7 Biggest Disney Flops Of All Time: Turning Red, Mars Needs Moms, and more

Pinkvilla curated a list of the biggest Disney flops of all time at the worldwide box office. Take a look!

Mohit Dixit
Written by Mohit Dixit , Journalist
Updated on Oct 21, 2024 | 05:51 PM IST | 315.2K
Turning Red, Mars Needs Moms
Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The fandom for Disney movies is unmatched and needs no proof. However, not every Disney film has succeeded at the box office. Surprisingly, several poorly received movies managed to gross millions globally, while many ventures ended up being commercial disappointments. Let's take a look at the seven biggest Disney flops of all time that faced significant losses at the box office.

7 Biggest Disney Box Office Bombs Of All Time

1. Turning Red (2022)


Directed by Domee Shi, Turning Red is Disney's biggest box office failure. The animated film might seem relatable in terms of its story. The comedy-drama narrates the story of a pre-teen girl who learns about a generational curse of transforming into giant red pandas. 

The movie is believed to have underperformed due to the makers' decision to release it both in theatres and digitally on Disney Plus. Turning Red earned USD 12.27 million worldwide, against a production budget of USD 175 million, thereby becoming one of the biggest Disney flops of all time.

2. Mulan (2020)


It goes without saying that Disney rules the kingdom of live-action remakes. However, a few such ventures failed big time; the 2020 release of Mulan is one of them. Some of the factors that led the movie to suffer at the box office are numerous controversies regarding its making and theatrical release during the pandemic. 

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The Niki Caro directorial crashed at the global box office as it could only mint USD 69.97 million. Mounted on a budget of USD 200 million, Mulan suffered a huge loss and garnered a mixed-bag response. It resulted in a huge Disney flop movie.

3. Onward (2020)


Produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures, Onward narrates a heartfelt story of two elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot. The duo uses a magic wand to revive their late father for 24 hours. It not only lagged in garnering fantastic reviews but also faced a massive loss and turned out to be an epic disaster globally. 

It could only earn USD 133.35 million while it was mounted on a huge budget of Rs 200 million. Onward's misfortune was because the theatres were shut down for months due to the pandemic, only a few days after the film made it to the big screens. 

4. Mars Needs Moms (2011)


When discussing Disney box office flops, Mars Needs Moms can't be missed. It not only failed financially but also critically. Neither the characters impressed the audience nor the animation appeared appealing, and hence, the film failed poorly at the box office. The Simon Wells movie ended its global run at USD 39.54 million against a production budget of USD 150 million.

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Based on the book of the same name, Mars Needs Moms tells the story of a nine-year-old who steps out to find his mother on planet Mars after she gets abducted. The animated sci-fi film is one of the worst-performing Disney movies.

5. John Carter (2012)


Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, and Mark Strong, among others, John Carter is among the biggest Disney flop movies of all time. The film suffered a loss of more than USD 200 million. Despite being based on an epic sci-fi novel, John Carter got trapped in lukewarm responses. 

Mounted on a huge budget of USD 263 million, the Andrew Stanton movie collected USD 284.1 million. Interestingly, it was an attempt by the makers to build a franchise, but the poor performance ate all the hope for more films in the future.

6. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023)


A sequel to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Dial of Destiny crumbled at the box office. Its underwhelming performance was powered by middling reviews. Helmed by James Marigold, the action-adventure film had a ridiculous run.

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Made on a lavish budget of USD 402 million, Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny could earn USD 383.96 million at the worldwide box office. The numbers are proof that it is one of the biggest Disney box office bombs of all time.

7. Strange World (2022)


Written by Qui Nguyen, Strange World faced significant competition with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In comparison to the theatrical run, the animated sci-fi film saw more success on its digital release on Disney+. 

With an estimated loss of around USD 197 million, Strange World had a disappointing collection against its budget. As per the data available, it minted USD 73.6 million at the worldwide box office.

Following Is The List Of 7 Disney's Biggest Box Office Bombs Worldwide:

Rank Movies WW Total Box Office  Loss
1 Turning Red USD 12.27 Million USD 340 Million
2 Mulan USD 69.97 Million USD 330 Million
3 Onward USD 133.35 Million USD 267 Million
4 Mars Needs Moms USD 39.54 Million USD 261 Million
5 John Carter USD 284.1 Million USD 255 Million
6 Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny USD 383.96 Million USD 219 Million
7 Strange World USD 73.6 Million USD 197 Million

Some of the other Disney movies that failed at the box office and flopped are Haunted Mansion, Tomorrowland, A Christmas Carol, and others. 

If you loved reading this article, you can also check the list of the biggest box office bombs of all time worldwide and the highest-grossing Disney movies of all time.

Disclaimer: The data used in the mentioned list has been adjusted for inflation and curated by The Numbers, Box Office Mojo, and CBR.

ALSO READ: 7 Highest-Grossing Christopher Nolan Movies Worldwide: The Dark Knight Rises, Oppenheimer, and more

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About The Author

With a master's degree in mass communication, Mohit finds his comfort in exploring cinema. He keeps up

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