10 Movies Everyone Thought Were DOOMED (But Became Massive Hits)

Those movies that look destined to fail but somehow didn't!

Mean Girls 2024
Paramount Pictures

Some failures can be seen coming a mile away in the movie business.

Unreliable filmmakers, terrible concepts, less-than-impressive casts, and horrific marketing have all left potential audience members thinking twice about spending their cash on a ticket. But every now and then something quite remarkable happens.

A film that seemed destined to fail because of one (or even many) of the reasons above only goes and becomes the most unlikeliest of big-screen hits. And against all of the odds, the following 10 movies all brought home the big bucks at the box office and became massive successes. It didn't matter that their trailers weren't exactly thrilling, they were telling a story within a hit-and-miss genre, or were repeatedly turned down by various studios during the initial pitching process, all of these movies proved their doubters wrong in the end.

So, from unwanted remakes and sequels, to original ideas that appeared to be a touch risky, to seemingly lazy concepts that had no right to work, here are all of those movies that critics and fans thought were doomed but eventually became unquestionable winners.

10. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

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Fox

Back when the first movie within the Planet of the Apes reboot series swung into the world, it's safe to say that very few were expecting a mega-hit that would kick off one of the 2010s' most successful franchises.

You see, initial trailers for the movie didn't really thrill. 20th Century Fox put the spotlight on James Franco's Dr. William Rodman, and his underwhelming delivery dragged down an otherwise solid tease. Solid, but not something that would take the world by storm and once again prove why Andy Serkis is one of the most underrated performers of his generation.

Then, in the wake of wisely shifting the focus more towards the impressively crafted digital apes when promoting the movie, Fox didn't let critics watch it until a couple of days before its premiere (via Grantland) - something that often suggests filmmakers and studios are fearing the worst.

Only, instead of a disaster of a movie, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was celebrated as a triumph, with that positive word of mouth moving fast and ultimately helping the $93 million-budgeted movie earn almost half a billion by the end of its run. 

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Lifts rubber and metal. Watches people flip in spandex and pretends to be other individuals from time to time...