Predicting The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of 2026

In the golden age of Hollywood, the landscape was very different than it is today: Only a handful of movies were released each month, and there were only a few studios even capable of getting big movies released nationwide. Films tended to stay in theaters for months, if not years, allowing films like "Gone with the Wind" to rack up hundreds of millions of dollars over time, making it hard to predict box office totals before they came out. 

These days, box office tracking is a science unto itself, and it's often a lot simpler to look ahead and determine what movies will fall flat on their faces. Predictions aren't always right, of course, but with so many more movies coming out, and trends in viewership easier to identify, it becomes something of an art — not to mention a fun exercise — to try and call which films are going to bomb. 

Looking to next year, there are quite a few films we feel fall into that category. So let's take a look ... and don't forget to come back in 2026 to see how close we got.

"Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" is scheduled for June of 2026, and faces a bit of an uphill battle if it's going to be a box office hit. For starters, it was immediately seen as risky when it was announced, with CBR declaring it a "bad fit" for the new DCU. Then there's the fact that audiences' memories of Supergirl on film come from the 1986 flop starring Helen Slater and the 2022 bomb, "The Flash," where Sasha Calle (who differed from all other Supergirls in one major way) played the character and wasn't met with much enthusiasm. Throw in a mediocre TV series just a few years ago and we're not sure that anyone is excited beyond diehard DC fans.

The film's success may also hinge on the box office results of James Gunn's "Superman." Hype around the David Corenswet-led film has seemed to die down, and if it's even just a modest hit — as opposed to a blockbuster — it could spell doom for "Supergirl." Plus, with talk that the budget for "Woman of Tomorrow" could be as high as $225 million, it might be a tall order for it to reach any levels of box office success. While "Superman" has the prestige of James Gunn writing and directing, too, "Supergirl" is helmed by Craig Gillespie, whose previous film, "Dumb Money," was a huge flop. Maybe it will surprise, but for now, we're not bullish on this one.

Wait, are we really predicting two DC movies to flop in 2026? Well, maybe. Because while "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow" is facing a high hurdle due to its enormous budget and derivative nature, the horror-themed "Clayface" is facing a different problem. It's yet another Batman project that doesn't have Batman, and fans seem far more eager to meet the DCU's new Dark Knight than in seeing solo adventures of his various villains.

Sure, "The Penguin" was a hit with critics, but even that series faced the same skepticism at first, while at least being an extension of a blockbuster movie. It was able to build a big audience thanks to rave reviews and its extended season-long run, but "Clayface" is only a single film, and won't have the luxury of waiting to find the fans. It's also potentially facing some stiff competition: It opens just a couple of weeks after the next "Insidious" film, which may appeal to a similar horror audience, while an as-yet-unannounced release from Disney arrives just a week later. If that turns out to be a major franchise film — a new MCU entry, for example — "Clayface" could be in trouble.

Of course, the best thing "Clayface" has going for it is that it's said to be a relatively low-budget feature in comparison to most comic book movies. Directed by Mike Flanagan, the film reportedly will be kept at around $40 million, meaning it won't take much to make it a success. That said, as a dark superhero horror movie, it may not gather enough of an audience to avoid being a flop.

Disney's live-action remakes have been some of the hardest to predict in recent years: Despite a drubbing from disappointed fans of the original — especially critics — "The Lion King" made a billion dollars, while the highly-touted, star-heavy "Snow White" bombed at the box office, reportedly making Disney reconsider a remake of "Tangled." But "Moana," has one huge benefit: It stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the role he voiced in the animated original.

The problem for "Moana," is that it seems like a movie that's not needed. While most of Disney's live-action remakes have been decades-old favorites, the original "Moana" isn't even 10 years old. And beyond the relatively short span of time between them, "Moana 2" just dropped recently. Initially planned as a series for Disney+, the animated sequel (which also brings back Johnson in his voice role) was shifted to a theatrical release, landing in cinemas in November 2024. The good news? "Moana 2" blew the doors off cinemas to the tune of over a billion dollars. But will audiences show up for a live-action remake, or would they rather see a third animated movie?

Similarly, the Rock himself hasn't had a hit in theaters for a while. His last bonafide triumph was "Jumani: The Next Level" in 2019, while "Black Adam" and "Red One" both flopped. If he isn't a draw for audiences, there may not be enough folks out there to make this remake a hit. That's especially true if the budget matches recent live-action remakes like "Mulan," which may have ballooned to as much as $300 million, making it harder to turn a profit. 

In November of 2026, Sony will release the indie horror movie "Shiver," written and directed by Tommy Wirkola. If you don't recognize the name, we're not surprised, as he hasn't been heard from in a while here in the States. If you think back, you might remember him as the director of "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters," which doesn't exactly fill us with confidence. His last film? The CGI-animated adult sex comedy "Spermageddon." Really.

