Movie Flops 2011 Edition: Big Budget Losers

As we reported last week box office sales saw a rare occurrence in 2011 when revenue fell 4% year-over-year following several years of record highs for the industry.

I previously pointed out that many moviegoers may have been turned off by the higher price of 3D movies, options that are often pushed on the movie ticket buying public over their 2D counterparts. However part of the problem faced by Hollywood may have come from a simple lack of interest from moviegoers.

While not every single movie listed below lost large sums of money, a $200 million production (Green Lantern) that only brings in $219.9 million isn’t what Hollywood would consider a success, especially when you take into consideration the cost of advertising such films (millions of dollars) and then add in the share of the gross that goes to movie theaters (a small but important chunk) and other expenses.

So what movies failed to impress? The biggest flop of 2011 was Mars Needs Moms a $150 million budgeted film that took in just $39 million worldwide.

Following on the heels of Mars Needs Moms was the critically panned Sucker Punch which cost $82 million to produce but took in just $89.8 million.

The Russell Brand helmed Arthur also failed to resonate with audiences, while the film cost just $40 million to create it took in just $45.7 million.

Another big budgeted movie also barely broke even with Cowboys & Aliens costing $163 million while bringing in $178.8 million worldwide.

Conan the Barbarian also managed to prove that audiences are once again sick of old movie remakes, the $90 million budget managed to recuperate just $48.8 million.

Perhaps even more shocking was the $41 million The Big Year which capitalized to the tune of a measly $7.4 million.

Rounding out the list was Happy Feet Two with a $135 million budget. While the first part of this series earned rave reviews the second movie came in with just $115 million earned worldwide.

Hollywood has become an industry of remakes, sequels and comic book adaptations and while the movies released in 2011 may have lacked enough depth to gain the attention of audiences it could simply be that people are sick of watching the same type of movies over and over again.