Top 20 Movies That Were Hated Before Release
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the movies people thought would be the worst before they even hit the screen. Do you think these movies really deserved the preemptive hate? Let us know in the comments!
#20: “Madame Web” (2024)
Sony didn’t need to see into the future to predict this colossal financial flop. With the notable exceptions of the “Spider-verse” films, the company’s attempts to make Marvel films outside of the MCU have been…disappointing, to say the least. The “Venom” movies have their fans, but just as many detractors. “Morbius” was memed before, during, and after its theatrical release! (xref) And then there’s “Madame Web.” While some held out hope for the female-fronted superhero film, those hopes were all but dashed after the release of its first trailer. Unenthusiastic acting and clunky dialogue writing led to immediate online mockery. Plot details leaked shortly after, worsening the situation by revealing some baffling narrative decisions about the movie’s costumed characters.
#19: “Gods of Egypt” (2016)
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Director Alex Proyas had a pretty good track record before “Gods of Egypt.” “The Crow” and “I, Robot” were well received by general audiences, and “Dark City” eventually became a cult classic. So what went wrong? The casting, for starters. As trailers for the movie released, it quickly became clear that the cast was overwhelmingly white. For a movie about Egyptian gods, that just didn’t sit right - for audiences or cast member Chadwick Boseman. Although Proyas and Lionsgate were quick to apologize during the initial backlash, the director would seemingly go back on his statement after bad reviews began pouring in. He took to Facebook to complain, referring to “Gods of Egypt”s critics as “deranged idiots” only three days after the film’s wide release.
#18: “The Hunt” (2020)
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It’s not every day that the president takes a stand against a film. After the release of its first trailer, “The Hunt,” which was formerly titled “Red State vs Blue State,” came under fire from Fox News anchors who believed it to be anti-Republican. A tweet from then-president Donald Trump followed, seemingly accusing the film of manufacturing a conflict to provoke the nation. Universal temporarily pulled the film from its lineup shortly after, citing a string of real life shootings as the reason. When “The Hunt” finally released in 2020, it was ultimately more bark than bite, but that didn’t stop it from using its critics to its advantage. Reveling in the free publicity, posters challenged viewers to see the supposedly “dangerous” and “exploitative” film.
#17: “Joker” (2019)
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In 2012, tragedy struck a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” when a man attacked the film’s audience, killing 12 and injuring 70. Early reports alleged that the shooter referred to himself as “The Joker” - a claim which has since been disputed, but has nonetheless shaped the public’s perception of the event. Naturally, when early imagery from 2019’s “Joker” began to show off the film’s realistic violence, some worried it could inspire a similar attack. This included victims of the “Dark Knight Rises” shooting, who used the then-upcoming release to call for gun reform in the United States. Thankfully, the specific fears were proven to be unfounded, and real world violence did not accompany its successful theatrical run.
#16: “The Flash” (2023)
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With the release of two box office failures, and the controversy surrounding “Batgirl”s cancellation still looming, 2023 was proving to be a difficult year for DC. It seemed “The Flash” might be their only hope of recovery…until its star began jeopardizing the film’s future. Ezra Miller was arrested in Hawaii, and was furthermore faced two more accusations. Their worldwide issues seemed to act as the antithesis of a press tour, causing people to question why WB wouldn’t wash their hands of the film entirely. Once laughably bad clips of the film began circulating online, its fate was sealed. “The Flash” became one of the biggest financial failures of the superhero genre.
#15: “Dragonball Evolution” (2009)
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When it comes to Western anime remakes, there are far more misses than hits. “Dragonball Evolution” is no exception. And its whitewashed characters are just the tip of the iceberg. The movie’s costumes look like they belong in a fan production, and its writers made the inexplicable decision to make Goku a high schooler. Lacking the anime’s vibrant intensity, the special effects are similarly disappointing, and Krillin is nowhere to be seen. While some preemptive movie hatred is proven to be overblown, the backlash for “Dragonball Evolution” was only further justified by its release. If you’re one of the many fans who pretend it doesn’t exist, we can’t say we blame you.
