13 Movies You Presumed Were Massive Flops (That Really Weren't)

13. The Cable Guy

Cable Guy
Sony Pictures Releasing

By the time 1996's The Cable Guy finally hit the big screen, Jim Carrey had already become one of the biggest stars Hollywood had to offer. His turns in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, and even Batman Forever had all left audiences begging for more of his elastic brand of comedy. This is why studios were happy to pay the star whatever he wanted to tie him to their feature.

However, this willingness to meet Carrey's staggering $20 million asking price for The Cable Guy, eventually led to Ben Stiller's film being targeted by rival studios. Upon its release, these other production companies began to slam the movie as a massive disaster in comparison to the other features Carrey had been a part of, with their aim being to derail a project and studio that had set a new industry high when it came to an actor's fee.

In reality, The Cable Guy was anything but a monumental flop. On a budget of $47 million, the film managed to bring in $102.8 million worldwide which was admittedly less than the other features Carrey had starred in. However, Columbia Pictures didn't roll out a huge marketing campaign for the feature, so the studio still managed to make a decent profit in the end.

Contributor
Contributor

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.