These Directors Wish They Never Made These Box Office Bombs

Anyone who directs a movie is juggling a lot of balls. Trying to juggle all those pieces doesn't always work. Things can and do go wrong. Ultimately, whether a movie succeeds or fails depends not just on critics but on the opinion of the filmgoers and their box office support of the film. Sometimes, directors end up directing utterly terrible movies.

To identify the directors with the most movie flops, 24/7 Tempo analyzed data on worldwide box office earnings and production budget from The Numbers, a subsidiary of Nash Information Services. Directors were ranked based on the percentage of films in their filmography that earned less than their production budget at the global box office.

At least 20% of the films directed by each director on this list have grossed less than their production costs – sometimes significantly less. To be fair, all these directors have had more hits than misses, and across throughout their careers, they've earned an average return on investment that surpasses their films' total production costs.

This post was updated June 3rd, 2025 to reflect additional information.

Here are iconic directors and their most expensive box office bombs:

• Biggest flop: Mystery, Alaska (1999) ($8.9 million gross on $28.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 20.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$3.83 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) ($312.4 million gross on $35.0 million budget)

Jay Roach has enjoyed significant success with the three "Austin Powers" movies and the three "Fockers" films, five of which grossed more than $100 million each at the box office. His films average $3.83 in gross revenue for every $1 of production budget, one of the higher averages on this list. "Mystery, Alaska," a film about a motley group of hockey players from the town in the title, was not the success Roach had hoped for, grossing just $8.9 million on a budget of $28 million.

• Biggest flop: Stealth (2005) ($76.4 million gross on $138.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 20.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.11 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: The Boy Next Door (2015) ($53.4 million gross on $4.0 million budget)

Rotten Tomatoes characterized Rob Cohen as one of Hollywood's "baby moguls" of the 1970s, enjoying success with movies featuring African-American actors, including "Mahogany," and "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings." His film "Stealth," about AI technology in a jet fighter gone haywire, was criticized as overly borrowing from "Top Gun" and "2001" and it failed at the box office.

• Biggest flop: Deepwater Horizon (2016) ($122.6 million gross on $156.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 20.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$1.88 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Hancock (2008) ($624.2 million gross on $150.0 million budget)

Peter Berg's greatest box-office achievement to date has been "Hancock," starring Will Smith as a disheveled superhero. Berg also received critical acclaim with the Afghanistan war story "Lone Survivor," featuring Mark Wahlberg, which was also a box-office success. However, another Berg film starring Wahlberg, "Deepwater Horizon," about the catastrophic oil-rig explosion, did not earn enough at the box office to cover its $156.0 million budget.

• Biggest flop: The Quick and the Dead (1995) ($18.6 million gross on $32.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 25.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$3.44 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: The Evil Dead (1981) ($29.4 million gross on $375,000 budget)

As a director, producer, and writer, Sam Raimi has made a career of scaring the wits our of audiences. Raimi made "The Evil Dead" – the start of a long-running franchise – on a budget of just $375,000, and the horror flick grossed $29.4 million at the box office. He also did well with his "Spider-Man" trilogy. Raimi's venture into Westerns, "The Quick and the Dead," had plenty of star power – Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe – but it failed to attract filmgoers.

• Biggest flop: The Good German (2006) ($6.7 million gross on $32.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 25.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$3.25 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) ($36.7 million gross on $1.2 million budget)

Steven Soderbergh's 1989 breakthrough film, "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" is his most successful cinematic effort. He followed that success with hits like "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic," the latter earning him a Best Director Oscar. Soderbergh has had 11 movies achieve a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of over 90%. Despite his many successes, his homage to post-war noir films, "The Good German," was a box-office disappointment.

