10 Major Blockbusters You Knew Were Doomed Before Release

6. Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Hollywood's obsession with live-action fairy tales continues at pace, with the impending release of Maleficent and Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella set for next year. Those movies would do well to avoid comparisons with Jack the Giant Slayer, a CGI-overloaded blockbuster that couldn't decide if it was a darker take on the material or a child-friendly family picture. With Bryan Singer behind the camera, Christopher McQuarrie's involvement with the script and a talented ensemble led by Nicholas Hoult that also featured Ewan MacGregor, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan, Ian McShane and Bill Nighy, the project definitely had potential. A worrying sign was when the original June 2012 release date was pushed back by nine months to the following March, a month not renowned for successful blockbusters. Then came the first trailer, which featured hugely unconvincing CGI giants, which came as a surprise considering the movie was worked on by no less than seven effects houses. The studio virtually admitted they had a flop on their hands when they projected an opening weekend of just $30m, a disastrously low number for a project that had cost $185m even before factoring in the marketing budget. Although the movie took first place at the domestic box office, it still underperformed and earned just $27.2m. With worldwide grosses of just under $200m, Jack the Giant Slayer ended up posting a loss of well over $120m which came as little surprise as very few had believed the movie would be a success.