Top 20 Movies So Bad They Were Pulled From Theaters

Sometimes a movie flops so hard that studios and theater chains decide it is not even worth leaving on the big screen. In rare cases poor box office, brutal reviews or public backlash make exhibitors cut runs short or pull titles almost entirely instead of letting them finish a standard theatrical window. These films still attract curiosity because they show how quickly a project can go from big release to embarrassment that disappears from marquees. Here are twenty films whose time in theaters was cut short after audiences and critics rejected them almost immediately.

‘Honky Tonk Freeway’ (1981)

‘Honky Tonk Freeway’ is a British made ensemble comedy about a Florida town that will do anything to attract tourists once a new interstate bypasses it. The production cost was extremely high for a comedy and the film earned only a tiny fraction of its budget back in cinemas. Reviews at the time described it as lacking basic comic appeal and audiences stayed away. Because ticket sales were so poor the film was pulled from theaters after only about a week of release in many markets.

‘Paranoia’ (2013)

‘Paranoia’ is a corporate espionage thriller where a young tech employee is blackmailed into spying on a rival company for his powerful boss. The cast includes big names in supporting roles yet the story was criticized as generic and unexciting, which hurt word of mouth. It opened on thousands of screens but quickly suffered one of the steepest drops as theaters removed it from schedules when audiences did not show up. Within a few weeks only a few hundred cinemas were still playing it and the film vanished from the box office charts.

‘Alone in the Dark’ (2005)

‘Alone in the Dark’ adapts a survival horror videogame into a film about a paranormal investigator facing creatures from another dimension. Directed by Uwe Boll it was widely labeled one of the worst game adaptations ever and critics attacked its plot, acting and visual effects. The movie failed to recoup its production costs and attendance collapsed almost immediately. As a result theaters stopped showing it after only a short run and it became a staple in discussions of modern cinematic disasters.

‘From Justin to Kelly’ (2003)

‘From Justin to Kelly’ is a musical romance built around the first season winner and runner up from the singing competition ‘American Idol’. The film follows their characters during spring break as they sing and dance through a very light storyline. Critics called it clumsy and audiences who loved the show largely skipped the movie. It opened in a wide release then lost the vast majority of its screens within three weeks as exhibitors quickly dropped it due to weak ticket sales.

‘Live by Night’ (2016)

‘Live by Night’ is a crime drama about a Prohibition era outlaw who builds a rum running empire while trying to live by his own code of honor. Despite a well known director star and source novel the film underperformed badly at the box office. Reviews noted handsome production values but said the story felt flat and unfocused which did not encourage repeat business. In its third week cinemas removed it on a massive scale resulting in one of the largest theater count drops ever recorded for a major studio release.

‘Morbius’ (2022)

‘Morbius’ is a superhero spin off about a scientist who turns into a vampire like antihero after experimenting with his own cure for a rare blood disease. The film initially attracted curiosity as part of a comic book universe but word of mouth turned negative very fast. Online memes briefly revived attention and the studio tried a second theatrical push to capitalize on that buzz. The rerelease also performed poorly and theaters pulled the film again after extremely low grosses which made it an example of how internet jokes do not always translate into ticket sales.

‘Glitter’ (2001)

‘Glitter’ is a music drama that follows a young singer whose career rises while her personal relationships unravel and it stars a major pop artist in the lead role. The movie was framed as a star vehicle yet critics disliked the script and performances and audiences showed little interest. It opened on more than a thousand screens but very quickly theater owners reduced showings when the box office numbers stayed weak. Within less than a month the film was gone from cinemas after recouping only a small part of its budget.

‘Postal’ (2007)

‘Postal’ is another Uwe Boll adaptation this time based on a darkly comic shooter game that follows an unlucky man dragged into violent chaos. The film was planned as a wide release with a large number of screens reserved. Negative buzz and a lack of confidence from distributors led many theaters to back out before opening day. Instead of the planned rollout it played in only a handful of locations and was effectively pulled before it ever had a chance to reach the scale originally announced.

‘It’s Pat’ (1994)

‘It’s Pat’ expands a recurring sketch from a late night comedy show into a full feature about an androgynous character whose gender is never clarified. Critics found the premise thin and the humor repetitive and audiences mostly ignored it. The film opened in just thirty three theaters across a few cities and brought in a very small total gross. Because of that disastrous performance the distributor pulled it after its first weekend making it one of the shortest theatrical runs for a studio comedy.

‘Mortdecai’ (2015)

‘Mortdecai’ is a caper comedy about an eccentric art dealer who gets involved in an international search for a stolen painting linked to hidden wealth. With several well known actors in the cast the studio expected a broader audience yet reviews called the humor forced and outdated. The film earned little in its opening weekends and quickly became a high profile flop. By the third week the distributor had pulled it from almost two thousand four hundred theaters leaving it on only a small fraction of the screens where it started.

