10 2024 Box Office Disappointments That Found Streaming Success

2024 shows how much the box office has changed, with many surprising hits and disappointments that critics and audiences didn’t see coming. The way people watch movies is very different today from how it was even just before the pandemic, with more audiences opting to wait until a film is added to digital or made available on a streaming service to watch it. While there were some major successes in 2024 that prove theatrical releases aren’t dead yet, there were just as many disappointments that found their core audience base after viewers could tune in at home.

The biggest box office flops of 2024 didn’t necessarily have a negative critical or audience reception but fell flat in terms of awareness and marketing. Even though sequels and franchises have been performing well in theaters, this doesn’t guarantee that a film that falls within this category will perform well. Additionally, the definition of disappointment has evolved in the past few years. Movies that break even or make a decent amount of money might not be considered true successes because they don’t perform as well as past films in similar genres or within their franchise.

10

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Directed by George Miller

The box office failure of Furiosa was one of the more upsetting theatrical turns of 2024. The long-awaited followup to the iconic 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa could’ve made a significant mark on cinema last year. Anya Taylor-Joy had big shoes to fill in this origin story for Charlize Theron’s iconic character, and both the critical and audience reception were complimentary of Taylor-Joy and the movie as a whole. However, critical praise doesn’t equal monetary success, as Furiosa only earned $173 million worldwide against an estimated $168 million budget.

While the digital performance might not be enough to justify future additions to the franchise, the movie has earned this second wind.

The increased attention that Furiosa has received since being added to streaming provides hope that it could be a 2024 movie flop that becomes a cult hit. Furiosa has made Netflix’s top ten list of titles, proving that there is interest and a real audience base for Furiosa but that something went wrong at the box office. While the digital performance might not be enough to justify future additions to the franchise, the movie has earned this second wind.

9

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 (2024)

Directed by Kevin Costner

After Kevin Costner’s extreme success with Yellowstone, the actor tried his hand at directing with Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. Touching upon similar themes and utilizing a comparable style to Yellowstone, Horizon was framed as an epic tribute to American mythologies of the Old West. However, it didn’t find the same success or acclaim as the hit TV series, with a $38 million worldwide box office and an estimated $100 million budget.

The first part of the movie had a poor enough performance that Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2‘s premiere was pushed back and is reported to be released in 2025, with no confirmed dates. After Chapter 1‘s revitalization on streaming services, it wouldn’t be surprising if the second part skipped a theatrical release altogether. Not long after it was added to Netflix, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 made the top ten titles on the platform.

8

The Fall Guy (2024)

Directed by David Leitch

The disappointing performance of The Fall Guy is one of the most mystifying theatrical releases of 2024. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt led the action-comedy, which received a warm critical reception. On paper, The Fall Guy had all the elements that typically amount to theatrical success. However, its $181 million worldwide box office and $125 million budget came close to making The Fall Guy fade into obscurity before most audiences had ever seen it.

Fortunately, the quality of The Fall Guy was quickly discovered on streaming, drumming up interest in the classic adventure rom-com. It was interesting that The Fall Guy wasn’t a theatrical hit since Gosling and Blunt starred in Barbie and Oppenheimer, two of the biggest hits of 2023. However, The Fall Guy had an incredible streaming debut after being added to Peacock, making it appear that many viewers were simply waiting for the film to be available at home.

7

Madame Web (2024)

Directed by S.J. Clarkson

Unfortunately, Madame Web didn’t break Dakota Johnson’s streak of starring in movies with poor critical reception. Though part of Madame Web‘s failure was blamed on critical reception, the negative reviews weren’t the only reason why audiences didn’t turn out at the box office for Madame Web. The Spider-Man spinoff movies have consistently been risks for the studios, and Madame Web‘s low ratings with critics and audiences alike demonstrate that a change is necessary for the future of the franchise.

However, there is a silver lining for Madame Web, despite its $100 million box office and estimated $80 million budget. Thanks to the amount of press Madame Web got for its more meme-able moments, it became a hit on Netflix after being added to the streamer. While superhero movies with big names and famous characters bring viewers to theaters, films with lesser-known characters, like those in Madame Web, are finding better luck digitally.

6

Argylle (2024)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

The critically panned Argylle has not earned better reviews since its release on streaming, but it has appealed to a much larger audience than it did in theaters. With an estimated budget of $200 million and a worldwide box office of $96.2 million, it’s hard to argue that Argylle has been one of Vaughn’s biggest flops of the 2020s. However, since it was added to Apple TV+, Argylle‘s streaming performance has been a boon for the streamer, earning a place as the second most popular title on Apple TV+ in April.

