From SlashFilm · Witney Seibold · · 2m
5 Sci-Fi Movies That Bombed But Changed Culture
Five sci-fi films that flopped at the box office but became cultural touchstones.
In brief
Five sci-fi films that flopped at the box office but became cultural touchstones. Blade Runner, The Thing, Gattaca, Starship Troopers, and Speed Racer all underperformed financially but are now genre-defining works. Originally reported by SlashFilm.
Box Office Success ≠ Cultural Impact
Some films make massive money but fade from memory, like the Francis the Talking Mule movies from 1950 to 1956.
Box Office Bombs Become Cult Classics
A film can flop initially but gain cultural significance years later, as Brian Eno noted about the Velvet Underground album.
“The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band.”
Blade Runner (1982)
Ridley Scott's 1982 film, based on Philip K. Dick's short story, follows Rick Deckard, a blade runner in 2019 Los Angeles.
Blade Runner's Production Design
The film's production design created a lived-in, dirty city with electric billboards and glittering towers, influencing all future sci-fi movies.
Blade Runner Box Office Failure
Made for $30 million, it only earned $32 million domestically in 1982, far below audiences' interest in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter's 1982 film follows a group of researchers trapped in an Antarctic station who encounter a shape-shifting alien creature.
The Thing's Practical Effects
Rob Bottin's practical effects created one of the scariest monsters in movie history, with the titular creature sprouting wet tentacles and bony limbs.
The Thing Box Office Failure
Released on June 25, 1982, it flopped alongside Blade Runner, with audiences preferring E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial over its apocalyptic tone.
Gattaca (1997)
Andre Niccol's 1997 film depicts a dystopian future where genetic enhancements determine a citizen's caste in society.
Gattaca's Genetic Drama
Ethan Hawke plays Vincent, an 'in-valid' who swaps identities with a 'valid' named Jerome to work in the space program.
Gattaca Box Office Failure
On a $36 million budget, it only made $12.5 million domestically, failing to launch a subgenre in theaters.
Starship Troopers (1997)
Paul Verhoeven's 1997 film satirizes fascism through a war between Earth and giant insects from Klendathu.
Starship Troopers Box Office Failure
Audiences disliked its satire of fascism and wartime propaganda, especially after the release of other sci-fi films like Independence Day.
Speed Racer (2008)
The Wachowskis' 2008 film features a hyperkinetic color scheme with telephones as blood orange and jet planes as electric fuchsia.
Speed Racer's Cultural Impact
Despite initial failure, its bold style became mainstream by 2017, influencing films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
The big picture
Blade Runner, The Thing, Gattaca, Starship Troopers, and Speed Racer all underperformed financially but are now genre-defining works.
