In the world of movies, the term "box office bomb" can seem daunting. The word alone seems to spell out doom for the films that find themselves with that label, but to paint a clearer picture of what qualifies a theatrical failure, it's important to know that most major pictures need to make at least 2.5 times their budget in sales to break even with their production. Moreover, just because a movie makes enough to cover that number doesn't mean it was actually successful, since it technically didn't turn a profit.
Several factors can also influence how a film performs, such as its promotion and audience reception. Still, bombing at the box office doesn't necessarily say anything about its quality, as some of the best movies of all time have underperformed financially, like The Thing and The Shawshank Redemption. This isn't a complete list of those movies, but it does include some of the best examples of titles that have overcome their box office numbers.
It's hard to imagine that Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was originally a box office flop, especially considering its current status as a well-produced cult hit and the fact that the source material came with an established fan base. That said, its opening weekend numbers only recouped one-eighth of its $85 million budget. It could've been the result of poor marketing, since it's difficult to accurately promote a movie that combines superhero, romcom, and martial arts elements. But, even by the end of its theatrical run, the third major Edgar Wright movie only hit $50 million at the worldwide box office.
Despite this, Scott Pilgrim is often considered a masterpiece. It contains the greatest Michael Cera performance, launched a resurgence for the original graphic novels, and also spawned Netflix's Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and two video games: the beloved Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game and the follow-up by Tribute Games, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World EX. With its unique style, perfect soundtrack, and relatable characters, it's no wonder Scott Pilgrim is such a widely-beloved movie.
The Big Lebowski wasn't a financial disaster or even an overall loss. In fact, after costing Gramercy Pictures $15 million to make, the film surpassed its necessary sales for a profit by bringing in $19 million domestically and $28 million internationally. While these numbers do look positive, it still was a box office bomb in other ways. During its opening week, the Jeff Bridges movie only accumulated just over $5 million in ticket sales.
After just barely making enough to turn a profit, critics gave The Big Lebowski a mixed reception. For example, critic Roger Ebert understood Lebowski almost immediately, enjoying it enough to rate it a 3 out of 4 stars, but his co-host, Gene Siskel, felt differently. He argued that the Coen brothers' follow-up to Fargo was a big disappointment, with uninspired humor and a tired plot.
Admittedly, The Big Lebowski was a disappointment, but only financially. The Big Lebowski's theatrical release in March 1998 meant it followed the Oscar-winning legacy of its predecessor and was up against the massively successful Titanic, which was still in its 10-month-long theater run. While this spelled disaster for Lebowski in theaters, it eventually became one of the best movies about mistaken identity. Lebowski also joined Tron as one of Bridges' most iconic roles and inadvertently spawned non-cinematic offshoots.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is undoubtedly a classic, and it's considered one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, though most didn't think so when it released in 1975. In both its original Broadway run and cinematic release, Rocky Horror was a flop. 20th Century Studios gave it a production budget of $1,200,000, which was relatively low even during the 1970s. Unfortunately, Rocky Horror's opening weekend at the box office only saw a disappointing return of $21,000, and it was so critically panned that 20th Century pulled it from theaters. What saved it and propelled it into cult status was everything that happened thereafter.
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