• Biggest flop: The Missing (2003) ($38.3 million gross on $65.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 25.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.61 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Splash (1984) ($62.6 million gross on $8.0 million budget)

Ron Howard has had a skein of triumphs since his critically well-received film "Night Shift" in 1982, and his biggest hit, "Splash," a rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, two years later. Eight of Howard's films have grossed more than $100 million each. The Oscar winner (for "A Beautiful Mind") and the man behind films such as "Apollo 13" and "Cocoon," though, had a misfire with the Western "The Missing."

• Biggest flop: Radio Flyer (1992) ($4.7 million gross on $35.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 25.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.50 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: The Omen (1976) ($48.6 million gross on $2.8 million budget)

Richard Donner, known for directing blockbuster hits like "The Omen," "Superman: The Movie," and "Lethal Weapon," was one of the top-grossing directors in the 1970s and 1980s. However, his drama "Radio Flyer," which tells the story of abused children escaping violence through their Radio Flyer wagon, did not do well at the box office.

• Biggest flop: Kundun (1997) ($5.7 million gross on $28.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 25.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.20 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Shine a Light (2008) ($16.2 million gross on $1.0 million budget)

By the ratio of gross to budget, the greatest box-office success for Oscar winner Martin Scorsese ("The Departed") has been the movie "Shine a Light," a 2008 documentary about the Rolling Stones' performance at New York's Beacon Theatre. The maker of such monumental films as "Raging Bill" and "Taxi Driver" has had his misfires, too, however, such as "Kudun," a portrait of the young Dalai Lama.

• Biggest flop: Rent (2005) ($31.7 million gross on $40.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 27.3%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$5.81 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Home Alone (1990) ($476.7 million gross on $15.0 million budget)

Chris Columbus has the highest average box office return on investment of anyone on this list, with $5.81 gross for every $1 of production budget. Thirteen of his projects as director, producer, or executive producer have grossed over $100 million each, including the "Harry Potter," "Home Alone," "Night at the Museum," and "Fantastic Four" films. However, "Rent," based on the long-running Broadway musical, failed to transfer its stage success to the big screen and was Columbus' biggest disappointment.

• Biggest flop: Flawless (1999) ($4.5 million gross on $27.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 28.6%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.27 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Phone Booth (2002) ($97.8 million gross on $11.0 million budget)

Joel Schumacher has given the filmgoing public action movies such as "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin," and the disquieting films "A Time to Kill" and "Falling Down." The heart-racing drama "Phone Booth," starring Colin Farrell and Kiefer Sutherland, has been Schumacher's biggest success, while "Flawless," despite a cast that included Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman, wasn't.

• Biggest flop: Salvador (1986) ($1.5 million gross on $4.5 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 28.6%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.05 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Platoon (1986) ($138.0 million gross on $6.0 million budget)

Oliver Stone's filmography is known for politically charged dramas set in the turbulent 1960s, including "JFK," "The Doors," "Born on the Fourth of July," and "Platoon," the latter two earning him Best Director Oscars. His film "Salvador," despite critical acclaim from Rotten Tomatoes, who awarded it a Tomatometer score of 89%, failed to connect with film audiences.

• Biggest flop: Restless (2011) ($2.8 million gross on $8.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 30.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$3.10 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Good Will Hunting (1997) ($225.9 million gross on $10.0 million budget)

Gus Van Sant made his film mark with films focusing on the seamier side of society ("Drugstore Cowboy," "My Own Private Idaho") and marginalized groups ("Milk"). His greatest box-office triumph was "Good Will Hunting," about a brilliant but troubled young man, which earned Best Writing Oscars for co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. "Restless," a fantasy about a young man who interacts with the ghost of a kamikaze pilot and falls in love with a terminally ill young woman, failed to connect with filmgoers.

• Biggest flop: Rollerball (2002) ($25.9 million gross on $70.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 30.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.13 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: The Hunt for Red October (1990) ($200.5 million gross on $30.0 million budget)

John McTiernan is known for directing some of Hollywood's most iconic action films, including the "Die Hard" series, "Predator," and "Last Action Hero." His adaptation of "The Hunt for Red October," featuring an A-list cast including Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, and James Earl Jones, stands as his most successful box-office hit to date. However, his remake of "Rollerball" in 2002 proved to be a financial disappointment, failing to recoup its $70 million budget.

