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Failed movie franchises
 22  6.6  5.1  Note : Honestly, I have never heard of this flick and it looks pretty lame... But, according to IMDB, this was to be the first in a serie of films based on a popular series of pulp novels. The poor box office returns cancelled plans for any further film productions. I won't miss those... suggested by blackknight99 
228 4.5 4.2  Note : In the 80's, following the success of Superman, they tried to launch another super-hero franchise in the same spirit. It seemed a good idea but the movie was really lame and flopped terribly... johanlefourbe's rating:
 
167 6.4 6.2  Note : What a title... I mean, it is kind of cute but they did really expect us to take this movie really seriously?!? Actually, I haven't seen it so it might be actually completely awesome. Anyway, this was the first and last movie featuring the adventures of the Mighty Buckaroo Banzai. suggested by Jamie 
65 6.1 6.1  Note : Honestly, I have never heard of Remo or his movie. Never a good sign... This entry was advised by Ulysses. With such a title, they were clearly aiming for a franchise. Guess what ? Didn't happened! Why not ? Maybe because of the (not so) huge Fred Ward Star Power... No offense Fred ! suggested by Ulysses 
511 4.7 4.3  Note What was George Lucas thinking with this piece of sh*t ?!? I'm pretty sure he needed some dough and thought he found his new cash cow. No way, this is maybe the worst comic-book adapatation ever... suggested by gerardgurl34 johanlefourbe's rating:
 
254 5.5 5.4  Note : Before The Dark Knight, before Spider-man, before the X-men, there was the Punisher !!! Never seen it ? Me neither... It even failed to receive a theatrical release in the U.S. 
403 5.8 6.3  Note : I don't get it... No disrespect but when you have Superman, Spider-man ,Batman or any other really famous super-hero, why would you pick the Rocketeer to make a comic-book adaptation ?!? Anyway, Roger Ebert loved this movie but I was just bored during the whole thing. I guess I wasn't the only one because after this introduction to the Rocketeer, he never came back... johanlefourbe's rating:
 
863 4 3.8  Note : Mario was, probably still is, the most famous video game character and there have been many (most of them very good) games with him. So, it is quite natural that they decided to extand his realm to the movies. Unfortunately, it was a critical and financial disaster and we never saw Mario again expect, of course, in his lovely Nintendo games... 
869 3.7 3.5  Note : One year after the Mario movie, they tried another video game adaptation... Being a big Street Fighter fan, I had to see it in the movie theater... What a terrible experience! One of the wortst movies I have ever seen... Luckilly, I was not the only thinking that way so there was no sequel for this pile of horsesh*t.... johanlefourbe's rating:
 
243 5.6 5.7  Note Again, no direspect but I have never heard of the Shadow... Was it back then the most interesting super-hero out there ? I haven't seen this one but it was definitely no success and any possible sequel was cancelled... 
894 4.9 5.2  Note : Honestly, this one had some potential. A badass character, pretty good casting choice with Stallone, a nice mood... but still it didn't work out. Mostly for 2 reasons. First, they toned down the material (bye bye badassery...) and second, where was the f*cking mask ?!? Stallone has the mask on maybe 10 minutes for the whole movie while it is one of trademark of the character... Anyway, you know the drill, financial and critical misfire = no Dredd 2... johanlefourbe's rating:
338 4.6 4.8  Note : For some reasons, in the 90's, they focused on some of the more obsure super-heros and, as you can see on this list, most of those flicks were terrible turkeys. This one wasn't an exception and Billy Zane didn't get his own bonafide franchise.... suggested by Leo 
694 5.1 5.1  Note I haven't seen that one yet but come on! Maybe we have a winner here. Cool super-hero=check, cool moody poster=check, cool lead actor= let me see, who is the lead actor...Michael Jai White... Who the f*ck is that ? Ah yeah! I know, he got killed by the Joker in the Dark Knight!! What a perfomance ! Sorry, I'm just being ironic here... Anyway, Michael (or is it Michael Jai?) didn't have enough star power to pull this movie for a sequel... 
