ANOUSHKA NAG
It’s a Wonderful Life
Even though It's A Wonderful Life has grown to be one of the most cherished holiday favorites ever, it's unbelievable how poorly it performed upon its premiere, bankrupting the studio. Instead of going into bankruptcy, the studio that produced it, Liberty Pictures, was eventually acquired by Paramount Pictures.
Cutthroat Island
The pirate comedy Cutthroat Island, one of the most infamously terrible films of the 1990s, involved multiple rewrites of the script. In addition to losing almost $147 million, the Geena Davis film led to the bankruptcy of the already financially troubled studio Carolco.
The Fall of The Roman Empire
With actors like Sophia Loren and Alec Guinness, The Fall of the Roman Empire had the ingredients of a box office success. Unfortunately, the movie, which at the time cost about $16 million, only made $4 million, bankrupting Bronston Production and virtually ending the Roman epic genre.
The Golden Compass
With The Golden Compass, New Line Cinema took a chance once and invested $180 million. Sadly, the film failed, earning a pitiful $372 million ($466.9 million). In less than a year, Warner Bros. Studios bought New Line after it restructured and surrendered its international rights.
Raise the Titanic
Raise the Titanic, which was based on the 1976 novel, was an ambitious and costly risk for ITC Entertainment. The movie, which debuted in 1980, had an enormous $40 million ($126 million) budget. The movie made a pitiful $7 million ($22 million) at the box office. Due to these severe financial losses, Associated Film Distribution, the film division, was sold to Universal Pictures.