The biggest box office busts of the year

Posted Wednesday, December 27, 2006 at 10:27 PM Central

by Tim Briscoe

Of course every movie can't be a box office hit like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest or a hugely profitable one like Little Miss Sunshine or Borat. There has to be a few duds.

Variety has published a report on some of this year's biggest stinkers, the movies the studios were banking on (quite literally) in 2006.

Below, in alphabetical order, are selections from Variety's losers list along with their domestic box office take and estimated production cost.

All the King's Men Gross: $7 million Cost: $55 million

Basic Instinct 2 Gross: $5 million Cost: $70 million

Flushed Away Gross: $61 million Cost: $150 million

Flyboys Gross: $13 million Cost: $60 million

The Fountain Gross: $9 million Cost: $35-53 million

Freedomland Gross: $12 million Cost: N/A

A Good Year Gross: $7 million Cost: N/A Loss: Approximately $20 million

Lady in the Water Gross: $42 million Cost: $75 million

Poseidon Gross: $60 million Cost: $160 million (according to IMDb)

The Wicker Man Gross: $23 million Cost: $40 million

These figures aren't really the bottom lines. They don't include DVD sales. That's where studios bring in most of a film's revenue. They also don't include box office dollars outside the U.S. and Canada.

Studios can also employ some creative accounting to shift costs to other places to ensure a film is profitable at the end of the day. Everything considered, these films could very well reach the black.

In other words, don't feel sorry for Hollywood. You won't see Mickey Mouse in the welfare line any time soon.