20 Biggest Summer Box Office Bombs Of All Time

Budget: $160 million (marketing costs unknown)

Box office: $61.7 million

Loss: $98.3 million

The 1990s saw a string of Michael Crichton novels adapted for the big screen to impressive financial returns, including Jurassic Park, sequel The Lost World, Congo and Disclosure. So it’s understandable that just about any Crichton novel was viewed as another potential money-spinner, but Eaters of the Dead – which arrived in cinemas as The 13th Warrior in 1999 – was the exception that proved the rule.

The Beowulf-inspired historical work of fiction landed Die Hard director John McTiernan to oversee its adaptation and Antonio Banderas for the lead role, but the initial $85 million budget quickly spiralled out of control. The price jumped up even further when dismal test screenings prompted expensive reshoots, with Crichton taking over from McTiernan when the original director objected to the new tone imposed by nervous studio executives.

With a final budget of something like $160 million, The 13th Warrior has become a Hollywood cautionary tale with few rivals. Inflation-adjusted, the movie lost $140 million without even factoring in marketing costs, making it one of the biggest financial disasters of all time.