Disney quietly closed out 2025 with yet another theatrical disappointment, marking what appears to be the studio's ninth and final box office flop of the year. While 2025 has been a largely unremarkable year for theatrical releases across Hollywood, Disney's struggles stand out, given that several of these projects would have been near-guaranteed hits in the pre-2020 era. The studio's latest release arrived with little fanfare and even less commercial impact, effectively sealing an underwhelming year in theaters.
Although Disney is still positioned to finish strong with Avatar: Fire and Ash, that late success does little to offset the volume of misfires that defined much of its 2025 slate. Most recently, 20th Century Studios (owned by Disney) released Ella McCay on December 12. The first, written and directed by 85-year-old James L. Brooks, was a major flop, earning just $2 million during its opening weekend. Despite low expectations, that figure was still underprojections and will quickly be swallowed by the slew of films releasing on December 19 and the Christmas weekend.
This was Disney's ninth flop of 2025, despite featuring a notable cast that included Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Rebecca Hall, and Woody Harrelson.
Disney's 2025 box office results have been mixed, with some successful films offset by a few of the biggest disappointments. Before the big losers, Avatar: Fire and Ash is expected to earn at least $1 billion to end the year, as other Disney films like Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2 accomplished in 2025. The key cracks in Disney's armor were revealed this year by projects and IPs that the company and its shareholders had assumed would be big hits, but ultimately fell short.
Every Theatrical Disney Flop of 2025
Snow White
Snow White ultimately became one of Disney's most high-profile box office disappointments of 2025. Directed by Marc Webb and starring Rachel Zegler alongside Gal Gadot, the film was plagued by controversy from the outset, including backlash over casting, viral comments criticizing the original animated classic, and prolonged debate surrounding the portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs.
While Disney remakes are typically positioned as near-guaranteed hits, confidence in Snow White noticeably evaporated once its final release date was locked in, signaling trouble well before it reached theaters.
With costs reportedly climbing to around $270 million, the remake not only failed commercially but also felt like a costly misuse of classic IP that Disney likely regrets revisiting.
Captain America: Brave New World
Next up was Captain America: Brave New World, another Disney release that entered theaters under a cloud of uncertainty following a long road of delays and extensive reshoots.
Instead of riding any momentum from 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, a muddled creative process, reflected in its five credited writers and a noticeable reliance on MCU branding, took a big hit to analysts' confidence ahead of its release.
While its $88.8 million domestic opening suggested initial interest, the momentum quickly stalled. Finishing with $415.1 million worldwide, the film avoided disaster but landed as a clear disappointment rather than a true franchise win.
Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts* became one of Disney and Marvel Studios' most perplexing box office outcomes of 2025, largely because its financial performance stood in stark contrast to its strong reception.
The film was widely praised by both critics and fans, earning some of the MCU's best reviews in recent years, which only made its commercial struggles more confusing.
Despite that goodwill, Thunderbolts* finished its theatrical run with roughly $382 million worldwide against a reported $180 million production budget, placing it dangerously close to break-even at best.
Thunderbolts* felt less like a failure of quality and more like a reflection of shifting audience habits and franchise fatigue, making it a telling sign of the times rather than a rejection of the film itself.
Elio
Pixar's Elio added to a struggling Pixar slate, grossing just over $154 million worldwide and ranking among the studio's lowest-performing wide releases.
However, the film quickly found new life once it arrived on Disney+, where it surged to the top of the platform's streaming charts across several major territories.
That online performance highlights a growing trend for Pixar, where theatrical underperformance does not necessarily reflect a decline in audience interest. A key factor appears to be the COVID-era strategy of sending multiple Pixar films straight to streaming, which effectively retrained families to view Pixar releases as at-home experiences rather than must-see theatrical events.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Next up was Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, distributed by 20th Century Studios and led by Jeremy Allen White, which struggled to find an audience in theaters. The film managed just $22.6 million domestically, which wasn't a major surprise to analysts this fall.
While that result raises questions about White's box office draw, it also reflects the film's positioning as a more artful portrait of Bruce Springsteen rather than a mainstream, foot-tapping crowd-pleaser.
It didn't reach the heights of Timothee Chalamet's A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic that proved far more accessible and earned $75 million domestically in 2024.
Tron: Ares
Next up was Tron: Ares, a failed attempt to reignite one of Disney's cult sci-fi franchises. The film closed with just $73.1 million domestically and $69.1 million internationally, totaling $142.2 million worldwide, an underwhelming result for a big-budget sequel.
Much of the disappointment also reinforced ongoing doubts about Jared Leto's ability to carry a major franchise as a leading man.
That said, Disney likely viewed Tron: Ares as more than a pure box office play, using it as cross-promotion for its popular TRON-themed rides in its Shanghai and Florida theme parks, which may have softened the financial sting.
The Amateur
Another forgettable Disney (20th Century Studios) flop was Rami Malek's The Amateur, which quietly underperformed with a $96 million global box office against a $60 million budget.
Designed as a star-driven thriller, the film felt like a throwback that audiences now largely associate with streaming rather than theatrical releases. With only so-so reviews, The Amateur struggled to justify a trip to the theater in an era where this genre thrives at home.
The Roses
Finally came The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch alongside Olivia Colman, which failed to translate its strong pedigree into meaningful theatrical success.
Despite decent reviews and early awards-season buzz, the dark divorce comedy came and went without leaving a lasting impression in theaters, finishing with just $15.2 million domestically.
