It’s no secret that blockbuster tentpole films have driven Hollywood for the better part of two decades, but 2016 proved to be a year of spectacular misfires. Below we count down the ten least loved event films of 2016—big budgets, big stars, and big disappointment.
Least Loved Event Films of 2016
10 Hur
Budget: $100 million
Domestic Box Office: $26.4 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 25%
The 1959 Charlton Heston epic Ben-Hur set the standard for event cinema with its massive chariot race and 11 Academy Awards. A 2016 remake tried to cash in on that legacy, but the modern audience simply wasn’t buying it.
Despite its biblical undertones, the film failed to resonate with the Bible Belt or with fans craving high‑octane spectacle. The director blamed a “forgive your enemy” message, yet the lack of recognizable U.S. stars and an unclear target audience hurt its chances.
Critics were merciless: Variety called it “sludgy and plodding,” while Rolling Stone described it as a “digitalized eyesore hobbled in every department by staggering incompetence.”
9 Free State Of Jones
Budget: $50 million
Domestic Box Office: $20.8 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 46%
STX Entertainment aimed to break away from superhero saturation with a gritty Civil War drama starring Matthew McConaughey. The true story of a Southern farmer’s rebellion sounded promising, but the execution fell flat.
The film barely recouped half its budget domestically, and its tone‑deaf handling of race relations, combined with a weak script and uneven pacing, sealed its fate. STX managed to bounce back later that year with the comedy hit Bad Moms.
8 Suicide Squad
Budget: $175 million
Domestic Box Office: $325.1 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 26%
The third entry in Warner Brothers’ DC Extended Universe arrived with a star‑studded cast and a built‑in fanbase. However, on‑set drama—most notably Jared Leto’s antics—and a series of late‑stage reshoots turned the movie into a tonal mess.Critics lambasted the film for its rushed setup, a laugh‑track‑like injection of comedy, and an underwhelming CGI villain. While it nearly doubled its budget at the domestic box office, the critical drubbing was severe.
7 Independence Day: Resurgence
Budget: $165 million
Domestic Box Office: $103.1 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 31%
The original 1996 alien‑invasion blockbuster remains a classic, but its 2016 sequel stumbled over a convoluted plot and bewildering battle sequences. Audiences, now accustomed to seamless CGI, found the film’s logic riddled with holes—like Jeff Goldblum’s scientist somehow interfacing a standard MacBook with an alien mothership.
Critics called it a self‑sabotaging sequel that spent too much time setting up a follow‑up that now looks unlikely. The result: a disappointing box‑office performance and a lot of fan frustration.
6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows
Budget: $135 million
Domestic Box Office: $82.1 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 38%
Michael Bay’s 2014 reboot gave the turtles a modern makeover, but the 2016 sequel felt like an over‑extended toy commercial. Critics noted the unsettling character designs and a lack of genuine excitement.
Reviewer Simon Abrams gave it a single star out of four, calling it “better than the first” yet still a disappointment. International receipts couldn’t lift the film into profitability, and Paramount signaled that the franchise was likely dead.
5 Warcraft
Budget: $160 million
Domestic Box Office: $47.2 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 28%
The live‑action adaptation of Blizzard’s beloved game endured a torturous seven‑year development saga. After Sam Raimi left, Duncan Jones stepped in, juggling personal challenges while rewriting the script.
The final product was a muddled spectacle that barely covered a quarter of its production cost in North America. Yet, it thrived overseas, especially in China, pulling in over $200 million there and surpassing $400 million worldwide.
4 Zoolander 2
Budget: $50 million
Domestic Box Office: $28.8 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 23%
The original 2001 cult comedy never seemed sequel‑worthy, yet fifteen years later Zoolander 2 arrived with all the enthusiasm of a tax audit. Early trailers and a controversial transgender cameo sparked boycott calls.
Legendary critic Leonard Maltin walked out halfway through a screening, and the film became a major loss for Paramount, proving that aging cult classics don’t guarantee box‑office gold.
3 Alice Through The Looking Glass
Budget: $170 million
Domestic Box Office: $77 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 30%
Tim Burton’s sequel to his 2010 blockbuster aimed to replicate the dark‑fairy‑tale formula, but it fell dramatically short. Opening weekend earned $34 million—just a quarter of the original’s $116 million debut.
The film struggled to recoup its $170 million budget, and Johnny Depp’s off‑screen controversy with Amber Heard likely compounded the poor performance.
2 The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Budget: $115 million
Domestic Box Office: $48 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 17%
Following the modest success of 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman, the sequel shifted focus to Chris Hemsworth’s Huntsman. Production turmoil—including Kristen Stewart’s affair with director Rupert Sanders—led to a lackluster final product.
Critics called it “rushed and incomplete,” and audiences balked at a Snow White‑less adventure. Universal wrote off nearly $70 million, effectively killing the franchise.
1 Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Budget: $250 million
Domestic Box Office: $330.4 million
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 27%
Bringing together two iconic heroes for the first time, this blockbuster turned out to be a classic example of a “successful flop.” With a $250 million budget (plus advertising), the worldwide haul of $855 million barely broke even.Despite a record‑breaking opening weekend, savage reviews and poor word‑of‑mouth caused a 69 percent drop in attendance the following week. The underperformance prompted Warner Bros. to overhaul the DCEU, bringing in DC chief content officer Geoff Johns.
Even though it managed to stay afloat financially, the film fell far short of studio expectations and left fans yearning for a better balance between spectacle and storytelling.
These ten titles illustrate how even massive budgets and star‑studded casts can’t guarantee audience love. When the formula misfires, the box office feels the sting.