It remains to be seen if the renewed interest in Argylle will warrant a sequel.

This was not Henry Cavill’s only box office bomb of 2024, but it seems that almost all of his recent flops have taken on a second life on streaming. The action-comedy put an interesting spin on the traditional spy movie tropes that Vaughn is known for poking fun at, but compared to successes like The Kingsman franchise, this failure was a shock. It remains to be seen if the renewed interest in Argylle will warrant a sequel.

5

The Bikeriders (2024)

Directed by Jeff Nichols

The relative failure of Austin Butler’s The Bikeriders was made up for by the smashing success of Dune: Part Two, but time has been kind to the reception and popularity of The Bikeriders. Its $40 million budget was a significant investment, but the star-studded cast and strong story indicated that The Bikeriders had a chance of making an impact at the box office. Unfortunately, The Bikeriders only made $36.1 million worldwide, a statistic that was soon softened by its performance on streaming.

It’s been theorized that mid-budget movies like The Bikeriders are performing much better on streaming because they don’t have the spectacle and visual appeal that draws many audiences to theaters. Instead, viewers assume that an at-home viewing experience won’t alter the experience of watching the movie. Whether or not this is true, it allowed The Bikeriders to get a second life on streaming platforms in the summer of 2024, earning positive reviews from audiences and critics alike.

4

The First Omen (2024)

Directed by Arkasha Stevenson

2024 was an exciting year for horror, with many stars making their name in the latest additions to the genre. However, The First Omen hasn’t been as widely discussed as more successful works like Longlegs or Trap​​​​​​. The worldwide box office for The First Omen was $53.8 million against a $30 million budget. This makes The First Omen one of the least promising additions to the long-running franchise, indicating that audience interest in these stories is fading.

The First Omen‘s streaming performance does provide a glimmer of hope for future continuations of the movie universe.

However, The First Omen‘s streaming performance does provide a glimmer of hope for future continuations of the movie universe. After being added to Hulu, the interest and popularity of The First Omen skyrocketed, ranking among the most popular titles across streaming services in the summer of 2024. For audiences who discovered The First Omen on streaming, it’s been a welcome surprise, as it doesn’t just retread the best parts of The Omen franchise but pushes itself to be original.

3

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Directed by Guy Ritchie

Guy Ritchie’s latest action-packed blockbuster, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, wasn’t the smash hit his other projects have been, earning $29.7 million worldwide against an estimated $60 million budget. While some movies of 2024 were modest disappointments, this is closer to a flop for Ritchie and the producers. It was surprising that the film underperformed so extremely, as it had an all-star cast featuring Henry Cavill and promised the well-choreographed and fast-paced action sequences that Ritchie is known for.

These aspects are likely what has saved The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare on streaming. While critics have given the movie more mixed reviews, audiences have come out in support of the project, which had a limited theatrical release to begin with. Since The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare went straight to streaming for its release outside the U.S., its success in this arena demonstrates that there is a strong viewership base who appreciate Ritchie’s latest project (via Screen Rant).

2

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (2024)

Directed by Wes Ball

The technology used to create the recent Planet of the Apes movies is time-consuming and expensive, meaning Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes had to perform well to make back its $160 million budget. While the film made $397.4 million, this is only slightly better than breaking even, which is a disappointment when compared to other installments of the franchise. However, this doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in cinema history.

While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes wasn’t a flop, it needed this streaming success to live up to its predecessors’ triumphs.

After being made available to rent digitally, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes went to Hulu, giving it a new life after it left theaters. Since all the modern Planet of the Apes movies are now on streaming, this has made it easy for audiences to delve into the story’s world and enjoy the latest installment in the context of the previous stories. While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes wasn’t a flop, it needed this streaming success to live up to its predecessors’ triumphs.

1

Transformers One (2024)

Directed by Josh Cooley

The Transformers franchise has historically been a box office draw, but the latest animated addition to the series wasn’t a huge success, only making $129,364,141 at the worldwide box office. Transformers One is an origin story that follows the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron, and while it received strong reviews from critics and audiences, it didn’t make a significant mark at the box office. While it easily broke even, a movie of its scale and budget should’ve made much more, especially considering the talent attached.

However, once it hit streaming services, Transformers One started to reach larger audiences who appreciated the dedication to the craft and storytelling that the film provides. Currently, Transformers One is available to stream on Paramount+, and it’s already made waves thanks to the VOD numbers it garnered after being added to digital platforms. It will be interesting to see what this means for animation within the Transformers franchise as the movie reaches more viewers in the coming year.

Sources: Box Office Mojo & The Numbers