This time, Wirkola is telling a very different kind of story, but if you ask us, it seems little better than an Asylum original. It chronicles the efforts of a group of townspeople in a coastal village to fight back against an invasion of sharks that are left behind by a devastating storm. Perhaps if it had an acclaimed filmmaker behind it or a recognizable cast filled with big stars, it might be something worth looking at, but as it is, we're not sure we'd put this in the "hit" category. 

While there's always the possibility it ends up like Wirkola's last live-action effort — the David Harbour action-holiday movie "Violent Night," which earned a modest sum – that's not what we're predicting.

A new sci-fi thriller planned for 2026, "Mercy" will star Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. The film is a cyberpunk detective story, and though little is known about how the film will end up, comparisons to movies like "Blade Runner" and shows like "Altered Carbon" are expected. And that's a troubling sign, because no matter how good sci-fi detective stories can be, they're often box office poison, with both "Blade Runner" films struggling financially despite good reviews.

Of more immediate concern, to us at least, is the film's creative team. Director Timur Bekmambetov has only one hit to his name, at least in the States: The 2006 action movie "Wanted." Most of his filmography is in his native Russia, with his other two American releases being the groan-worthy "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and the disastrously ill-conceived 2016 remake of "Ben-Hur."

One might raise an eyebrow at the presence of Chris Pratt — a major star — on this list, but outside of franchises, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star has struggled of late. The Netflix original "Electric State" was given a critical drubbing, while two other sci-fi dramas — "The Tomorrow War" and "Passengers" — were also saddled with bad reviews, even if the latter managed to scrape just past profitability. All in all, we're not convinced that "Mercy" has what it takes to move Pratt back into the hit column.

Are we really surprised to see "Resident Evil" on a list of predicted box office bombs? It may be a reboot, it may technically be a new franchise, but it will be hard for audiences to separate it from the long-running series that preceded it, with six awful films starring Milla Jovovich. Worse still, it was already rebooted just a few years ago, with Hannah John-Kamen taking over the lead role in "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City," and the results were far from pleasant, earning itself a place on our list of the biggest bombs of the year.

Very little is known so far about the new film, but producers are reportedly seeking Austin Abrams for a major role. No disrespect to the "Euphoria" star, but unless Sony is looking at surrounding Abrams with some much bigger names, we're not sure that he's going to put butts in seats. Meanwhile, other rebooted films of its type — like recent remakes of "The Crow," "Hellraiser," and "Hellboy" — have not been successful, adding to the bad feeling we're getting. Short of an absolutely jaw-dropping trailer, it's not going to be easy to get "Resident Evil" into the plus column. And even then, there's too much working against it to expect that even a strong showing and good word of mouth will translate to big bucks at the ticket counter.

CGI-animated films have become some of the biggest box office hits of the last decade, with many crossing the billion dollar threshold. And there are a few more in 2026 that are sure to rake in the cash, with sequels to "Shrek," "Ice Age" and "Super Mario Bros" in the works. Non-sequels will have a tougher time, and there's one early in the year that may not make it off the bench: A sports comedy kids' flick called "Goat."

Produced by NBA great Steph Curry, "Goat" will try to leverage the sports connection by arriving in theaters on the same weekend as the NBA All-Star Game. The story of an anthropomorphic goat who plays basketball, the film has no stars attached, so it still could surprise us. But even if the film casts some of today's biggest names, animated sports movies for kids have a spotty track record. "Space Jam" is an all-time classic, but its more recent sequel was a bomb. The 2006 animated baseball movie "Everyone's Hero" was a big flop, while 2022's "Soccer Football Movie" came and went without anyone noticing.

Given that it's not an existing franchise, is part of an iffy subgenre of movies, and CGI-animated more broadly films have struggled lately — with Pixar's "Onward," "Lightyear" and "Soul" all busts — we're guessing that "Goat" will meet a similar fate.

"Blasphemy!," you might say. How could we possibly predict a box office bomb for a feature film spin-off of one of the most beloved sci-fi shows of the last decade? It's a good question, but just like Radio Shack, we've got answers. Because yes, "Star Wars" fans are in near-universal agreement that "The Mandalorian" is the best thing to come out of Disney's ownership of the galaxy far, far away. But look a little closer and you'll see a few warning sirens going off. 

Most notably, the most recent season of "The Mandalorian," released in 2023, wasn't met with good reviews from audiences despite its strong critical reviews (which were themselves a marked decline from Season 2's 93% score). Fans clubbed Season 3, which sits at a rotten 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. Likewise, follow-up spin-offs "Ahsoka" and "The Book of Boba Fett" weren't beloved among fans either, with the latter landing with a thud. Broaden your view of the franchise, and you'll find more bombs, with "The Acolyte" being resoundingly rejected by fans.

