12 Blockbuster Films That Flopped In America (But Were Loved Overseas)

3. The Golden Compass (2007) - $372.2 Million Worldwide

Budget: $170m Domestic Box Office: $70.1m International Box Office: $302.1m Based on the first novel in Philip Pullman's hugely popular His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass was surely hoping to duplicate the box office success of fellow literary adaptations like Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia, and spawn a highly lucrative franchise. It seemed that all the ingredients were there; a prime December release date, a talented ensemble cast and a built-in fanbase had all the makings of a hit blockbuster. However, the movie itself was underwhelming both critically and commercially and joined the ever-growing pile of would-be literary franchises that failed to make it past the first installment. The Golden Compass did manage to open at the top of the domestic box office, but a $25.8m debut is nothing to write home about for such an expensive production, while poor word-of-mouth saw the it drop out of the top ten in just four weeks. Overseas the movie fared much better, with over 80% of the worldwide gross coming from international markets. It became one of the biggest hits of the year in the United Kingdom with earnings of $53.2m, and also posted strong numbers in France, Germany, Japan and South Korea. It may have disappointed at the domestic box office and failed to make enough money to earn a sequel, but The Golden Compass did manage to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, which is the least you deserve for having armored polar bears voiced by Ians McKellen and McShane.