Myth

Waterworld, the once described 'Wet Mad Max' 1995 Kevin Costner movie cost over $250 million pounds to make and made less than $10 million on the box office. Making at $240 million pound loss, biggest in movie history.

Reality

Just to clarify, Waterworld cost $175 million to make and took $255 million Worldwide. Video rentals grossed an additional $42 million.

You might imagine its going to be one of these gems;
Hudson Hawk (1991) cost $65 million to make and made only $17 million therefore a total loss of $48 million

or perhaps

Heaven's Gate (1980) cost $44 million to produce and only took $3.5 million making a $40.5 million loss.

But you'd be wrong. The current biggest money loosing movies are;

• Stealth (2005) which cost over $138 million to produce and made a mere $38 million world wide and therefore loosing its distributor Sony some $100 million.
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002) which cost $100 million to create, made $8 million at the box office and therefore delivered Warner Bros. a total loss of $92 million.
• Town & Country (2001) cost New Line $90 million to create but made only $8 million making a total loss of $82 million.

Of course, these figures don't take into account inflation. But it surely a pattern that budgets and risks have escalated to much in the last five years that huge losses seem almost inevitable.

Tags: Waterworld, flop, disaster, loss