Top 20 Biggest Disney Movie Flops

As a movie fan, I know even the biggest studios like Disney have films that just don’t hit the mark at the box office – it happens! We call those flops movies that couldn’t earn back what it cost to make and advertise them in theaters. Sometimes it’s because of bad timing or a crowded release schedule, other times it’s because audiences were confused or just weren’t excited. I’ve put together a list of twenty well-known examples – films with big names, huge budgets, and strong brands that, unfortunately, didn’t perform as well as expected.

‘John Carter’ (2012)

This science fiction movie had a big budget and a detailed, imaginative world, but it was difficult to explain in trailers and commercials. A last-minute title change also caused some confusion. As a result, the film didn’t perform as well as expected when it was released, especially in important markets. While sales of merchandise and other related products helped, they weren’t enough to make up for the movie’s high production costs.

‘The Lone Ranger’ (2013)

As a huge movie fan, I was really excited about Disney’s attempt to bring back the classic Western feel with this big-budget film. Unfortunately, it ended up being a bit of a disappointment. The production took a long time and involved a lot of expensive visual effects, and it came out during a really busy summer movie season, facing tough competition from other family films. Sadly, it didn’t do well enough overseas to make up for the lackluster domestic performance, and the overall box office numbers weren’t what anyone hoped for.

‘Tomorrowland’ (2015)

The movie was based on an idea from Disney Parks, featuring new characters and a central mystery. It was hard to promote because explaining the story meant giving away key plot points. Early indicators showed little excitement from teenagers and young adults. The film didn’t perform well on its opening weekend – not up to the standards of established franchises – and quickly lost audience interest.

‘Mars Needs Moms’ (2011)

This animated movie, created using motion capture, came out at a time when audiences were starting to lose interest in that particular visual style. Critics noted that the characters looked somewhat unnatural, which made it less appealing to families. The film quickly disappeared from theaters because ticket sales fell sharply each week. It also didn’t earn much money internationally compared to how much it cost to make.

‘The BFG’ (2016)

A recent fantasy film by a well-known director didn’t perform well at the box office. It was released around the same time as several popular animated movies, which captured most families’ attention. While people generally liked the film, it didn’t generate a lot of excitement, resulting in slow ticket sales during the week. The film’s high production costs, due to its special effects, made it difficult to become profitable.

‘A Wrinkle in Time’ (2018)

This movie was made for families and based on a popular book. However, using a lot of special effects and filming on location made it expensive to produce. It appealed more to younger viewers than anticipated, which meant fewer people paid extra to see it in premium formats like IMAX. Ultimately, the film didn’t stay in theaters for very long, both in the US and abroad.

‘Strange World’ (2022)

The original animated film was initially shown only in theaters, with streaming access becoming available shortly after. It didn’t gain much attention during a crowded holiday season, and fewer families went to see it compared to other animated movies released that year. Because it didn’t stay in theaters long enough, it didn’t have a chance to build an audience over time.

‘Lightyear’ (2022)

This science fiction film expands the world of ‘Toy Story’ with a fresh story and main character. However, marketing it as a standalone adventure led to some viewers being unsure if it was directly connected to the original films. Coming after a period where Pixar movies were primarily released on streaming services, its performance in theaters didn’t meet expectations based on previous ‘Toy Story’ releases.

‘The Marvels’ (2023)

This new movie brought together characters from both the films and the TV series. However, understanding the story required knowing details from the shows, which not everyone had seen. As a result, early interest declined, and the movie opened with lower ticket sales than previous installments. It also saw a big drop in viewers during its second weekend, suggesting people weren’t recommending it to others.

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ (2023)

Okay, so this big adventure franchise came back, and it was expensive to make. They really went all out with the effects and took a long time filming, which meant it needed to make a lot of money just to cover its costs. Unfortunately, the opening weekend wasn’t as huge as previous movies in the series, particularly here in North America. And after that, it just didn’t hold on well – ticket sales dropped off quickly, and it didn’t really become a big hit internationally either. Ultimately, it didn’t make nearly as much as everyone hoped.

‘Haunted Mansion’ (2023)

This family-friendly comedy was released as summer ended and families were either traveling or getting back into school routines. It competed with several popular movies already in theaters that appealed to a wide audience. Unfortunately, the marketing didn’t create a strong sense of needing to see it right away, and as a result, ticket sales remained fairly low throughout its time in cinemas.

‘Wish’ (2023)

The animated musical marked an important year for Disney, but audiences weren’t consistently enthusiastic. It was released during a busy holiday season with lots of other options, and unfortunately, it didn’t attract families to theaters for very long. Its quick arrival on streaming services also meant people had less time to see it in cinemas.

‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ (2018)

This holiday-themed fantasy film was designed to have a long run in theaters, but production delays and reshoots increased its budget. It didn’t perform as well as hoped during its opening weekend, and ticket sales declined quickly after the holidays. While it did reasonably well in a few international markets, overall foreign performance was weak.

‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ (2016)

While the original film was a big success, this follow-up arrived after a long wait and didn’t generate the same level of enthusiasm. Competition from other major releases limited its availability in premium theaters. Both in the US and internationally, interest was significantly lower than the first movie, and as a result, the film didn’t earn enough to justify its production costs.

‘The Good Dinosaur’ (2015)

As a huge animation fan, I was really excited about this project, but it had a tough time getting made. They had to basically start over with production a couple of times, which really drove up the costs. Then, to make things worse, it was released around the same time as a much bigger film from a major studio. While the opening weekend numbers weren’t terrible for a mid-level animated movie, they definitely weren’t high enough considering how much it cost to make. Honestly, the studio was really hoping it would make up the difference through things like merchandise and streaming to minimize their losses.

‘Mulan’ (2020)

The film’s release was significantly impacted by the pandemic. Many theaters were closed, and while it focused on streaming in the US, box office numbers were lower than expected. Releases in other countries were also inconsistent due to local restrictions and limited theater capacity, ultimately preventing the film from reaching typical remake revenue levels.

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ (2021)

The movie launched with a combined release in theaters and for home viewing. While it was in theaters, many cinemas weren’t full, and families often preferred to watch it at home, which affected ticket sales. Despite continued popularity on streaming, this didn’t help boost its performance in cinemas.

‘Jungle Cruise’ (2021)

The movie was based on a popular Disney Parks property and released both in theaters and on streaming. While it premiered during a time when many people were hesitant to go out due to health concerns, it didn’t perform as well in cinemas as other big-budget films. It found a larger audience on streaming services, where viewers were more engaged.

‘Treasure Planet’ (2002)

The film combined traditional hand-drawn animation with computer-generated imagery, a stylistic choice made as audiences began preferring different looks. However, its release was overshadowed by larger, more popular franchise films. While it didn’t gain much traction domestically or internationally in theaters, it found some success later through home video sales, though not on the same level as a major theatrical hit.

‘The Black Cauldron’ (1985)

Okay, so this animated film was a huge undertaking for Disney, both in terms of money and time. Honestly, it felt a bit more mature than most Disney movies, which meant a lot of younger kids weren’t really connecting with it. And to make matters worse, other family films came out around the same time and snagged those younger viewers. The box office numbers weren’t great, and it definitely made Disney rethink what kinds of animated projects they were greenlighting moving forward.

Let us know in the comments which Disney movies or titles were the most unexpected, and suggest any other Disney films you think deserve to be mentioned as disappointments.

2025-11-09 12:47