Top 30 Movies that Bombed so Hard They Had to Cancel the Sequel Ranked

Hollywood studios frequently invest massive budgets into films they hope will launch lucrative franchises and cinematic universes. These productions often end with cliffhangers or mid-credits scenes that promise future adventures for the characters. Audiences sometimes reject these would-be blockbusters due to poor scripts or unfaithful adaptations of source material. The resulting financial losses usually force the studio to cancel any planned follow-ups immediately. The following list explores these franchise-killing movies by ranking them from the lowest to the highest quality based on viewer reception.

‘Son of the Mask’ (2005)

Tim Avery is an aspiring cartoonist who finds himself raising a baby born with the powers of the Mask of Loki. The infant causes chaos around the house while the jealous Norse god Loki comes looking for his lost artifact. Critics panned the film for its reliance on poor visual effects and the absence of original star Jim Carrey. The movie performed poorly at the box office and effectively ended the franchise potential. Plans for any further installments were immediately scrapped after the critical and commercial failure.

‘Battlefield Earth’ (2000)

In the year 3000 humanity has been enslaved by a brutal alien race known as the Psychlos who strip the planet of its resources. A human named Jonnie Goodboy Tyler leads a rebellion to overthrow the alien oppressors and reclaim Earth. John Travolta produced and starred in this adaptation of the novel by L. Ron Hubbard that aimed to start a major sci-fi saga. The film was a catastrophic financial failure and is often cited as one of the worst movies ever made. The production company went bankrupt and ensured the planned sequel never happened.

‘Dragonball Evolution’ (2009)

Goku seeks out Master Roshi to collect the seven mystical Dragon Balls before the evil Lord Piccolo can use them to rule the world. This live-action adaptation of the beloved anime series attempted to bring the story to a western audience with significant changes to the lore. Fans and critics universally rejected the film for its poor casting and weak visual effects. The scriptwriter later apologized to fans for the low quality of the writing. The planned sequels were cancelled immediately and the franchise lay dormant until the animated series returned.

‘Catwoman’ (2004)

Patience Phillips is a shy artist working for a cosmetics company who uncovers a dark conspiracy regarding a new anti-aging product. She dies and is resurrected by an Egyptian Mau cat that grants her feline reflexes and a desire for revenge. Halle Berry starred in this standalone film that had no connection to the Batman universe established in previous movies. The film failed to recoup its budget and received criticism for its confusing editing and costume design. Warner Bros. quickly abandoned any notion of turning this into a series.

‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)

Batman and Robin must stop the freezing villain Mr. Freeze and the seductress Poison Ivy from destroying Gotham City. The heroes struggle to work together while Batgirl joins the team to help balance the odds against the new threats. Director Joel Schumacher leaned heavily into a campy tone that alienated audiences and critics alike. The negative reception caused the studio to cancel the planned sequel titled ‘Batman Unchained’. The franchise went on hiatus for eight years until Christopher Nolan rebooted the character.

‘The Last Airbender’ (2010)

A young boy named Aang must master the four elements to stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom. This adaptation of the popular animated series tried to condense an entire season of television into a single feature film. Viewers criticized the movie for its whitewashed casting and dull exposition that stripped the charm from the source material. The film made money but the critical backlash was so severe that the planned trilogy was abandoned. The franchise is currently being rebooted as a live-action series instead.

‘Street Fighter’ (1994)

Colonel Guile leads an allied military force into a fictional nation to rescue hostages held by the dictatorial General M. Bison. The film incorporates various characters from the video game series who all have their own motivations for fighting the dictator. Production troubles included a ballooning budget and difficult filming conditions in Thailand. The movie made a profit but was panned for its campy tone and lack of actual fighting. The studio decided against a direct sequel and the property was rebooted years later.

‘Super Mario Bros.’ (1993)

Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi discover a parallel dimension ruled by the tyrannical President Koopa who evolved from dinosaurs. They must rescue a princess and stop Koopa from merging the dimensions to take over the human world. This loose adaptation of the Nintendo game confused audiences with its dark and gritty cyberpunk aesthetic. The actors openly expressed their regret about participating in the chaotic production. Nintendo refused to license their properties for live-action films for decades after this box office bomb.

