10 Failed Space Operas That Bombed With Mainstream Audiences
10. Money Cant Buy You Success - Krull (1983)
The first film on our list borrowed liberally from the Star Wars saga, but failed to reproduce that franchises resounding success. In 1983, public appetite seemed to be at an all-time high for space operas with Return of the Jedi dominating the box office. Seeking to cash in on the sci-fi fantasy trend, producer Ron Silverman set about making one of the most expensive science fiction films of the era, Krull. Krull tells the tale of the heroic Colwyns attempt to free his home world from a nefarious galactic entity known as The Beast. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to Star Wars, Colwyns quest involves him infiltrating a floating space fortress, the key to The Beasts awesome power. The epic tale required the construction of 23 sets and a globe-spanning production, which brought the budget up to a whopping (for its time) 50 million dollars. Krull failed with audiences and critics alike. Pundits found it highly derivative and lacking in the entertainment value of other space operas. Its box office run tallied at 16.5 million, making it a certified flop. The film has gone on to garner a cult following, but that must be cold comfort for the producers who lost millions on the ill-fated venture.
