10 Underrated Fantasy Movies That Deserved More Success

Epic Fails: 10 Fantasy box office flops That Deserved So Much Better!

Why Some Amazing Fantasy Films Totally Bombed

The fantasy genre is all about magic, wonder, and alternate realities! But not every fantastical adventure becomes a box office hit. Some truly awesome Movies just didn't connect with audiences; these failed spectacularly at the box office and had serious difficulties reaching that audience's interests at the time, sometimes failing due to terrible production issues, at other times not capturing the overall appeal to the audience that other, equally compelling movies achieved at that specific point! Sometimes, audiences missed a true gem; These instances showcase various aspects and could even be used to improve production planning for new movies in the genre; learning from mistakes made decades prior; These show that some of these earlier titles have achieved cult-like status and their success is much, much better than when they were initially released and these later triumphs show just why these titles deserved much, much more success! Let's explore ten fantastic Fantasy flops that deserved a much, much bigger audience, learning from both their successes and shortcomings.

Also Read: Movie Titles Better Than The Books They're Based On: From 'Goodfellas' to 'Blade Runner'

Top 10 Fantasy Box Office Flops That Deserved More: A Rewind Through Time

10. Red Sonja (1985): Arnold Couldn't Save This One!

Following the massive success of Conan the Barbarian, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the biggest fantasy action star around; He even went on to other amazing titles and genre work in movies! That made a third Conan movie feel likely; instead they made Red Sonja— a spin-off starring Brigitte Nielsen. The attempt to tie into the Conan universe confused viewers; It made Red Sonja seem like a lesser Conan movie rather than its own title, not reaching audience's expectations! Schwarzenegger's presence helped improve appeal somewhat, but his new character didn't excite anyone and many did not appreciate these changes which hampered the initial expectations, even if the film does bring those specific iconic elements associated with the genre.

9. The Black Cauldron (1985): Disney's Dark Horse That Didn't Shine

Disney's Black Cauldron was supposed to revitalize its darker themes and attempt to reach new levels that made it appealing to a mature audience; which should have increased the overall fanbase given the target demographic of Disney animation, at least at the time. But this 1985 animated adventure (directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich) fell flat – seriously dark themes weren’t a thing then and this unexpected shift away from lighter themes didn't connect with audiences; It suffered massively behind the scenes; severely behind schedule and massively over budget (according to Collider). But its compelling story deserved more success than this infamous failure and still holds up surprisingly well for what it set out to achieve.

8. The Thief and the Cobbler (1995): A Masterpiece Lost to Production Chaos

The Black Cauldron 1985 Film Poster Image

Richard Williams' Thief and the Cobbler is a production nightmare – its 29-year development ending in disaster! Williams (a hugely renowned animator who had worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit), was ousted and never even saw the finished product, which was completely mangled and unfinished, (as mentioned in the Guardian). It's a tale of a totally wasted opportunity. Yet it really had awesome potential and shows that great stories, especially ambitious projects might need great vision; yet they also need a solid creative support system that is crucial; without such systems and production support the outcome is certain to fall into chaos; completely ruining its creative integrity and leaving it much worse off in the long term.

7. What Dreams May Come (1998): A Visually Stunning Journey Through the Afterlife

This Robin Williams starrer— directed by Vincent Ward— has amazing visuals. It is also a very profound exploration of those profound themes such as death, the afterlife and explores some key concepts that might interest the philosophical individuals; yet failed to gain enough traction at that point due to its highly problematic plot and failed to justify its premise according to that era’s viewpoints which failed to gain an appreciation or justification of what it set out to convey effectively to its intended target audiences! Those criticisms completely harm this incredible movie! That shouldn't have been so widely forgotten; even many of today’s more critical viewers may find themselves positively surprised given the film's stunning production design and insightful storytelling!

