10 Recent Movies That Were Sent Out To Die

Tom Holland's non-MCU work hasn't gone entirely to plan.

By Aidan Whatman /

The landscape of cinema has become a very tough one to navigate over the years, thanks in large part to the rise of streaming services, the dominance of franchise blockbusters at the box office, and the pandemic basically shutting Hollywood down for an unprecedented stretch.

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These rapid industry changes, coupled with variables such as bad marketing, behind-the-scenes controversies, and production troubles, mean that every year audiences are treated to a few movies that are destined for either critical or commercial failure - or both.

Such is the case with the following movies, many of which were released by studios that had tragically little faith in them, and all struggled to survive the unfortunate or poorly planned circumstances surrounding their production.

From blockbusters that failed to live up to their potential, thriller sequels besieged by controversy, action flicks given no marketing, and even a couple of films that flew under the radar completely, here are 10 recent movies that were sent out to die, and are now doomed to be forgotten.

10. Dear Evan Hansen

Based on the Tony-winning musical of the same name, Dear Evan Hansen was written by Steven Levenson and led by an impressive ensemble. Despite this, it seemed doomed from the start, and was no surprise when it brutally crashed and burned.

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The casting of Ben Platt (who won a Tony for the role five years earlier) as the titular high schooler lead to widespread criticism due to his age, and when the film was finally released his off-putting performance did little to sway public opinion.

The story itself also proved to be a major issue, unable to capture whatever magic it had on stage, and it barely made back half of what it cost to produce.

Musicals being remade for the big screen is nothing new in Hollywood, but unlike some of the bigger successes - Spielberg's version of West Side Story instantly comes to mind - Dear Evan Hansen is a clear exercise in what not to do.

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