• Biggest flop: Soldier (1998) ($14.6 million gross on $75.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 30.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$1.92 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Mortal Kombat (1995) ($122.1 million gross on $20.0 million budget)

English director Paul W.S. Anderson announced himself to the British cinema industry with his excessively brutal film "Shopping," about ultra-violent thieves, which was banned in many English theaters. Anderson went on to make the "Resident Evil" movies as well as "Alien vs. Predator." A self-described obsessed video gamer. Anderson channeled that compulsion into making a film version of the violent game "Mortal Kombat," which has been his greatest box-office success. The same cannot be said for his film "Soldier," which grossed just $14.6 million on a $75 million budget.

• Biggest flop: Celebrity (1998) ($6.2 million gross on $12.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 31.8%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.76 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Scoop (2006) ($40.1 million gross on $4.0 million budget)

Woody Allen, a four-time Oscar-winner, is renowned for his comedic gems like "Bananas" and "Sleeper," as well as his stories of neurotic New Yorkers in films such as "Manhattan" and "Annie Hall." His period comedies like "Bullets Over Broadway" were also received well. His most successful film at the box-office is still "Scoop," where an American journalism student collaborates with a deceased reporter to uncover a breaking story. Conversely, "Celebrity," Allen's critical look at fame in New York's affluent circles, failed to capture audience interest.

• Biggest flop: Blow Out (1981) ($13.7 million gross on $18.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 33.3%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.32 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Carrie (1976) ($25.9 million gross on $1.8 million budget)

A director whose style and subject matter have been influenced by Alfred Hitchcock, Dre Palma enjoyed success starting in the 1970s and 1980s with films like "Body Double," "Carlito's Way," and "Mission: Impossible." His breakthrough effort was the paranormal horror flick "Carrie" in 1976, which made a star out of Sissy Spacek. "Blow Out," inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni's classic "Blow Up," and starring John Travolta and Nancy Allen, was hailed by critics as a glossy, politically informed thriller, but audiences mostly stayed away

• Biggest flop: Mallrats (1995) ($2.1 million gross on $6.1 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 33.3%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$1.69 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Clerks (1994) ($3.9 million gross on $27,000 budget)

New Jersey native Kevin Smith has featured his home state in many of his films. His breakthrough came with the low-budget cult classic "Clerks," that was about aimless suburban convenience-store workers, on a shoestring budget of $27,000. The film won awards at both the Cannes and Sundance film festivals, establishing Smith as a voice for Generation X. He continued his success with "Chasing Amy," but when he revisited suburban angst in "Mallrats," audiences failed to connect with the same enthusiasm.

• Biggest flop: Miracle at St. Anna (2008) ($9.7 million gross on $45.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 37.5%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.05 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: She's Gotta Have It (1986) ($7.1 million gross on $175,000 budget)

Filmdom's Oscar-winning provocateur, whose motion pictures gave dimension to Black life in America and who wasn't afraid to point out inequality in society ("Do the Right Thing," "Jungle Fever"), had a surprising hit in 1986 with critically lauded "She's Gotta Have It." The movie was made on a budget of $175,000. Lee made "Miracle at St. Anna" in 2008 about soldiers in an all-Black division fighting in Italy in WWII that critics found disjointed, and it flopped at the box office.

• Biggest flop: Ride with the Devil (1999) ($630,779 gross on $35.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 40.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.86 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) ($213.5 million gross on $15.0 million budget)

Ang Lee won his first Best Director Academy Award for "Brokeback Mountain" in 2006, making history as the first Asian filmmaker to win this honor. His martial arts masterpiece "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" received a 97% score from Rotten Tomatoes critics and marked Lee's greatest box-office triumph so far, solidifying his status among Hollywood's elite directors. However, Lee's 2006 Civil War drama "Ride With the Devil" was a major disappointment, earning only about $630,000 on a budget of $35 million.