1983 4.8 5.2  Note : Ooooo... It was big and it was bad... Big budget doesn't always mean big success. Even if you include a nice open ending with little baby godzillas... It was supposed to be a trilogy but they dropped the whole thing when this flick was a flop. johanlefourbe's rating:
465 4.1 3.6  Note : Nowadays, when you hear this title, you think of an awesome super-hero flick which has recently become the 3rd highest grossing motion picture ever made. Before that, there was another movie bearing the same title which is, arguably, the worst TV-show adaptation ever made. No doubt if it wasn't that bad and made some bucks, it would have started a new franchise but it wasn't meant to be... suggested by Leo johanlefourbe's rating:
2205 5 4.6  Note : Not everything that Will Smith touches changes in gold... Even though it was obviously a potential franchise, this one didn't work out too good for him. johanlefourbe's rating:
305 3 0  Note : Not only it was a huge flop and arguably one of the worst movies ever made, the original plans called for a sequel to be produced, which would have been based on the second half of the novel by L. Ron Hubbard. These plans were scrapped due to the poor critical and public reaction to this film. Thank God for that... suggested by Leo johanlefourbe's rating:
2152 5.1 5.7  Note : I'm probably one of the only people on Earth who actually likes this movie... I think it is one of the most thoughtfull super-hero movies out there. But I'm maybe the only one who thinks so and it failed terribly badly. johanlefourbe's rating:
 
1333 6.8 7.4  Note : The film's plot and characters are adapted from three novels in author Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey–Maturin series. It could have become a franchise since there was a total of 20 novels about Jack Aubrey's naval career. Even though Russell Crowe was rather enthousiast concerning a possible sequel, Peter Weir thought it was rather unlikely and, eventually, since it was not really successful, no sequel was made eventually. suggested by Leo johanlefourbe's rating:
 
2294 5 5.4  Note : I don't think it was that bad. Actually, Daredevil is a pretty cool character and it would have been nice to see more of him. But it failed badly and Ben Affleck won't problably ever come back as a super-hero following his statement "Wearing a costume was a source of humiliation for me and something I wouldn't want to do again soon." johanlefourbe's rating:
1069 6 6.3  Note : For the 2nd time, they tried to start a franchise around The Punisher, and again, they failed gloriously ! Actually, this one did better than the 1st one. It was released in the US and made nearly four times what it cost. Eventually, a sequel was planned (well done !), but Thomas Jane eventually bowed out as it was taking too long to produce (too bad...). Personally, I couldn't care less about this movie. No loss for me ! johanlefourbe's rating:
2934 6.5 6.8  Note : Honestly, I thought it was pretty good and they were supposed to make more movies (there are 13 books so that should be enough material) but it seems that they eventuall dropped the whole thing so we won't see Count Olaf and the Baudelaire siblings for anytime soon. suggested by Jamie johanlefourbe's rating:
2947 6 5.8  Note : I don't think it was that bad. I mean, of course, it is loud and dumb but I thought it was a rather fun watch. However, I'm one of the few who thought so and it was destroyed by the critics and any plan for a sequel was scrapped. johanlefourbe's rating:
671 5.3 5.9  Note : They hoped so bad they will get new the Indiana Jones with this... No way ! How dare they compare Matthew McConaughey with the Great Harrison Ford ?!? Anyway, it was a huge (deserved) flop with a reported $100 million dollars loss. johanlefourbe's rating:
2545 5.9 6.2  Note : Honestly, I don't think it was that bad. Before it came out, there was a huge buzz surrounding this flick. After almost 20 years, Superman was finally back on the big screen and it was (and still is ) one of the most expensive movies ever made. Unfortunately, it was nothing great and the movie really tanked at the box-office and it was a huge blow for all the people involved (Bryan Singer, Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey) concerning their career. In 2013, Zach Snyder and Christopher Nolan will come out with a new reboot and we will see if they have more luck. johanlefourbe's rating:
1366 4.9 5  Note : There was a nice open ending. That's how confident they were... But no sequel ! It is a very hated movie but I don't think it is that bad. johanlefourbe's rating:
