Disney is one of the most successful entertainment companies today, but the studio has had a ton of box office disasters in its past. Disney is home to the Star Wars franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Pixar movies, which have become the gold standard of animated features. Disney's Star Wars movies have grossed over $5 billion (via The Numbers), and the MCU has grossed an unimaginable $30 billion, and many other Disney movies are billion-dollar hits as well. Yet, despite making so much money with its Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, and Pixar brands in particular, Disney also has a string of box office bombs that it'd rather forget.
When it comes to box office grosses, Disney might have had the highest highs of any studio, making billions of dollars with its animated musicals and live-action movie adaptations, but it has also had the lowest lows. When a movie costs $200 million to produce, the risk is substantial, and as a result, Disney has had a number of nine-digit losses. Interestingly, Disney mostly loses money when it comes to one specific genre: science fiction. Though Disney has lost money in other genres, it's a surprise that the studio hasn't given up on sci-fi stories given that it has amassed a billion dollars worth of losses from the genre.
10 Raya And The Last Dragon (2021)
Raya is the most heroic Disney princess, but that didn't stop Raya and the Last Dragon from becoming a box office bomb. The movie's reported budget was $100 million (via Primes World), though given the quality of the animation and the star power behind it, the number is suspect. Nevertheless, that means the movie needed to gross $250 million yet only did $130 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), leading to a $120 million loss. Raya and the Last Dragon had a day-and-date release where Disney Plus subscribers paid $29.99 to watch it at home instead of in theaters, which likely kept the movie from being a total financial failure.
9 The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice was one of Disney's bravest productions, as it's a fantasy action flick starring Nicolas Cage, who is one of the most inconsistent movie stars working today. Though Disney and Cage found success together with the National Treasure series, The Sorcerer's Apprentice was a flop. The movie had a budget of $150 million and grossed $215 million worldwide. While that seems like a profit, factoring in marketing costs and the movie theaters' cut, a movie generally needs to make two and a half times its budget to break even. That means this movie could have potentially lost around $160 million.
8 A Wrinkle In Time (2018)
Disney's sci-fi franchises keep failing, and A Wrinkle in Time is one of the prime examples. The adaptation cost less than most high-concept Disney movies, but its $130 million budget (via The Disney Blog) was still rather high, and it couldn't be anything other than a blockbuster to break even. A Wrinkle in Time needed to gross $325 million before it could turn a profit, meaning that the movie likely lost around $193 million with its $133 million worldwide take. However, the movie also faced major box office competition, as Black Panther was still enjoying phenomenal success in its fourth week in theaters when A Wrinkle in Time was released.
7 Meet The Robinsons (2007)
Yet another sci-fi flick, this one animated, Meet the Robinsons is about a 12-year-old inventor and a time traveler who visits the year 2037. The movie had a $150 million budget (via Bomb Report) and needed to bring in $375 million, but as it only grossed $169 million worldwide, Meet the Robinsons would've lost around $206 million. It has found a larger audience since, becoming something of a cult classic, so it's likely that syndication rights would have made up for the movie's losses at the box office. Still, given its initial failure, Disney canceled plans to make Meet the Robinsons 2 or any other spinoff (via Jim Hill Media).
6 Treasure Planet (2002)
Treasure Planet is one of Disney's most expensive failures, but it's easy to see where the money went in the ambitious animated movie. It's still the most expensive traditionally animated feature ever made, as it cost $140 million. The movie mixed 2D and 3D animation, which was up-and-coming at the time. Even the character Long John Silver is animated with both styles. However, ambition meant that the movie had to break box office records, yet it did exactly the opposite. Treasure Planet needed $350 million to break even, but it grossed less than a third of that, pulling in $110 million worldwide, leading to a huge loss of $240 million.
5 Tomorrowland (2015)
Tomorrowland is another movie based on one of Disney's theme park attractions, but it didn't have the mass appeal that Pirates of the Caribbean did. Tomorrowland grossed $209 million worldwide, but given its budget of $190 million and its need to bring in $485 million, the movie lost around $266 million. Director Brad Bird came from animation, as he helmed Pixar's Ratatouille and The Incredibles. He also directed the great Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, proving he's just as good at making live-action movies. However, Tomorrowland's performance seemingly set him back in the industry, as he hasn't directed another live-action movie since, returning to animation instead with Incredibles 2.
4 The Lone Ranger (2013)
The Lone Ranger is one of the most notorious Disney box office disasters, as it had the most potential to be great. The movie reunited Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski and star Johnny Depp, and its huge $215 million budget hinted at the radio series adaptation having some action set pieces. The movie indeed delivered satisfying action, especially with the final train sequence, but it lacked in every other department, as it simply tried to copy Pirates of the Caribbean's success. As a result, though it needed $537.5 million to break even, it only grossed $260 million worldwide, likely losing Disney around $277.5 million.
3 Mars Needs Moms (2011)
Mars Needs Moms was one of Disney's biggest disasters ever, both in of its box office and the reception of the film. The movie received scathing reviews upon its release, which likely didn't help its box office performance. The animation style was hated, and it features one of the worst examples of the uncanny valley problem. Mars Needs Moms cost $150 million to make, and it didn't even make back its production budget, never mind its spending for marketing. Overall, the movie needed around $375 million worldwide, and it didn't even reach $40 million, potentially losing Disney up to $336 million.
2 John Carter (2012)
Director Andrew Stanton is another Pixar animation alum who tried to prove himself in the world of live-action films. Unfortunately, his John Carter was the biggest live-action failure Disney has ever had. The movie had a huge budget of $250 million, and it even eventually crossed the $300 million mark before tax deductions (via Forbes). The inflated budget was a result of Stanton's habit of totally reshooting footage that he decided to scrap. It didn't help that John Carter was badly marketed. As a result, the movie would have needed around $625 million to break even, but as it only grossed $284 million, John Carter lost Disney around $341 million.
1 Strange World (2022)
Despite having mesmerizing visual effects and a cast of A-list actors, Strange World was a huge box office bomb. The movie didn't receive overly negative reviews, but it came and went without any fanfare whatsoever. Strange World had a $180 million budget (via Variety), and based on the 2.5 rule, it needed $450 million to break even. Unfortunately, the movie grossed a devastating $73 million worldwide, meaning it could've lost Disney up to $377 million. While every movie studio has bad days, Strange World is just one part of a string of Disney box office disasters for animation, as it followed Raya and the Last Dragon and Pixar's Lightyear disappointment.
