Disney's biggest bombs

[Mouseketodd]

I think various classic Disney movies were considered disappointments at the time of their initial releases, which would surprise us all these years later because we enjoy them so much.

I have no interest whatsoever in watching MNM, e-v-e-r. And when I saw that Disney Movie Rewards was doubling the value of the movie ticket, I thought it was a way to attract more to the theaters.

[Big One]

There's nothing that can really top Mars Needs Moms, it's possibly the worst bomb in movie history.

[Disney Guru]

i was dragged by a friend to see College Road Trip when it came to theaters, not going to lie have never liked Raven-Symoné I mean that's so raven was such a waste, and even in the show that got her her start The Cosby Show such an annoying kid. And Donny Osmond sooo over used the whole using his Mormon stereotype thing yeah that was AWESOME! not. As well as Martin Lawrence was just idiotic. Movie was destined to be a box office deadbeat. The script was horrible as was the casting they should have never even tried to make a movie out of that sham save themselves a lot of grief and a lot of $$.

[DisneyJedi]

^You sure about Black Cauldron? That one only made back half its budget.

Nah, it made back its budget and much more. The only figures I can find are $25M budget and $21M US cinema revenue. Factor in the international markets and home releases, and I'm sure it probably made at least double the budget back. Depends if the budget figure also accounts for promotional costs or not.

.... What??

I am pretty sure its budget was somewhere around $40 million.

[Cordy_Biddle]

"The Boatniks"?

And it saddens me to say it, but "Return to Oz" most certainly didn't re-gain much at the box office (though it went over extremely well in Japan).

[Dream Huntress]

Nah, it made back its budget and much more. The only figures I can find are $25M budget and $21M US cinema revenue. Factor in the international markets and home releases, and I'm sure it probably made at least double the budget back. Depends if the budget figure also accounts for promotional costs or not.

.... What??

I am pretty sure its budget was somewhere around $40 million.

Budget was $140 million, the movie only made $38 domestically, $110 worlwide, it didn't make its budget back, let's not even think about the marketing and distribution costs, so yeah, "Treasure Planet" was a bomb.

[DisneyJedi]

^Dream Huntress, I am talking about The Black Cauldron, NOT Treasure Planet.

[Disney Duster]

Cinderella II can't be a bomb when it was successful. It even got a Special Edition re-release.

Is Sleeping Beauty a bomb? I think a bomb has to be a really big flop, which it wasn't, it just flopped a little.

[estefan]

Is Sleeping Beauty a bomb? I think a bomb has to be a really big flop, which it wasn't, it just flopped a little.

Nah, I don't consider Sleeping Beauty to be a bomb. I may have under-performed, but it came fairly close to making back its budget on its original release. Didn't stop Disney from going for the cheaper and less visually appealing Xerox process from then on, though.

[Heartless]

Cinderella II can't be a bomb when it was successful. It even got a Special Edition re-release DVD.

So did The Black Cauldron? I don't get how if a movie gets a "Special Edition re-release" it deems the movie initially as not a flop?

Lots of DTVs are being announced for upcoming Special Edition DVD re-releases an Blu-rays. Bambi II, the BatB ones, Fox and the Hound II.. Don't see how that proves they are/aren't flops upon initial release.

I'm just being nitpicky.

[Disney Duster]

It wasn't only the Special Edition part.

Unless someone shows me the numbers that prove Cinderella II was a bomb, I'm pretty sure it was far from a bomb.

[bcotter]

"Watcher in the Woods" (1980) was quite a disaster. I was working at the Studio when it came out and the initial screenings had people demanding their money back. They pulled it from the theaters and show two more endings to try to salvage it. Total grosses were around $5 million. They had big hopes for it, and boy was the mood pretty somber when the results came in.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Is Sleeping Beauty a bomb? I think a bomb has to be a really big flop, which it wasn't, it just flopped a little.

Nah, I don't consider Sleeping Beauty to be a bomb. I may have under-performed, but it came fairly close to making back its budget on its original release. Didn't stop Disney from going for the cheaper and less visually appealing Xerox process from then on, though.

Am I remembering wrong, or did I read somewhere that "Sleeping Beauty" was the third highest-grossing film of 1959?

[estefan]

It under-performed in the sense that it had quite a big budget. Like how Dinosaur did very well, but didn't quite recoup its budget, due to how expensive it was to make.

To use a non-Disney example, Superman Returns also did very well, but it cost so much to make, that it ended up being a disappointment for Warner Brothers to the point they're now re-booting the franchise completely.

[gardener14]

"Watcher in the Woods" (1980) was quite a disaster. I was working at the Studio when it came out and the initial screenings had people demanding their money back. They pulled it from the theaters and show two more endings to try to salvage it. Total grosses were around $5 million. They had big hopes for it, and boy was the mood pretty somber when the results came in.

The Watcher In the Woods is one of my all time favorite Disney movies, and it's my favorite from it's era. It just goes to show that what makes a box office bomb or success doesn't relate to it being decent movie to a viewer.

[dvdjunkie]

I think we can add Blackbeard's Ghost to the list of Disney bombs. I had never heard of it until I saw it offered on DVD.

And what about Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks? Wasn't it a box office bust, but later became more popular when released to video?

Those are two that come to mind right now.

[Disney Guru]

"Watcher in the Woods" (1980) was quite a disaster. I was working at the Studio when it came out and the initial screenings had people demanding their money back. They pulled it from the theaters and show two more endings to try to salvage it. Total grosses were around $5 million. They had big hopes for it, and boy was the mood pretty somber when the results came in.

You know it also wasn't really a piece you'd expect from Disney, it was very thematic a bit weird. Great horror elements to it and it was just an oddity for Disney. Maybe that was part of the reason it didn't do well. I have seen it a couple times and must admit it isn't one of my favorites either but is still quite an interesting film was also one of 4 productions for Disney by the masterful John Hough who was most famous for his British Hammeresque films.

[Dream Huntress]

^Dream Huntress, I am talking about The Black Cauldron, NOT Treasure Planet.

Oops, sorry. So, "The Black Cauldron", budget was around $25 million, it only made $21,288,692 domestically, can't find info on the foreign box office.

Speaking of bombs, what about "The Country Bears"? No wonder why back in the day people had no faith in Pirates of the Caribbean.

[disneyboy20022]

[Super Aurora]

pic is broken