‘Artemis Fowl’ (2020)

A young criminal mastermind named Artemis Fowl II kidnaps a fairy LEPrecon officer to ransom her for his missing father. The film combines plot elements from the first two books of the series into a single confusing narrative. Disney moved the release to streaming due to the pandemic where it received harsh reviews for changing the main character’s personality. The movie failed to capture the magic of the books and alienated the existing fanbase. Plans to adapt the rest of the popular book series were quietly cancelled.

‘Fantastic Four’ (2015)

Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which alters their physical form in shocking ways. They must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy. This reboot attempted a darker and more grounded tone that failed to resonate with superhero fans. Behind-the-scenes drama involving the director and the studio led to a disjointed final product. The planned sequel was pulled from the release schedule before the first film even left theaters.

‘After Earth’ (2013)

A crash landing leaves a teenager and his legendary father stranded on Earth one thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity to escape. The injured father must guide his son across the dangerous terrain to retrieve their rescue beacon. Will Smith conceived the story as a vehicle for his son Jaden Smith to launch a multimedia franchise. Audiences criticized the film for its dull acting and lack of chemistry between the leads. The financial failure of the movie ended all plans for books and video games set in that universe.

‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ (2016)

Two decades after the first alien invasion the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. The aliens return with an even larger ship and advanced technology that threatens to destroy the human race once and for all. The film lacked the star power of Will Smith and relied too heavily on visual effects over character development. It underperformed at the domestic box office and killed the momentum for a third film. The director later expressed regret for making the sequel without the original lead actor.

‘Hellboy’ (2019)

The demonic hero Hellboy battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge and the destruction of the modern world. This reboot aimed for an R-rating to differentiate itself from the previous Guillermo del Toro adaptations. Critics felt the excessive gore and disjointed storytelling failed to justify the existence of the new version. The movie bombed hard at the box office and barely made back its production budget. The studio cancelled plans for a sequel and eventually rebooted the character again.

‘Robin Hood’ (2018)

A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown. The film attempted to modernize the classic legend with stylized action sequences and contemporary costume designs. Critics ridiculed the movie for its historical inaccuracies and anachronistic dialogue. It became one of the biggest box office bombs of the year for the studio. The ending set up a sequel that will never happen due to the massive financial loss.

‘Jupiter Ascending’ (2015)

A young woman discovers her genetic destiny entails an inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos. She is protected by a genetically engineered hunter who helps her navigate the treacherous politics of an alien royal family. The Wachowskis created an expansive original universe with the hope of launching a new sci-fi franchise. The complex lore and campy performances failed to connect with general audiences. The film lost millions for the studio and ensured no follow-up adventures would be produced.

‘The Mummy’ (2017)

An ancient princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia. Tom Cruise stars as a soldier of fortune who must stop the resurrected monster from destroying London. This film was intended to be the first entry in the Dark Universe which would connect various monster movies. The movie received negative reviews and failed to meet box office expectations domestically. Universal Pictures cancelled the entire shared universe project shortly after the release.

‘Godzilla’ (1998)

Nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean irradiate a marine iguana that mutates into a giant monster and heads for New York City. The military struggles to stop the creature as it lays eggs in Madison Square Garden. Roland Emmerich directed this American adaptation that drastically changed the design and behavior of the titular monster. Fans of the original Japanese series rejected the film and the creature was mockingly renamed Zilla. Sony cancelled the planned trilogy and allowed the rights to revert to Toho.

‘Green Lantern’ (2011)

Hal Jordan is a test pilot who is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers. He must find the courage to master his new abilities and defeat the entity Parallax who threatens the universe. This film was supposed to launch a cinematic universe for DC Comics characters similar to the MCU. The overuse of CGI for the costume and the villain was widely criticized by viewers. The poor reception led Warner Bros. to scrap plans for a sequel and reboot the character years later.

‘The Dark Tower’ (2017)

A young boy discovers clues to another dimension where a Gunslinger Knight is locked in an eternal battle with the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Sorcerer from toppling the Dark Tower that holds the universe together. This film attempted to function as both an adaptation and a sequel to the massive book series by Stephen King. Fans felt the 95-minute runtime was insufficient to capture the complexity of the source material. The movie flopped and the studio cancelled the planned film sequels and television tie-in.

