The famous quote by Hollywood legend screenwriter William Goldman, "Nobody knows anything," encapsulates the uncertainty of the industry. Despite pre-production research, analysis, and millions of dollars spent, studios can never predict which films will be hits and which will flop. However, in some cases, as with these 10 films, failure seems apparent from a distance. From behind-the-scenes dramas to poor marketing, these films were destined to fail from the start.

Animation director Henry Selick is one of today's most creative visionaries. Even 30 years after its release, he is still often overlooked as the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is mistakenly attributed to Tim Burton. However, Selick would likely want everyone to forget about the failure of the 2001 film Monkeybone. The film, in which Brendan Fraser plays a cartoonist transported to another universe while in a coma, grossed only $7 million against a $75 million budget, making it a complete disaster. This mix of live-action and stop-motion animation led Selick to abandon any future live-action projects. Its strange tonalities, odd visual aesthetics, and storyline proved immediately off-putting for average viewers.

The worst period for the Terminator franchise began with the release of Terminator: Dark Fate in 2019. The film, which saw the return of James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Linda Hamilton reprising her role as Sarah Connor, grossed $261 million worldwide, falling far short of its $185 million budget. Despite being the best installment since T2, Dark Fate became a victim of audiences unwilling to be fooled for the fourth time. The increasing budget and scope clearly indicated that the Terminator franchise needed a complete overhaul.

While Dolittle's $251 million worldwide gross may seem impressive, it is not considered very successful for Universal when compared to its $175 million budget. Those who heard about the three weeks of reshoots following poor test screenings during production knew the film would fail. Robert Downey Jr.'s improvisational creative process worked in Iron Man but led to chaos here. Ultimately, working with Christopher Nolan on Oppenheimer showed that Downey wanted to break free from his own on-screen persona.

Pixar's open cash grab attempt Lightyear turned out to be a spin-off that failed to delve into the origins of the real Buzz toy within the Toy Story universe. Voiced by Chris Evans, the film grossed $218 million against a $200 million budget, performing poorly by Pixar standards. No one asked for this film, and this expansion of the franchise tarnished the pure charm of Toy Story. It is indicative of Disney's desire not to leak its own properties from another angle.

Video game adaptations have become popular today, but despite the success of Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minecraft, beloved game franchises are not enough to fool studios. In 2024, Borderlands is a glaring example of a complete failure that everyone could see coming from afar. The film showcased the limits of the industry's obsession with video game IPs and proved that producers cannot always guarantee commercial success.