#14: “The Mummy” (2017)
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After flying under the radar for years, Brendan Fraser began to reintegrate into the popular consciousness in 2016, taking on a recurring role in the Showtime drama “The Affair.” For those paying attention, the coinciding of this return to American television with the production of a “Mummy” reboot seemed too perfect to be a coincidence. So when it was revealed that Fraser would not be in the film, even in a cameo role, fans were disappointed. As clips and trailers began releasing, Tom Cruise’s performance also became a point of contention - particularly his inhuman scream. The film’s apparent connection to the failed “Dark Universe” and inclusion of Mr. Hyde from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” certainly didn’t help matters either.
#13: “Twilight” (2008)
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If you were alive in 2008, it’s very likely that you knew someone who was absolutely obsessed with “Twilight.” …And it’s just as likely you knew someone who loathed the very idea of it. Whether it was because of a sexist disdain for teen girl media, a simple distaste for sparkling vampires, or just a need to stand out from the crowd, “Twilight” haters were out in droves. Parodies abound from YouTubers, popular TV shows, and musicians, while everyday people made memes and wore t-shirts professing their negative feelings for the franchise. Even film star Robert Pattinson was known to get in on the hate, although he’s since come to appreciate the oft-maligned series and its unique place in pop culture history.
#12: “Jack and Jill” (2011)
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Adam Sandler’s popularity endures, and his credibility as an actor is also now well-established.. Butback in the day, after the trailer for “Jack and Jill” came out,” even Sandler’s most devoted followers felt that he was about to hit a new low. The idea of Sandler playing a man and his twin sister sounded incredibly lazy on paper. Jill’s aggravating accident and Al Pacino’s inexplicable presence didn’t make people any more optimistic. “Jack and Jill” looked so awful that “South Park” actually called it out months in advance, and few would disagree with their assessment.
#11: “Battleship” (2012)
When news broke that a “Battleship” movie was in development, audiences were convinced that Hollywood had run out of ideas. The original board game doesn’t have any established characters or story, so what could you possibly adapt? For that matter, why spend over $200 million to do it? People only became more skeptical once it became clear that the film was basically just going to be “Transformers” at sea. The only selling point the movie had going for it was that director Peter Berg was re-teaming with some of his “Friday Night Lights” alumni. Nevertheless, audiences still jumped ship long before it set sail.
#10: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2014)
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Michael Bay’s involvement was already enough to prompt protests. But announcing that the mutated turtles would actually be aliens only made things worse. To add insult to injury, Caucasian actor William Fichtner was cast as the Shredder, a character typically portrayed as Asian. Due to the negative response, the film endured some reshoots with Fichtner’s character being downgraded to a supporting villain and Japanese American actor Tohoru Masamune playing the Shredder. As for the turtles, the whole alien thing was dropped, with the backlash even being referenced in the finished film. Despite the changes, fans still managed to find something to hate – the wonky-ass character designs.
#9: “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)
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It’s completely acceptable to reboot a popular film franchise after an appropriate amount of time has passed. To fans, five years was not the appropriate amount. People simply weren’t that interested in seeing another origin story, especially since the 2002 film was barely a decade old. “The Amazing Spider-Man” just looked like Sony’s shameless attempt to keep the film rights tangled in their web. Meanwhile, fans desperately wanted to see Spidey team up with the Avengers and this reboot seemed to confirm that it would never happen. Fortunately, Spider-Man would get a proper homecoming later down the line.
#8: “The Last Airbender” (2010)
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Fans of the hit animated series had plenty to dread with this live-action adaptation. The show left little room for improvement and condensing a season’s worth of episodes into 100 minutes didn’t sound like a very good idea either. It also didn’t help that director M. Night Shyamalan was fresh off critical duds like “Lady in the Water'' and “The Happening.” In a particularly controversial move, hardly any actors of Asian descent were cast in major roles, despite the fact that the source material drew inspiration from Eastern philosophies and culture. All of this had people certain that the Ember Island Players could put on a better show.
