18 Movies That Were Huge Hits But No One Talks About Anymore

Kasia Mikolajczak
people sitting in a movie theater
Unsplash | Krists Luhaers

Let me ask you something: do you tend to go see movies that are huge hits at the box office? To be honest, it's not always a measure of success, though. Some films come with a lot of hype, and that translates into big box office numbers, but they lack the staying power.

So once people have seen them, nobody talks about them anymore. And I think this is exactly the case with these films below. I'm curious to know if you agree with me.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Sam Worthington in Clash Of The Titans
IMDb | IMDb

This movie has all the promise of staying power, only to go into the abyss shortly after coming out. It's too bad as it had such a stellar cast. Sam Worthington carried the movie just after his successful role in Avatar, but that still didn't seem to help the movie stay relevant. And surprisingly it grossed just shy of $500 million from the worldwide box office. Wow!

Beowulf (2007)

Ray Winstone in Beowulf.
IMDb | IMDb

Here's a movie that opened at #1 at the box office back in 2007. It actually established itself as an example of a successful motion capture animated film. However, even the brilliance of director Robert Zemeckis's ode to the epic poem Beowulf didn't keep it in people's hearts and minds. Ah, that's too bad. Truth be told, I've never even seen it, ha, ha.

Troy (2004)

Brad Pitt in Troy
Giphy

Who loves period movies, huh? Well, did you enjoy Troy? You would think that a film based on Homer's Iliad, which also grossed about $497.4 million, would still have people talking about it, huh? But this epic that portrays the battle between the ancient kingdoms of Troy and Sparta just felt flat even though it had Brad Pitt.

Grown Ups (2010)

Kevin James and Adam Sandler in Grown Ups
Giphy

Check this out, Grown Ups is Adam Sandler's biggest box office hit so far. The movie cost $80 million to make and grossed over $270 million. Wow! But sadly, even though it was a hit with moviegoers back then, nobody really remembers it now. Am I right?

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

Jeremy Renner holding up his guns in The Bourne Legacy
IMDb | IMDb

Who here is a fan of the Jason Bourne movie franchise? It sure propelled Matt Damon to become an action star. However, when the action-thriller got handed over to Jeremy Renner, it didn't seem to go anywhere, which prompted the filmmakers to go back to Matt Damon. And now nobody wants to mention this failure anymore.

A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)

Bruce Willis in Die Hard
Giphy | IFC

Speaking of movie franchises, I think it's safe to say Die Hard fans are pretty die-hard, no? I mean, what is there not to like? It's always awesome to watch Bruce Willis go after the bad guys. Unfortunately, fans didn't feel as happy about this 2013 film, and they still can't believe it almost killed the fun from the previous movies.

San Andreas (2015)

Dwayne Johnson in San Andreas
IMDb | IMDb

This movie had an interesting premise and a star in Dwayne Johnson. It actually did pretty well at the box office but failed miserably to capture further audiences. I guess not every disaster movie resonates with people. What do you think?

The Last Airbender (2010)

Dev Patel in The Last Airbender (2010)
IMDb | IMDb

Okay, I have to admit I'm not a fan of M. Night Shyamalan films. But this one that is based on a beloved live-action franchise had some promise. Unfortunately, the movie didn't live up to its hype. It's safe to say you probably won't see a sequel or reboot any time soon.

Suicide Squad (2016)

scene from Suicide Squad
Giphy | MTV Movie & TV Awards

I bet everybody was eagerly awaiting this movie. It promised a simple plot, but it totally failed to deliver it. Instead, what we got was a muddled storyline that ended up making no sense at all. The only way it made so much money at the box office was because people thought it was going to be good.

Super 8 (2011)

Scene from Super 8
IMDb | IMDb

If you're trying to make a movie that rivals the brilliance of E.T., you better do it right. I guess J.J. Abrams' hoped that Super 8 would resonate with audiences just like the Spielberg movie did, but it just lacked the magic, which is kind of sad, no?

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Batman vs Superman
Giphy | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

This movie has so much going for it. After all, you get superheroes for the price of one, and they get to fight each other. What is there not to like, huh? As it turns out, a lot. In my opinion, this film was very dull. I can't even believe it ended up grossing over $870 million worldwide. Oh my goodness!

Angels & Demons (2009)

Tom Hanks in Angels & Demons
IMDb | IMDb

I don't know about you, but I was once obsessed with Dan Brown's books. I read them cover to cover, and I was excited to see them put on the silver screen. I really enjoyed watching Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code, so I was looking forward to this sequel. Sadly, this one didn't capture anybody's attention like The Da Vinci Code did.

Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter
Giphy

As much as I am a huge fan of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland wasn't one of my favorite films. Even though the visuals in the film are spectacular, somehow the movie is still pretty mediocre, no? It's pretty sad because it's Tim Burton's biggest grossing film of all time.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Johnny Depp in Pirate of The Caribbean
IMDb | IMDb

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was definitely a surprise box office hit. After all, it's based on a Disney ride, haha. But Johnny Depp's portrayal of the flamboyant pirate Captain Jack Sparrow has singlehandedly propelled this movie to success.

However, after numerous sequels, this fourth one just felt short, and nobody talks about it anymore for a good reason.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Scene from Star Trek Beyond
IMDb | IMDb

Here, I'm going to say this out loud I'm not a fan of Star Trek. Now that I got that out, a lot of controversies killed the value of this movie. From the public deceptions about Star Trek Into Darkness and the departure of J.J. Abrams from the director's chair, people got pretty pissed off and forgot about this movie altogether.

Snow White And The Huntsman (2012)

Kristen Stewart In Snow White And The Hunstman
IMDb | IMDb

This movie had lots of going for it. For starters, Kristen Stewart became a bonafide star after her role as Bella in the Twilight franchise. And Chris Hemsworth skyrocketed to fame playing ThorSo what's the problem here? Even though the movie grossed over $400 million at the box office, the lackluster sequel sans Stewart didn't help this film's legacy at all.

Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

scene from Transformers: Age of Extinction
Giphy

I have to admit I really enjoyed the first Transformers film. It was fun and innovative and kept you on the edge of your seat. Then the sequel brought in the camp factor. However, with this last installment, even though it had Mark Wahlberg, it failed to capture the audience's attention.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

Scene from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
IMDb | IMDb

I don't know about you, but I'm a huge Star Wars fan. But nothing can really compare to the original films in the franchise. Am I right? Why was this movie a box office hit? Simply put, audiences had to wait 16 years to see another Star Wars movie, so they flocked to the theatres. But after seeing this movie fall flat, I bet they wanted their money back, ha, ha.

Oh boy, those were some duds huh?

a kid saying "I don't remember."
Giphy | ABC Network

I mean, these movies could have worked if the filmmakers put a little more thought into them. Am I right? I guess all we can say is better luck next time. Sometimes you need to stop yourself while you're ahead, or else you may get into over your head.