Science-fiction movies have been inspiring the imaginations of audiences for decades. Some became classics almost as soon as they were released, while others failed to live up to expectations upon their initial opening. These movies were not appreciated by audiences and critics until well after their theatrical runs.
Perhaps more so than other genres, sci-fi has gone through its fair share of ups and downs at the box office over the last 50 years. For every Star Wars or Terminator 2: Judgment Day, there was a slew of sci-fi films that performed poorly when first released, yet have gone on to become revered cult classics later on.
Updated by March 3, 2023 by Angelo Delos Trinos: Box office performances aren't the most accurate reflections of a movie's quality. This was, unfortunately, the case for many great sci-fi movies that only found the adoration and respect they deserved after bombing on opening week. This list was updated to include more sci-fi flops that became beloved cult classics and expand on their financial histories.
15 Waterworld Only Earned $89 Million
Budget: $175 million | Box Office: $264 million
Waterworld is a unique case. While it did manage to bring in some money, it was the most expensive film at the time. Worse, critics panned it before it even released. Many viewed it as a mediocre post-apocalyptic Mad Max knock-off that didn't live up to the hype and high expectations its massive budget suggested.
But in recent years, sci-fi fans positively reassessed Waterworld, free of the negative media publicity that plagued it in 1995. Waterworld now enjoys a cult fanbase that has been helped by the emergence of the complete, unedited "Ulysses Cut," which restored more than 40 minutes to the original theatrical cut.
14 Blade Runner 2049 Only Earned $83 Million
Budget: $185 million | Box Office: $268 million
Like its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 flopped at the box office. Blade Runner fans were skeptical going in, even with Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. However, the film was praised. Recently, it's been regarded as one of the rare cases where the sequel is just as good—if not even better—than the original.
Director Denis Villeneuve delivered a sequel that matched the mood and visuals of Ridley Scott's cyberpunk classic. With the modern classic Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve took Blade Runner to the next level. He also substantively expanded the story in ways that faithfully served Blade Runner while still adding something new of value.
13 The Abyss Only Earned $43 Million
Budget: $47 million | Box Office: $90 million
James Cameron's sea faring The Abyss is about an offshore oil rig crew encountering an alien civilization at the bottom of the ocean. Upon release, it only generated limited excitement. Although critical response to The Abyss was largely positive, it barely broke even on worldwide box office returns, and it lost money domestically.
However, the last few decades have been kind to The Abyss. Its cult status was bolstered by the extended special edition released on DVD in 1992, which added 28 minutes. The Abyss has become one of the most sought-after films among sci-fi physical media collectors, as it has yet to be remastered for Blu-ray or 4K.
12 Ad Astra Only Earned $35 Million
Budget: $100 million | Box Office: $135 million
As far as fans of older sci-fi works are concerned, Ad Astra is a modern sci-fi classic. Ad Astra was a well-crafted homage to Joseph Conrad's iconic novella "Heart of Darkness" and groundbreaking sci-fi classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey from the '70s. Unfortunately, audiences didn't really care for what Ad Astra was honoring.
Even with a heavyweight cast and impeccable filmmaking, Ad Astra barely broke even and only earned a small profit. Ad Astra's biggest competition was modern audiences' new expectations from sci-fi and a loss of interest in sci-fi dramas. None of these negated the fact that Ad Astra was a great tragedy set in space.
11 Tron Only Earned $33 Million
Budget: $17 million | Box Office: $50 million
While Tron may have been an intriguing concept for the time, it didn't resonate with audiences the way high-profile sci-fi hits like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial did. Tron starred a young Jeff Bridges as a programmer who found himself transported into a complex and dangerous digital world from which he seeks to escape.
Tron was notable for being one of the first films ever to use computer-generated imagery — long before CGI ever became common practice. While the CGI didn't age perfectly, many nostalgic sci-fi fans came to hold Tron in high regard. The same goes for its 2010 sequel and fellow beloved flop, Tron: Legacy.
10 Blade Runner Only Earned $12 Million
Budget: $30 million | Box Office: $42 million
When Ridley Scott's dark sci-fi neo-noir Blade Runner opened, it flew under the radar. The film was a visual feast, but it was the polar opposite of exciting blockbusters like Star Wars. It was also deemed a bit too slow and cerebral for some, despite producers' demands that it be shortened and watered down.
Blade Runner raised many introguing questions about the social, political, and psychological impacts of artificial intelligence on society. Though Blade Runner developed a devoted cult following among hardcore sci-fi fans as early as the late '80s, it took a few more decades for it to blossom into the cultural icon it is today.
9 Starship Troopers Only Earned $11 Million
Budget: $110 million | Box Office: $121 million
Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers had much going for it out the gate: it had a big budget, a hit-making director, wild action and special effects, humor, and a significant promotional campaign. Unfortunately, it barely broke even. Audiences didn't really connect with Starship Troopers' satire of fascism and militarism.
But in the last 25 years, Starship Troopers became a sci-fi staple on cable TV and streaming services. The movie accumulated a passionate fanbase that appreciates its tongue-in-cheek subtext and underlying social and political commentary. That, and it's an exciting futuristic war movie in its own right.