• Biggest flop: The Hoax (2006) ($7.2 million gross on $25.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 40.0%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.55 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: A Dog's Purpose (2017) ($203.1 million gross on $25.0 million budget)

After making videos for the Swedish pop group ABBA, Lasse Hallström gained international fame with his film "My Life as a Dog" in 1985. He burnished his filmmaking credentials with critically acclaimed films such as "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Chocolat," "Dear John," and "The Cider House Rules." "A Dog's Purpose," in which a canine discovers the meaning of its own existence when he is repeatedly reincarnated, is Hallström's most successful movie to date. "The Hoax," based on Clifford Irving's fake biography of reclusive millionaire Howard Hughes, found favor among Rotten Tomatoes critics, but disappointed at the box office.

• Biggest flop: Rock the Kasbah (2015) ($3.4 million gross on $15.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 42.9%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.92 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Rain Man (1988) ($412.8 million gross on $25.0 million budget)

Barry Levinson, a six-time Academy Award nominee, earned his Best Director win in 1989 for "Rain Man," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, which remains his most successful film. Levinson's other noteworthy movies include "Wag the Dog," "Sleepers," and "Good Morning, Vietnam." However, his film "Rock the Kasbah," marked his biggest flop to date, earning a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of just 7%.

• Biggest flop: LBJ (2016) ($2.5 million gross on $20.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 46.2%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.07 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: A Few Good Men (1992) ($236.5 million gross on $33.0 million budget)

Rob Reiner, the son of one of television's great talents, emerged as a skilled actor and director in his own right. The younger Reiner found his niche in rom-coms with some black comedy mixed in early in his directing career. He's helmed four films that have a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 90% or above. "A Few Good Men" is not in that rarefied zone, but it is Reiner's biggest hit to date. "LBJ," a biopic of the nation's 36th president that starred Woody Harrelson in the title role, tanked at the box office and disappointed critics.

• Biggest flop: Me and Orson Welles (2008) ($1.2 million gross on $25.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 46.2%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$1.74 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Boyhood (2014) ($57.3 million gross on $4.0 million budget)

Richard Linklater had a strong connection with Generation X through films like "Slackers." His groundbreaking "Boyhood," which explored the highs and lows of growing up with Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke, earned an impressive Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 97%. It stands as Linklater's most successful film to date among six of his works that have an RT score of 90% or higher. The one film that fell short is "Me and Orson Welles," grossing only $1.2 million on a $25 million budget.

• Biggest flop: Stronger (2017) ($8.8 million gross on $30.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 63.6%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$2.47 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Halloween (2018) ($255.4 million gross on $10.0 million budget)

Rotten Tomatoes describes David Gordon Green's early directing style as Southern Gothic, citing films such as "George Washington" and "All the Real Girls." He transitioned to comedy and found commercial success with "Pineapple Express" starring James Franco and Seth Rogen as stoners on the run. Green's greatest box-office hit was "Halloween" (2018), which brought back Jamie Lee Curtis in the role of Laurie Strode, which she had first made famous 40 years earlier. "Stronger," based on the inspirational story of Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs during a terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon, won over critics with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, but not filmgoers.

• Biggest flop: Cutthroat Island (1995) ($18.5 million gross on $92.0 million budget)
• Pct. movies grossing less than production budget: 64.3%
• Avg. box office ROI: +$1.47 gross for every $1 of production budget
• Biggest hit: Cliffhanger (1993) ($255.0 million gross on $65.0 million budget)

Renny Harlin is one of the most successful Finnish directors in Hollywood. He started with the profitable "Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master," before earning a reputation as an action-film director with hits like "Die Hard 2" and "Cliffhanger," his most successful movie to date. However, his 1995 pirate epic "Cutthroat Island," starring his then-wife, Geena Davis, turned out to be a major box office flop.