#7: “The Interview” (2014)
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Have you ever hated a movie’s concept so badly that you wanted to destroy it before anyone could see it? This is how the North Korean government felt about “The Interview.” The film is a comedy, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong Un. It easily could have faded into obscurity under any other circumstances, but North Korea’s UN ambassador ensured that wouldn’t happen when he referred to the film as an “act of war.” Fearing cataclysmic backlash, Sony pulled the film from their release schedule and canceled all of its ad spots. Once things cooled down, the film did receive a small theatrical and online release, but did so at a significant financial loss.
#6: “Ghost in the Shell” (2017)
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2017's “Ghost in the Shell” adaption was bombarded with whitewashing accusations from the moment Scarlett Johansson was cast in the lead role. Of course where “The Last Airbender” was based on an American show, “Ghost in the Shell” stemmed from a Japanese manga and anime, making the early outrage even more passionate. While most people agreed that Johansson is a fine actress, this was a golden opportunity for the studio to shine the spotlight on an actor of Asian heritage, but they took the so-called “safe route” instead. If the filmmakers couldn’t get the casting right, fans had little reason to believe they’d do the material justice.
#5: “Fifty Shades of Grey” (2015)
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Long before the film adaptation, “Fifty Shades of Grey” had already gained an infamous reputation in the literary world. While author E. L. James had written a trilogy of bestselling books, they weren’t exactly viewed as high art. Critics almost universally panned the erotic romance novels for their one-note characters and laughable dialog. So when the film moved towards production, the haters were ready to rip the movie a new one – which, ironically, it probably wanted... On top of that, the film inspired protests based on the assumptions that it encouraged physical abuse, promoted pornography, and depicted BDSM in an inaccurate light.
#4: “Death Note” (2017)
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If we've learned anything today, it's that not every anime or manga needs the Hollywood treatment. But if you proceed, then maybe cast some Japanese actors in lead roles? 2017’s “Death Note” fell into an all-too-familiar trap, enlisting mostly Caucasian actors and changing its setting from Japan to America. While the trailer wasn’t without some cool imagery, fans were convinced that the final product would lack the depth of its source material, playing out more like a horror flick riddled with teen angst. We’d say the film was dead on arrival, but it was arguably dead before even leaving the station.
#3: “Cats” (2019)
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Even Broadway’s biggest fans have mixed feelings about “Cats.” Whether it’s because of the musical’s messy plot, or its unconventional costumes, the show is notoriously off-putting. So when it was announced that it would be adapted for the big screen, people were naturally skeptical. And that skepticism quickly grew into all out abhorrence as trailers and promotional materials began to be released. The titular cats were uncanny CGI abominations, rivaled only by the tiny but terrifying humanoid mice and roaches present in Rebel Wilson’s musical number. Early screenings revealed unfinished CGI, and a rumored b-hole cut only added to the movie’s already poor reputation. When even Taylor Swift’s involvement can’t save a film from its bad press, it’s safe to say it’s a lost cause.
#2: “The Emoji Movie” (2017)
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Do we really need to explain why people weren’t eager to see this one? Granted, sometimes even the dumbest ideas can produce something smart, original, and even groundbreaking. Once the trailer for “The Emoji Movie” hit, though, audiences knew what they were going to get: a lame cash grab that ripped off “The Lego Movie,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” and various other animated features. Just a few days before its release, the film conjured more bad press upon tweeting an advertisement that parodied “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Given that show’s subject matter, some called the tweet tasteless while others were left asking, “what’s the joke?”
#1: “Ghostbusters” (2016)
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Since the original “Ghostbusters” is a comedy classic, this reboot was bound to generate a few preconceived notions. Fans were upset that it wasn’t a sequel with the actors reprising their roles from the beloved original. They also took issue with the movie’s theatrical title, which made no effort to distinguish itself from its 1984 predecessor. Meanwhile, others disgustingly shunned the film for having an all-female cast. In the midst of all this criticism and controversy, the trailer for “Ghostbusters” became the most disliked film preview on YouTube. Ultimately, people didn’t answer the call for a variety of different reasons.
