8 Movies That Bombed So Hard They BANKRUPTED Their Studios

Robert Zemeckis has had a varied career, to say the least. You’ll find well regarded successes in his filmography such as Forrest Gump or Back to the Future. But you’ll also see more than a few misfires like What Lies Beneath or Welcome to Marwen.

While he didn’t direct Mars Needs Moms, it was made by his company, ImageMovers, as part of a joint venture with Disney and his fingerprints are all over it. The odd motion capture animation that Zemeckis had previously used in A Christmas Carol was on full display again and it looked just as unsettling here. In fact, the entire thing just looks downright ugly.

Audiences seemed to think so too, as the movie took in only $39 million against its $150 million budget, which cemented it as Disney’s biggest financial disaster ever. Even before the film’s release, Disney and ImageMovers announced that ImageMovers Digital, the division that made the movie, would be closed down.

Shutting down your company after your release fails is one thing. But going bust before the movie is even released? That has to hurt.