10 'Next Big Thing' Movies That Completely Flopped

3. John Carter

You can complain about how Disney play it completely safe these days, relying on sequels to staple franchises like Star Wars and the MCU and pumping out 'live-action' remakes of classic animated pictures to break box-office records, but that approach only came after a bunch of failed attempts to start new franchises.

The movie that made the Mouse House switch gears was undoubtedly John Carter, an adaptation of the A Princess of Mars book, which movie executives had tried and failed to make since 1931. The project switched hands numerous times, but it eventually made its way back to Disney, who got to work planning a trilogy of John Carter movies.

With a ballooning budget that soared up to the $300 million mark - still one of the biggest ever - Disney needed this first film to be a mega hit. However, a combination of a first-time live-action director, wonky marketing, few stars and a pretty uninspired name resulted in it bombing, and the follow ups were all cancelled.

John Carter was certainly a game-changer for Disney, but not in the way the company expected.