8 The Thing (1982) Only Earned $5 Million
Budget: $15 million | Box Office: $20 million
Dark sci-fi films were not well-received in the '80s. Audiences were enamored with E.T. and Star Wars, which made it difficult for the likes of John Carpenter's The Thing to gain traction. The Thing was panned for being too grotesque and nihilistic. But decades later, The Thing became one of the most beloved movies ever made.
The Thing focused on a shape-shifting alien that reemerges from its slumber in Antarctica to wreak havoc on the crew of scientists working there. The film is particularly noteworthy for its ground-breaking, realistic, and gory practical effects, courtesy of Rob Bottin, and its mastery of tension and paranoia.
7 Donnie Darko Only Earned $3 Million
Budget: $5 million | Box Office: $8 million
Director Richard Kelly's debut film was a challenging and intimidating watch. Donnie Darko was a complex, cryptic, and supernatural journey into the depths of the human psyche. It was rich with religious, political, philosophical, and existential undertones. Unsurprisingly, it flopped after a very limited theatrical run.
As Donnie Darko's cult profile increased, it developed a fervent fanbase who connected with Jake Gyllenhaal's accurate portrayal of the titular troubled yet prophetic high school student. Donnie Darko is truly a film where the less one knows about it, the more impactful watching it will likely be. Repeat viewings offer additional rewards.
6 Dark City Only Earned $200,000
Budget: $27 million | Box Office: $200,000
Dark City's biggest problem was that it was released at the wrong time. In 1998, New Line Cinema feared that audiences wouldn't understand Dark City's esoteric and existentialist reflections of the human condition as seen through a blend of sci-fi and Film Noir. Producers watered down the movie, then barely promoted it.
This was a miscalculation since, just a year later, The Matrix did everything Dark City did and became a blockbuster. After years of being unfairly dismissed as a clone of the futuristic The Matrix, Dark City finally got its due in the 2000s thanks to its celebrated director's cut. Now, Dark City is an irreplaceable sci-fi cult hit.
5 Idiocracy Lost $1.5 Million
Budget: $2 million | Box Office: $500,000
Despite the impressive comedic pedigree behind it, Idiocracy was arguably set up to fail. For whatever reason, 20th Century Fox basically buried the comedy. The bleakly humorous dystopian movie had a brief theatrical run with almost no promotions. Idiocracy bounced back through video sales, where it became a cult hit.
Even after bombing horribly, Idiocracy endured as one of the most beloved social satires of the late 2000s. In recent years—especially during Donald Trump's presidency—Idiocracy enjoyed a resurgence when fans drew parallels between its satirical future with current events. The movie is now seen as eerily prophetic.
4 Dune (1984) Lost $4 Million
Budget: $42 million | Box Office: $38 million
Before Denis Villeneuve turned Dune into a modern sci-fi hit in 2021, Frank Herbert's legendary novel was brought to life by David Lynch in 1984. However, Lynch's Dune was regarded as a failure in every regard. Dune flopped on opening day, remains Lynch's worst-reviewed movie, and he even disowned it.
While Dune is Lynch's weakest work, it wasn't as terrible as contemporary reviews or even Lynch himself claimed it was. In succeeding decades, Dune became a legitimate cult classic. Although it fell short in key areas as an adaptation, Dune's unique visuals and narrative ambition earned many sci-fi fans' respect.
3 Event Horizon Lost $18 Million
Budget: $60 million | Box Office: $42 million
Event Horizon was a rare cosmic horror movie set in space, but it didn't resonate with audiences immediately. Here, a rescue crew investigated a distress signal from a ship that mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. Event Horizon was dismissed as an Alien knock-off, and audiences were reluctant to embrace it at the time.
That said, Event Horizon's similarities to the amazing spacebound Alien began and ended with its setting. The movie explored a unique cosmic and existential angle previously unexplored in sci-fi movies. As Event Horizon became a mainstay on cable TV and streaming services in the following decades, sci-fi fans fell in love with it.
2 Strange Days Lost $34 Million
Budget: $42 million | Box Office: $8 million
In 1995, Strange Days bombed so terribly that it almost killed Kathryn Bigelow's directing career. Strange Days was a dark and moody sci-fi Noir that explored virtual reality (VR) in a grimly realistic way, but in the late '90s, sci-fi movies were seen as a corny thing of the past. This perception may have hurt Strange Days' box office chances.
13 years later, Strange Days was reevaluated as a sci-fi gem thanks to its enduring cult status and Bigelow's career comeback with The Hurt Locker. Today, Strange Days is revered as one of the most socially relevant sci-fi movies of the '90s. Strange Days even went as far as influencing many movies made after its initial failure.
1 Silent Running's Box Office Returns Literally Don't Exist
Budget: $1 million | Box Office: Not available
The specter of the controversial Stanley Kubrick's innovative work on 2001: A Space Odyssey loomed large over the sci-fi films released in response to it during the early '70s. When Silent Running hit theaters in 1972, audiences were less-than-enthusiastic about the somewhat dark, ecological, sci-fi survival drama.
It's currently impossible to find accurate and reliable tallies of Silent Running's box office receipts. The movie was acknowledged as a flop in 1972 that only recouped some of its budget through video sales. Silent Running is now a revered cult classic that's hailed as one of the first sci-fi films to tackle heavy environmental themes.