‘Swept Away’ (2002)

‘Swept Away’ is a remake of an Italian romance about a wealthy woman and a deckhand who end up stranded together on a deserted island. The film teamed a famous pop star with a prominent director yet it struggled to win over critics or audiences. Reviews said the new version lost the complexity and political edge of the original and early ticket sales reflected that reaction. Theatrical bookings were limited and many exhibitors dropped it after a brief two week run which meant it left cinemas with a very small domestic gross.

‘Seeking Justice’ (2011)

‘Seeking Justice’ is an action thriller where an ordinary man turns to a secret vigilante group after his wife is attacked and then finds himself trapped by their demands. It stars a prolific leading man who at the time was appearing in many mid budget thrillers. The movie received lukewarm to negative reviews and audiences largely overlooked it during its release. Over three weeks it went from a modest lineup of theaters to only a handful of screens as exhibitors stopped booking it due to underwhelming attendance.

‘Max Steel’ (2016)

‘Max Steel’ brings a line of action figures and animated shows to live action with a story about a teenager who gains powerful abilities when he merges with an alien techno organism. The production hoped to launch a new family friendly superhero franchise yet the film was met with extremely poor critical reception and almost no fan enthusiasm. It earned very little during its opening frame and never recovered in subsequent weeks. After about three weeks of weak business cinemas pulled it from the majority of screens and it finished its run as one of the biggest box office bombs of its year.

‘Mr. Magoo’ (1997)

‘Mr. Magoo’ is a live action adaptation of the classic cartoon about an elderly man whose extreme nearsightedness leads to constant mishaps. Advocacy groups for blind and visually impaired people objected strongly to the portrayal arguing that the slapstick made fun of disability. Alongside negative reviews the protests led to serious pressure on the studio and exhibitors. Disney responded by cutting the theatrical run short and the film was pulled from many theaters within about two weeks of opening.

‘Delgo’ (2008)

‘Delgo’ is a computer animated fantasy set in a world of warring races where a young hero tries to prevent conflict and save his homeland. The film cost a substantial amount to produce and featured a voice cast that included several recognizable names. When it finally reached theaters it posted one of the lowest opening averages ever for a wide release and quickly became known as a benchmark for box office failure. Exhibitors reacted by dropping it almost immediately and it left cinemas after only about a week with barely any revenue.

‘Jem and the Holograms’ (2015)

‘Jem and the Holograms’ reimagines the animated rock band series as a live action story about four sisters who become an overnight online music sensation. Fans of the original show criticized changes to the tone and characters while reviewers said the film felt formulaic and unfocused. It opened in wide release but recorded one of the worst results ever for a film playing on that many screens. In a rare move for a major studio Universal pulled it from nearly all theaters after only two weeks making its theatrical run notably short.

‘The Garbage Pail Kids Movie’ (1987)

‘The Garbage Pail Kids Movie’ is a fantasy comedy based on a trading card line featuring mischievous and often gross out characters. The film attempts to tell a story about a boy who befriends these odd figures and hides them from adults but critics attacked the production design and tone as unpleasant. Audiences responded with very low turnout and the box office totals remained tiny from the start. The studio soon removed it from many cinemas and its short theatrical life helped cement its reputation as a notorious misfire.

‘Gigli’ (2003)

‘Gigli’ is a crime romance about a low level mob enforcer who is tasked with a kidnapping plot and then paired with another contractor who complicates his life. The movie arrived during heavy media coverage of its two leads as a celebrity couple which initially drew attention. Once released it was widely panned for its script and tone and ticket buyers stayed away in large numbers. After a huge second weekend drop the film played on only a small number of screens and was soon withdrawn from most theaters both in the United States and abroad.

‘Blackhat’ (2015)

‘Blackhat’ is a techno thriller about a convicted hacker who is released to help international agents track a cyber criminal targeting global infrastructure. Despite a respected director and recognizable cast it opened opposite a much more anticipated war drama that dominated the market. The film debuted with very weak numbers for such a wide release and never managed to gain momentum. Within two weeks Universal had pulled it from the majority of its locations leaving just a few hundred theaters still showing it while plans for some territories shifted directly to home video.

‘United Passions’ (2014)

‘United Passions’ is a dramatization of the origins and leadership of the world football governing body with key roles portraying famous officials from the organization. The project was financed mostly by the organization itself and arrived just as a major corruption scandal involving its executives broke in real life. Reviews labeled the film propaganda and audiences ignored it so thoroughly that its opening weekend gross in the United States stayed under four figures. After that disastrous result the distributor withdrew it from cinemas and it went on to be cited as one of the lowest grossing and most derided sports movies ever made.

Share your own picks for movies that disappeared from theaters almost as fast as they arrived in the comments and compare them with this lineup.