‘Battleship’ (2012)

A fleet of ships is forced to do battle with an armada of unknown origins in order to discover and thwart their destructive goals. The film is loosely based on the board game and features aliens attacking naval exercises in Hawaii. Critics praised the visual effects but found the dialogue and plot to be derivative of other summer blockbusters. The movie lost a significant amount of money for the studio despite strong overseas performance. Universal quietly cancelled any plans to turn the board game adaptation into a series.

‘Power Rangers’ (2017)

Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. They must overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers to defeat Rita Repulsa. The film tried to balance a darker teen drama tone with the campy nature of the original television show. Merchandise sales were low and the box office returns were not enough to justify a sequel. The franchise rights were eventually sold to a different company for a reboot.

‘The Golden Compass’ (2007)

Lyra Belacqua sets out on a journey to the frozen North to save her best friend and other kidnapped children from terrible experiments. The film is set in a parallel universe where human souls take the form of lifelong animal companions called daemons. Religious controversy and studio interference resulted in a watered-down ending that cut the book’s original climax. The high budget and underwhelming domestic box office killed the chances for the rest of the trilogy. The story was later successfully adapted as a television series called ‘His Dark Materials’.

‘The Lone Ranger’ (2013)

Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid from a man of the law into a legend of justice. The duo must learn to work together and fight against greed and corruption in the Old West. Disney invested heavily in the production hoping to replicate the success of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise. The film was plagued by production delays and a massive budget that it failed to recoup. The financial loss was so significant that the studio abandoned the idea of a franchise immediately.

‘John Carter’ (2012)

A Civil War veteran is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes embroiled in a conflict amongst the inhabitants of the planet. He discovers that his survival depends on the people of Barsoom and the princess who needs his help. The film suffered from a confusing marketing campaign that hid the source material’s connection to the ‘Princess of Mars’ books. It resulted in one of the biggest write-downs in movie history for Disney. The studio cancelled the planned trilogy that would have adapted the subsequent novels.

‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ (2010)

A rogue prince reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of reversing time. They must protect the artifact from dark forces who wish to use it to rule the world. Jake Gyllenhaal starred in this adaptation of the popular video game series produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. While it is one of the highest-grossing video game movies it still failed to make enough profit to warrant a sequel. The studio decided not to pursue a franchise due to the high production costs.

‘Warcraft’ (2016)

Orc warriors flee their dying world to colonize a peaceful realm of humans which leads to a violent conflict between the two races. Leaders from both sides struggle to protect their people while uncovering a darker force manipulating the war. The film was a massive hit in China but failed to perform well in the domestic market. Critics felt the movie was overstuffed with lore that was confusing for non-gamers. The disparity in box office returns led the studio to cancel the planned trilogy.

‘Dredd’ (2012)

In a violent futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge and executioner a cop teams up with a trainee to take down a drug lord. They become trapped in a 200-story slum block and must fight their way to the top against hundreds of armed criminals. Fans praised the film for its gritty action and faithfulness to the comic book source material. Despite the positive reception the movie failed to find an audience in theaters. The cult following was not enough to convince the studio to finance a sequel.

‘Rise of the Guardians’ (2012)

Immortal guardians like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny must join forces to protect the children of the world from an evil spirit named Pitch Black. They recruit Jack Frost to help them stop Pitch from engulfing the world in fear and darkness. The film received good reviews but faced stiff competition at the box office during the holiday season. The financial loss forced the animation studio to lay off employees and restructure their business. Plans for a franchise were abandoned despite the rich world-building.

‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015)

A CIA agent and a KGB operative are forced to put aside their longstanding hostilities to team up on a joint mission during the Cold War. They must stop a mysterious international criminal organization which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power. Director Guy Ritchie delivered a stylish and humorous spy caper that developed a loyal fanbase. The film struggled at the box office due to a crowded release window. Stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer expressed interest in a sequel but the studio never greenlit one.

‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’ (2003)

Captain Jack Aubrey commands the HMS Surprise during the Napoleonic Wars with orders to intercept a French privateer. The crew faces severe weather and difficult battles as they pursue their enemy across the oceans. Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany deliver strong performances in this adaptation of the Patrick O’Brian novel series. High production costs and competition at the box office prevented the film from earning enough to justify a sequel. Fans remain disappointed that the planned multi-film adaptation never came to fruition despite critical acclaim.

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