10 Flop Movies You Thought Were Huge Hits

7. Highlander

Movie Flops
Fox

Highlander is one of the most iconic fantasy franchises of all time, and yet the original 1986 film was enough of a flop that it's genuinely surprising it spawned a franchise - a franchise where all five films to date have cratered at the box office.

The original grossed just $12.8 million against a modest $19 million budget, often blamed on marketing which failed to fully convey its oddball premise and tone to audiences.

Hardly the makings of a blockbuster series, then, but Highlander was fortunate enough to become a cult hit throughout the late '80s and early '90s, entering regular TV rotation and enjoying strong home video revenue.

This led to 1991's sequel Highlander II: The Quickening, which despite the original's considerable post-release fandom only barely performed better, grossing $15.6 million worldwide on a $22 million budget.

Much like its predecessor, though, the die-hard fanbase was sizable enough that it still made money in the years that followed - a pattern which allowed the creation of three more sequels, all of which flopped at the box office.

Needless to say, with a $100 million Highlander reboot currently in development - with Henry Cavill set to star and John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski tapped to direct - there's much hope that this new take might finally break the series' box office curse.

 
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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.