketing and enormous costs, making it hard to recoup the investment. As a result, it’s often remembered as one of the biggest financial failures in movie history.

‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ (2010)

‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ brought together the creators of ‘National Treasure’ for a new fantasy story set in New York City. Nicolas Cage played a powerful sorcerer looking for someone to train and help him fight a very old enemy. While the movie did okay in theaters, it didn’t stand out among the other big summer releases. A second movie was never made, and the idea has been on hold ever since.

‘Gods of Egypt’ (2016)

‘Gods of Egypt’ presented a very unique and visually dramatic take on Egyptian myths, depicting gods with the ability to turn into powerful, armored beasts. However, the film sparked controversy even before its release due to its casting decisions. Ultimately, it was poorly received by critics and failed to perform well at the box office, effectively ending any plans for sequels or a franchise.

‘Monster Hunter’ (2020)

The movie ‘Monster Hunter’ is based on the well-known video game series where hunters battle giant creatures in another world. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, the film came out during the COVID-19 pandemic and received a mixed reaction from critics and fans alike. As of now, the studio hasn’t announced any plans to make a sequel.

‘Hellboy’ (2019)

As a big fan of Hellboy, I was really interested in the 2019 reboot. It was meant to be a fresh start for the series, going for a much darker and more mature feel – definitely aiming for an R rating. David Harbour stepped into the role, and the story actually pulled a lot from some specific storylines in the comics, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, it just didn’t land with critics, and it didn’t do well at the box office compared to Guillermo del Toro’s films. It was a real shame, and it seemed like it put Hellboy back on hold for quite a while.

‘Dungeons & Dragons’ (2000)

The movie ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ tried to adapt the beloved tabletop game for the big screen, but it didn’t succeed. Critics disliked the poor special effects and felt the movie didn’t capture the spirit of the original game. Despite the game’s huge fanbase, the film didn’t start a movie series, and it took more than two decades for another studio to try making a large-scale ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ movie.

‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ (2013)

‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ was a big-budget, modern take on the familiar story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk,’ starring Nicholas Hoult and Ewan McGregor. Despite its large scale, the film didn’t perform well in theaters and lost money for Warner Bros. Plans to create a series of similar fairy tale movies were ultimately cancelled.

‘Inkheart’ (2008)

‘Inkheart’ is about a girl whose father can magically bring fictional characters into the real world simply by reading their stories. The movie was based on the first book in a series by Cornelia Funke, but it wasn’t very popular with audiences and didn’t make enough money to fund the remaining two films. As a result, the studio decided to stop making movies after the first one.

‘The Legend of Hercules’ (2014)

‘The Legend of Hercules’ came out the same year as another Hercules movie, and it was meant to be the first in a series of action-packed films telling the hero’s story. However, the movie received a lot of criticism for its bad special effects and a disappointing script. It didn’t do well in theaters, so plans for sequels were cancelled.

‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ (2019)

‘The Kid Who Would Be King’ told the story of a group of kids who find the legendary sword Excalibur and have to defeat an evil sorceress from the Middle Ages. While critics liked the movie’s heartwarming story and fresh approach to the King Arthur tale, it didn’t do well at the box office and cost the studio a lot of money. Because of this financial loss, plans for any sequels or further films with the same cast were cancelled.

‘The Last Witch Hunter’ (2015)

As a big fan of fantasy and action, I remember checking out ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ when it came out. It had a cool premise – Vin Diesel played this immortal guy who’d been hunting witches for centuries! The studio really seemed to be hoping it would kick off a whole new series, but honestly, it didn’t really click with audiences or critics. It didn’t do great at the box office here in the States, and while Vin Diesel has hinted at a sequel now and then, nothing’s ever come of it, sadly. It’s been years, and it feels like that idea is probably on the back burner.

‘R.I.P.D.’ (2013)

‘R.I.P.D.’ was a movie about two police officers who died and then worked for a special department – the Rest In Peace Department – to keep the living safe from supernatural threats. Based on a comic book, it was meant to be a big summer hit, but it didn’t do well in theaters and critics strongly disliked it. Years later, Universal Pictures released a follow-up movie directly to video instead of in cinemas.

‘Van Helsing’ (2004)

‘Van Helsing’ brought together the classic monster hunter facing off against Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein’s monster in one action-packed story. Universal Pictures hoped the film would launch a large franchise, even planning a spin-off TV series. However, despite not being a complete flop at the box office, the movie received negative reviews and ultimately didn’t perform as well commercially as hoped.

Share your thoughts on these failed fantasy franchises in the comments.

2025-12-22 08:47