1694 5.9 6.1  Note : Again, a nice open ending...They tried so bad to reproduce The Lord of the Rings success but it didn't work out and the sequels were cancelled. It's too bad because it had a great cast (Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Eva Green, and the voice of Ian McKellen), some very nice visuals and the story was not bad at all. johanlefourbe's rating:
182 5.6 4.7  Note : Honestly, I have never heard of this flick before and it doesn't look very good. It is actually based on the novel 'The Dark is Rising' by Susan Cooper, which is part of a series of five books collectively called 'The Dark is Rising Sequence'. I guess we will never know what happened in those over books then... suggested by Leo 
1901 6.4 6.9  Note : Once again, 5 years later, they tried again to launch a franchise around the big green guy and once again... they failed ! In spite of casting Edward Norton, one of the best actors around, it didn't become the success they hoped. I have a theory about this. The issue is the Hulk himself. Why ? 2 reasons. 1. The audience wants Bruce Banner to become the Hulk. That's what we came for !! But Bruce Banner doesn't want to transform. So the audience wants completely the opposite of what the main character wants and it creates these 2 antagonist drives in the story which doesn't provide a fluent narration. 2. The Hulk is incontrollable and goes rampage everytime he is pissed off. He doesn't have any purpose than to destroy everything around him which sounds nicer than it actually is. At the end of the day, how can you build a story around a character who doesn't have any purpose at all ? I like both Hulk movies but because of those 2 reasons, I don't think a Hulk movie can really be successful. johanlefourbe's rating:
1847 5.8 5.9  Note : It had a nice concept and it was rather successful at the box-office (more than $200 million worldwide gross) but the critical reception was not enthousiast at all so we won't see any Jumper 2 for anytime soon... johanlefourbe's rating:
367 5.6 6  Note : This is the stuff of legend !!! For the 3rd time, they tried to create a franchise around Frank Castle and, for the 3rd time, they failed so bad ! When will they finally drop this guy?!? This one had the largest budget yet at $35 million but it made only $10 million... At the 2010 Comic Con, Marvel said they planned for yet another reboot of the character. You gotta to be kidding me... 
641 5.9 6  Note : Everytime they adapt a fantasy novel, the Hollywood producers always hope they will get the new Harry Potter. This, for example, was the first book of a trilogy but I guess we won't see the other books adapted for anytime soon. Personally, I would blame Brendan Fraser, but that's me... johanlefourbe's rating:
1658 6.2 6.7  Note : Honestly, I don't get why they cancelled the sequels. Christian Bale is a great actor, it looked pretty cool and it was not a failure at the box-office. And the McG argument is not valid ... Even Charlie's Angels had a sequel ! johanlefourbe's rating:
810 6 6  Note : I finally saw that one and, honestly, I thought it was not that bad. But like 'Jumper' a year before, they obviously tried to surf on the super-hero wave but it didn't work that really good and the planned sequel(s) was cancelled. johanlefourbe's rating:
434 5.5 5.9  Note : In the shadow of 'Twilight', there was another book adaptation dealing with teenagers an vampires but it was barely noticed. It's too bad since it was not bad at all but there won't be any sequels even if they provided a convenient open ending. johanlefourbe's rating:
234 3.8 3.7  Note : What were they thinking?!? That we forgot what happened the first time?!? I mean, it was not as bad as the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle but still pretty horrendous. In itself it is quite a weird achievement but not if you want to built a succesful movie franchise... johanlefourbe's rating:
540 3.2 3.1  Note : I was a big fan of the cartoon (Dragon ball, not Dragon Ball Z) so I eventually saw this one just out of sheer curiosity but it was so bad... It seems to be a typical example of "how-to-destroy-a-potential-movie-franchise-and-piss-off-fans-all-over-the-world"... johanlefourbe's rating:
307 5.8 6  Note : Do you know what is worst than 'Van Helsing' ? A cheap ass version of 'Van Helsing! The makers intended to make two further Solomon Kane movies to complete a planned trilogy, one set primarily in Africa and the other at least partially in colonial North America but guess what?!? It never happened... johanlefourbe's rating:
