Prejudice! These 4 films FAILED in 2023

What determines the success of a film? Will it be technical excellence or global billion-dollar earnings?

Some argue that technical quality is the key, but in a scenario where cinema becomes a commodity, billion-dollar revenue often dictates the rules.

In Hollywoodthe modus operandi is clear: production companies pour astronomical sums into film projects, in the hope that, upon releasing them, the earnings will accumulate until they reach the billion mark.

This financial return not only pays off production costs, but adds a few million to the company’s coffers. It is clear that, to justify this massive investment, the project needs to appeal to the public.

For this reason, films with bigger budgets are usually adaptations. live-action of already established stories or sequels to major franchises.

In 2023, the dynamics have not changed much: there were certainly several successes, but setbacks were also present.

Below, we highlight the main box office disappointments of the year. Some of them may even surprise you!

Image: Reproduction

1. ‘Haunted Mansion’

With a star cast, including Rosario Dawson and an investment of 150 million dollars, the Disney expected a quick financial return on ‘Haunted Mansion’. However, global revenue was only 117 million, barely covering production costs.

Several factors contributed to the failure, including public lack of interest and problems in the marketing strategy, worsened by the controversy surrounding the actor and screenwriter strike in Hollywood at the time.

2. ‘Indiana Jones and the Call of Destiny’

The unexpected happened: the last chapter of the beloved Indiana Jones saga joined the 2023 failure list.

The collaboration between Lucasfilm and Disneywhich invested $300 million to bring back Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Antonio Banderas, failed to impress.

Despite Ford’s tears at Cannes, the film earned 384 million, generating a loss of 100 million for Disney, considering marketing costs.

3. ‘Mission: Impossible – Reckoning Part 1’

In 1996, action and spy films were on the rise, but today the saturation of these genres makes it difficult to innovate.

After countless releases with similar plots, the audience seems tired. The release of yet another Impossible Mission proves this.

The production, which received around 300 million dollars, generated only 570 million in revenue, resulting in an additional loss of 100 million for the studios, which now face the difficulty of reaching the financial break-even point.

4. ‘Shazam! Gods Fury’

With a production cost of $125 million and a worldwide box office of just $134 million, Shazam! caused a loss of almost 150 million to the Warner Bros. Studios.

This highlights the growing disinterest in the superhero genre, evidenced by the lack of interest in the repetitive save-the-universe plot that has persisted for nearly 12 years.