6. It's a Wonderful Life (1946): The Holiday Classic That Was Initially a Flop

This legendary Frank Capra Christmas film–starring Jimmy Stewart—was hugely successful decades after initial release; making it into an absolute Christmas staple—however its initial critical reviews were rather mixed; also initially underperforming compared to his prior titles in that genre. It then completely got thrust into mainstream fame after an accidental copyright mishap in 1974. Suddenly countless local channels played it; and it rose from those box office failures becoming that beloved festive icon!

5. Highlander (1986): A Cheesy Cult Classic That's Still Loved

Highlander was a surprisingly well-done cheesy action film involving a surprising and relatively simple concept; using a fun idea surrounding those legendary immortals beheading each other! While mixed reviews and failing to fully earn enough initially completely sidelined the title; yet Highlander gained popularity because it built its entire existence upon those extremely fun, classic tropes which only appeal better as time progresses and created unexpected success over time, making this into one of the legendary successes after such failures that many might associate strongly within the 80’s genre classics!

4. Jupiter Ascending (2015): The Wachowskis' Space Opera That Needed More Love

Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis starring in this wonderfully weird Wachowskis space opera. It had intense problems (like its massive budget and poor marketing). That completely hurt Jupiter Ascending's success initially— this particular title didn’t really appeal well, even when trying to address this potential and many saw issues throughout! Yet it is really quite something – blending elements like that fairytale with deep thematic messages; its issues completely hampered what this had to offer!

3. Labyrinth (1986): Bowie and Henson's Musical Masterpiece (Initially) Failed

David Bowie + Jim Henson (and Jennifer Connelly)? It is surprisingly awesome, and this classic blend of magical creatures and fantastical moments should be amazing and successful; yet that 1980s audience weren’t ready for that musical blend (this initially failed in the US). However this particular story would later flourish outside the US and it generated significant interest; that resulted in the creation of several follow ups which still linger for its next installation; and makes Bowie's role a very iconic, yet unexpectedly enjoyable camp that could only become truly popular with its eventual appreciation over time, making this surprisingly fun and enduring despite the criticisms which hampered its early release.

2. Conan the Barbarian (2011): A Reboot That Should Have Featured Arnold

The Thief and the Cobbler (1993) - Poster Image

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Conan was a legendary fantasy icon. Rebooting in 2011 with Jason Momoa (without Schwarzenegger) felt like an easy misfire. They completely replaced those legendary elements associated with Schwarzenegger's iconic persona; not building anything on that successful formula, failing to justify its need by not adding enough original material to make its own standalone impact! It failed because Momoa didn’t bring what many might expect from that franchise, and they also relied excessively on violence alone! While Schwarzenegger’s possible Conan sequel could create that long-awaited return, showing what Conan could be with an existing formula and an experienced star–it failed due to failing to honor the legacy from a key star and franchise, which could've potentially greatly expanded this otherwise overlooked action series.

1. The Iron Giant (1999): A Timeless Classic That Deserved a Better Launch

Brad Bird’s Iron Giant— that thoughtful tale of friendship between a boy and a giant robot – completely flopped! That thoughtful and well-crafted movie tackled mature themes (surprisingly suitable and engaging to audiences) and truly missed those kinds of marketing pushes; completely sidelined due to issues surrounding promoting it. Its thoughtful themes could easily be used in schools! That alone is immensely valuable and suggests why a relaunch could have far bigger returns, demonstrating its enduring power decades later!

Also Read: 10 Marvel Movies That Never Happened: From Quentin Tarantino's Luke Cage to James Cameron's Spider-Man

Conclusion: Fantasy's Enduring Power and the Importance of Marketing

Those fantasy box office bombs showcase what it takes for production to succeed; they weren’t all "bad" Movies! Sometimes these titles are lost simply due to terrible timing and terrible choices concerning distribution. They show an aspect often missing: Sometimes great stories need careful promotion; to be found, and truly remembered! Some achieved lasting love over time and should provide motivation and also warnings; emphasizing just how important finding an audience and also appealing effectively to these consumers of entertainment really matters! It's amazing how quickly that appeal is not simply determined by how well-written and entertaining this particular movie really is!