1449 6.4 6.6  Note : This is such a Pirates of the Carribean-wannabe... Jake Gyllenhaal is a very nice actor and tries very hard but he is no Johnny Depp and the story is rather convoluted. It could have worked but just did not. No sequel this time, Mr Bruckheimer ! johanlefourbe's rating:
1462 6.3 6.4  Note : Ok, it wasn't the worst movie in 2010 but, for me, it was definitely the biggest disappointment. At the end, which is completely preposterous like the rest of the movie, there is a nice open ending pointing to an obvious sequel which hopefully will never be made... UPDATE : A sequel has been recently announced on IMDB so this entry might be removed in the future. johanlefourbe's rating:
828 4.7 4.4  Note : Not so long ago, a movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan was patiently awaited by movie fans around the world. Those movies were... good ! Seriously ! Now, all his movies are awaited with dread (What will be the next turkey ?!?). With The Last Airbender, he was going towards a complete new direction and we hoped for the best... But unfortunately, Shyamalan decided now to destroy kids dreams aswell. Luckily, we won't be able to follow Aang adventures anytime soon... johanlefourbe's rating:
427 4.5 4.6  Note : Even though Megan Fox had some success with another franchise involving some loud robots, she didn't manage to make this become another comi-book franchise. It is even considered one of the worst movies released in 2010. suggested by Leo johanlefourbe's rating:
836 6 6.1  Note : I haven't seen this one yet but I keep hearing it is a sort of "Twilight" version of our beloved super-hero flicks. So, it doesn't sound really promising and in spite of a nice open ending, there is no plan for a sequel. 
990 5.6 5.8  Note : I thought there was some good stuff in this super-hero flick but it was a huge flop and barely made any money. Strangely, they announced right away they would make a sequel. But now, we are almost 1 year later and absolutely nobody is attached to this movie so I won't think it will be made anytime soon. johanlefourbe's rating:
408 5 5.1  Note : On one hand, to reboot such an iconic character doesn't seem to be a bad idea. But, on the other hand, how can you replace the Allmigthy Arnold Schwarzenegger?!? Of course, it is not possible and we won't hear from Conan for a couple of decades again. 
1397 7.8 7.9  Note : First of all, I have to say that I really enjoyed this flick (even though I do think that the Swedish version was better). It was even one of my favorite movies that came out in 2011. Still, at this point, it is pretty obvious that part 2 and 3 won't be made and, as a result, as a franchise, it is a failure. johanlefourbe's rating:
 
596 6.4 6.6  Note : Even though I thought it was not bad at all, this flick was a huge flop. Disney notoriously spent around $250m and I hope for them they will get there money back. Eventually, they made some plans to make some sequels but I don't think they will go through it. johanlefourbe's rating:
1341 6.9 7.2  Note : I'm pretty sure that many people will hate me for putting this movie on this list... First of all, even though it was nothing really mindblowing, I really enjoyed it. But at this point, it has been released already for a few months and I don't hear anything about a sequel (check IMDB...) which is never a good sign. In my opinion, they won't make any sequel. I may be wrong but we'll see... UPDATE : The sequel has finally been announced but I still don't believe it will be made. johanlefourbe's rating:
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Anyway great list!
Well brilliant notes and brilliant list :)
And as for Eragon & The Golden Compass, those who enjoyed the movies can go read each series of books if they want more.
But Hey, The Hulk Was Worth It... And Sahara Was The PITS!
Love The Description, "How Dare They Compare Matthew With The Great Harrison Ford?".... See? Hollywood Is Going Wacko Nowadays!
What Next? Justin Bieber The Next James Bond.... This I Gotta See!!
@Abhi, even though the 4th was pretty average, the Indiana Jones franchise is one of the most successful movie franchises ever made so it definitely doesn't belong on this list.
@silent killer, each of 'The Punisher' movies are a new reboot so together they don't make a franchise (same for the Hulk).
Can you add, Buckaroo Banzai and Jaws, too? Please and Thanks.
I will check 'Buckaroo Banzai.
@truewolf, the fact that 'The incredible hulk' belongs to the Avengers universe doesn't change the fact that they made some plan for a sequel but since the movie wasn't succesfull enough, they cancelled the sequel and that's why it is on this list.
