Sorcerer – $42 million
There are two words that perfectly describe why Sorcerer failed at the box office: Star Wars. That’s right, the unfortunate souls who pour their hearts into making Sorcerer just happened to release it at the same time the first Star Wars moving was coming out. As a result, the studio lost $42 million, which, if converted to today’s money, equals a zillion dollars.
At the time, no critics were watching Sorcerer. They were too busy seeing Luke Skywalker for the first time, so Sorcerer was pretty much swept under the rug. However, critics are now starting to appreciate and speak highly of this movie. Just a few decades too late.