So yes, we can all hope that director Jon Favreau and co-writer Dave Filoni can right the ship and get Mando back to his Season 1 roots. But as it stands now, there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. And unless everything breaks right, we could be looking at yet another "Star Wars" movie struggling to win over audiences.

May will be a big month for Disney, kicking off with "Avengers: Doomsday" the first week, and closing out with "Mandalorian & Grogu" on the 22nd. Both have high expectations, but we're even if we wind up wrong about "Mandalorian," we're certain it will be "Doomsday" that wins the month in terms of box office. That leaves movies sandwiched in between facing a tough landscape, and one of the movies that might suffer the most is "Verity," scheduled for release on May 15th — the same week as a major Universal tentpole film that has yet to be named.

It's likely that the studio is thinking "Verity" will be the classic counter-programming to "Avengers," a movie that can find an audience of fans who aren't going to see superhero movies. But if the "Avengers" franchise has proven anything, it's that it appeals to just about everyone. Men, women, young, old, you name it, everyone wants to see them, and "Doomsday" — with its sprawling cast of superstars — is likely to continue that trend. Besides, "Verity" doesn't appear to be so special that it will attract its own passionate following. The film is a psychological thriller and dark romance starring Josh Hartnett, Anne Hathaway, and Dakota Johnson. None of those actors have headlined a hit in years, while director Michael Showalter isn't exactly known for producing big financial hits.

Anne Hathaway has three — count 'em, three — movies coming out in 2026, but we're only willing to bet on one of them to be a success: the Christopher Nolan epic "The Odyssey." There she's appearing alongside a star-studded cast that includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Elliot Page, and Robert Pattinson. In "Flowervale Street," she's supported by a cast of mostly unknowns, though she does have the benefit of co-star Ewan McGregor. 

A science fiction drama, "Flowervale Street" centers on a suburban family who become the focal point of unexplained events. Worrisome to us, however, is that they've chosen to set the film in the 1980s, which feels like a cheap attempt to gain nostalgia cred. But either way, we're not very optimistic it's going to make a ton of money, and that's worrisome when the budget is currently listed as $85 million. Not a huge sum, but it means it will have to make more than a modest amount to be a hit.

The biggest red flag, however, is who is behind it: Bad Robot and writer-director David Robert Mitchell. Bad Robot has had blunder after blunder the past decade, with only the woefully reviewed "Rise of Skywalker" being any kind of financial hit. Mitchell, meanwhile, is best known for "It Follows" and "Under the Silver Lake," not the track record one looks for when predicting a big box office victory.

What do you get when you cross a horror movie with a musical? A recipe for a flop. It's a subgenre that doesn't have a good track record, with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" being the only real standout, and that was a box office bomb that somehow got a sequel. "The Bride!" is a loose adaptation of "The Bride of Frankenstein," and while it boasts an impressive cast — including Penelope Cruz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, and Christian Bale (as Frankenstein's monster) – it doesn't have "box office gold" written anywhere near it.

You might wonder how such a musical remake of a classic horror movie assembled such a sterling cast. Well, that's because it's written and directed by Jake Gyllenhaal's sister, Academy Award nominated actor Maggie Gyllenhaal. And that's another big red flag for "Bride!," because Gyllenhaal's only other theatrical effort as a writer and director was 2021's "The Lost Daughter." And though that film was critically acclaimed, audience scores were in rotten territory, and it was also a massive flop — a limited release that couldn't crack a million bucks on a $5 million budget.

This might be the easiest call on this list. But in "Masters of the Universe" we have is a property that mostly appeals to aging '80s kids, and that's the kind of film that has rarely been handled well on-screen. Let's remember, the original cartoon was little more than a children's toy commercial, even if it was popular among little boys. And when properties like that become big-budget movies, it's sink or swim.

"Transformers" had tremendous success and is surely what the studio is hoping for. But "G.I. Joe" was a mixed bag, with its last entry, "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" bombing horribly. "Jem and the Holograms" crashed and burned, "Inspector Gadget" flopped in 1999, and though "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" performed solidly, its sequel was one of the biggest bombs of 2016. 

In 2026, "Masters of the Universe" is almost certainly going to flop, and its pretty boy star Nick Galitzine isn't doing it any favors. It's a property designed for kids, has the potential to look goofy as hell, and unless it's done just right, even a solid supporting cast that includes Idris Elba, Jared Leto, and Alison Brie won't save it from embarrassment. The biggest problem, though? It has a budget in excess of $200 million dollars according to Variety, meaning it will have to do Marvel-like numbers to be a success.