Howard The Duck was just awful. I can think of no redeeming qualities except maybe Jeffery Jones' usual sleazy character in a supporting role.
The Mario Bros was a very convoluted story, but how else can you explain the parallel universe with King Koopa, Princess Daisy, and the rest. I didn't really expect this would be a franchise.
I didn't think The Shadow was too bad. I do admit it was not as good as the old radio show on which it was based and I couldn't see it as a franchise, either.
I thought there were more than one Spawn movies made. I didn't see it, so I can't comment on it.
I found Godzilla boring. The only good part was Led Zepplin blasting out Kasmir in surround sound.
I refuse to watch Wild Wild West.
I agree the Hulk was a pretty useless superhero. You can only watch him get pissed and go on a rampage so many times before it gets dull. I admit that I do enjoy the old TV reruns for their un-intentionally funny campiness.
The Incredible Hulk: Noooo..
Dick Tracy (1990)
The Phantom (1996)
The Avengers (1998)
Mystery Men (1999)
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Thunderbirds (2004)
The Seeker (2007)
Speed Racer (2008)
The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Jonah Hex (2010)
- Dick Tracy : I don't agree with this entry. It was a financial success (as a matter of fact, the highest-grossing film of Warren Beatty's career) and it won 3 oscars. I'm not sure it was really meant to be franchise.
- Mystery men : I don't think it was ever meant to be a franchise.
- Thunderbirds : the production didn't go well on this one, no franchise potential.
- Speed Racer : that's a tricky one. Maybe it was supposed to be a franchise, maybe not. I have to think about this one.
- The Spiderwick Chronicles : it wasn't supposed to be a franchise since the movie included all (or most of) the five novels in the Spiderwick Chronicles series.
The rest has been added.
Anyway, sorry for my long-windedness.
Flash Gordon (1980)
Captain America (1990)
Double Dragon (1994)
The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)
Kull the Conqueror (1997)
Steel (1997)
Tarzan and the Lost City (1998)
Wing Commander (1999)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
The Cat in the Hat (2003) - A sequel based on The Cat in the Hat Comes Back was planned at one point.
House of the Dead (2003)
Catwoman (2004)
Constantine (2005)
Hitman (2007)
Max Payne (2008)
The Spirit (2008)
Tekken (2010)
The Green Hornet (2011)
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011)
The Three Musketeers (2011)
Battleship (2012)
Dredd 3D (2012)
I can answer your question about the Shadow. The Shadow was a comic book hero back before tv become the dominant source for story-telling, and had a fairly extensive radio program. if you're into old radio programs, I'd definitely recommend it. As a movie, however, I've never seen it and can't imagine it would translate too well.
Spawn had great potential, though as you mention, the chosen actor was poor. I'd love to see a reboot of this one with a good casting.
The Hulk, well, I find your explanation interesting, but I think the movies lacked something from the original shows that so many people were fans of. What that is I don't know I can explain, but perhaps it's because like so many other movies today, it focuses too much on the action and special affects, and too little on character and the story being told. Or perhaps it also has to do with his aimless anger as well. In the original, when the Hulk became angry, his anger had a purpose and direction. It was not mindless destruction.
Eragon, in my opinion, was a typical book to movie failure that so many other examples illustrate. All books, however great they may be, have to be funneled into the Hollywood formula, and often much is cut and bizarre things added to make it fit the formula. This movie was no exception, and in this case, too much was cut from the book for the story to feel complete. I won't say a movie has to follow the story from the book completely, but the timeline and passage of time felt too compressed in this film to work very well. Too much was left out.
I was disappointed with the Green Lantern. It has so much potential, I hope it will get a second reboot with some one who can make it a successful franchise.
Conan...I was speechless they made it. What were they thinking? Perhaps on this note, you can add the reboot of Karate Kid to the list. Absolutely horrible remake that did not in the least capture what made the original so timeless.
http://www.listal.com/list/failed-movie-franchises-part-2
got to admit I liked Hulk and Wild Wild West ;o