2023 was filled with plenty of ups and downs at the box office, from the historic wins of Barbie and Oppenheimer to unexpected flops in the superhero genre.
Top 5 Biggest Box Office Flops of 2023 Revealed
Deadline revealed its annual "Most Valuable Blockbuster" data for 2023 and confirmed the five biggest flops of last year, all of which lost over $100 million and as much as $155 million for their respective studios.
The biggest flops are determined by the movies that lost the most money when comparing their total revenue across theaters, home releases, and streaming with how much they cost to make including production and marketing.
It's important to note that not all of the money grossed at the box office is considered revenue for the studios as theaters receive around half of the gross.
Here are the five biggest box office flops of 2023:
5.) Haunted Mansion
- Global Box Office: $117.5 million ($67.7 million domestic)
- Revenue: $143 million
- Expenses: $260 million
- Loss: $117 million
Disney's supernatural horror comedy Haunted Mansion marked the second adaptation of the iconic Disney Parks ride of the same name. But, unfortunately, its stacked cast of Jamie Lee Curtis, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and more wasn't enough to save it from becoming yet another box office flop.
With expenses of $260 million and a measly $143 million in revenue, the flick lost over $117 million for the House of Mouse. Haunted Mansion marks the first of four appearances from Disney among the five biggest flops of 2023.
4.) Wish
- Global Box Office: $253.2 million ($64 million domestic)
- Revenue: $231 million
- Expenses: $362 million
- Loss: $131 million
Disney may have developed Wish as its 100th-anniversary celebration movie, but that wasn't enough to save it from flopping. The animated event brought in just $253.2 million at the worldwide box office with $362 million in expenses, leading it to lose $131 million for the studio.
Wish's failure comes after now-fired Disney CEO Bob Chapek was accused of having "conditioned [the] audience that Disney animated events are no longer special" through direct-to-streaming releases. Since then, the House of Mouse's famous animated movies have largely faced box office struggles.
[ Wish Movie's Bad Reviews Explained: 4 Biggest Criticisms ]
3.) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
- Global Box Office: $384 million ($174.5 million domestic)
- Revenue: $373 million
- Expenses: $516 million
- Loss: $143 million
Harrison Ford's whip-carrying adventurer returned for the first time in over a decade for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023. Unfortunately, Disney was unable to get the bolder rolling at the box office, and the franchise's final-ever outing left off with a whimper, grossing just $384 million worldwide.
Arriving with a record-breaking budget to disastrous box office disappointment, the fifth Indiana Jones flick lost $143 million for Disney and Lucasfilm, exceeding past estimates that it could lose as much as $100 million.
2.) The Flash
- Global Box Office: $271.3 million ($108.1 million domestic)
- Revenue: $250 million
- Expenses: $405 million
- Loss: $155 million
The Flash joined the same club as all of the DCEU's final blockbusters ahead of the upcoming reboot in becoming a financial disaster for Warner Bros. After years of delays, the Ezra Miller flick was only able to bring in $271.3 million worldwide.
Thanks to its place as one of the most expensive movies in DC history combined with the box office disaster, The Flash lost a massive $155 million for Warner Bros.
The Multiversal epic has become among the biggest flops in Hollywood history, likely due to the impending reboot, mixed reactions from fans and critics, and perhaps the controversy surrounding Miller.
1.) The Marvels
- Global Box Office: $206.1 million ($84.5 million)
- Revenue: $218 million
- Expenses: $455 million
- Loss: $237 million
In a truly historic failure, Disney and Marvel Studios suffered the biggest box office flop of all time with The Marvels. Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, the Captain Marvel sequel failed to take flight at the box office.
Bringing in just $84.5 million domestic for a worldwide total of $206.1 million, The Marvels lost Disney $237 million. This came in part due to its massive budget as the studio cashed out $275 million to make the sequel with a $55 million subsidy from the U.K. government, taking the production costs to a huge $220 million.
[ The Marvels Just Hit a Disastrous Box Office Milestone for the MCU ]
Haunted Mansion, Wish, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and The Marvels are streaming now on Disney+, while The Flash is available on Max.
Read more about the box office:
Disney Suffers Worst Box Office Flop of 2023 (New Data)
10 Biggest Movies of 2024 Ranked by Box Office Earnings Potential
The Marvels' Box Office Failure Proves the 1 Biggest Problem With the MCU
