20 Recent Movies You Had NO IDEA Were Box Office Hits

20. Anaconda

There just wasn't a whole lot of pre-release hype for the new Anaconda meta-sequel, the combined result of a mediocre marketing campaign, a release date during a crowded Christmas window, thoroughly mixed reviews, and the 1997 original's rather middling place in general pop culture.

But it ultimately topped out at an impressive $135 million worldwide - triple its relatively modest $45 million budget, in turn performing almost exactly the same as the 1997 film did and becoming the most unexpected hit of last year's holiday period.

Considering that Anaconda released less than a week after the far buzzier likes of Avatar: Fire and Ash and The Housemaid, its success is no mean feat.

As such, director Tom Gormican has already talked up a potential sequel, which could star Jennifer Lopez, who made a surprise cameo at the very end of the film.

It would've surprised few if Anaconda failed to find an audience theatrically before blowing up on streaming, but Sony managed to have their cake and eat it too here.