It’s easy for a predicted blockbuster to do well, with early reviews drawing audiences into cinemas. It’s much harder when everyone expects your movie to be bad or forgettable. But still, some movies manage it, rising from the ashes to become household titles that we still watch today.
Zombieland
Set in a world overrun by zombies, Zombieland follows three human survivors on their journey to find sanctuary. Initial public opinion was skeptical, predicting it would be a mess of the same old zombie tropes. So audiences were pleasantly surprised that Zombieland combined sharp wit with excellent characters and innovative action scenes.
21 Jump Street
As an adaptation and reboot of an old TV show of the same name, expectations for 21 Jump Street would never be particularly high. This buddy cop action comedy proved them all wrong, quadrupling its budget at the box office and receiving positive reviews from critics. It was so successful it got a sequel two years later.
Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect focuses on an all-girl a cappella group competing at Nationals. Based on this alone, it seems like it would be a niche movie with little to no appeal to mainstream audiences, but it charmed them with its catchy tunes and quick wit. It’s also notable for Rebel Wilson’s breakout performance as Fat Amy.
Kung Fu Panda
In a DreamWorks Animation movie, Kung Fu Panda, the young panda Po is declared the Dragon Warrior, prophesied to become a mighty warrior and noble hero. The style and plot make it seem like another generic children’s movie, but the surprisingly heartfelt story and excellent animation saw it reach and impress wider audiences.
The Hangover
Released at the end of a decade of similar movies, The Hangover seemed destined to become another in a long list of gross-out humor comedies. It turned this around with an unpredictable plot that starts in the aftermath and gradually reveals what happened before. Sharp wit and perfect comedic timing made it a cultural phenomenon.
District 9
Neill Blomkamp’s feature film debut, District 9, had limited expectations due to him being an unknown director. It used a highly successful viral marketing stunt to draw audiences in and made sure to deliver when they arrived in cinemas. Despite the modest budget, its impressive special effects and social commentary kept people talking.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, Guardians of the Galaxy was seen as a risky venture for Marvel, with the characters unknown to mainstream audiences. However, it still managed to be an instant hit, easily beating predicted box office figures to gross $773.3 million worldwide. Two successful sequels followed, as well as a holiday special.
The Lego Movie
The Lego Movie sounds like something that shouldn’t be popular. It’s based entirely on a toy line with no plot and could easily seem like a cash grab. Clever writers fixed this problem by having a plot that focused heavily on the powers of imagination and building, two things familiar to all Lego fans.
Edge of Tomorrow
Despite the combined star power of Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, an expensive marketing campaign, and a hefty budget of $178 million, there was no buzz about Edge of Tomorrow before it was released. It was predicted an underwhelming performance but managed to bring critics and audiences back at the crucial moment with a genuinely clever and unique plot.
Mad Max: Fury Road
As the first Mad Max movie in two decades, Fury Road had much to live up to. Initial opinions were mixed about whether it could still work, but the engaging plot and sympathetic characters quickly stopped speculation. The action scenes were well-handled and helped to redefine the genre, with the cinematography making them look fantastic.
Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest is a comedy movie that has since become a cult classic, both a parody and an homage to Star Trek and other sci-fi fandoms. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple sci-fi parody, but the clever script and loving respect paid to Star Trek elevated it to being popular in its own right.
Cloverfield
Another movie in the found footage genre, Cloverfield, didn’t seem like it was going to add anything new. Focusing on a group alternately hiding and fleeing from a giant monster, it used a viral media campaign to attract attention. It succeeded in concealing everything else about the movie before its release. It was a huge critical and financial success, starting a new franchise.
The Cabin in the Woods
The comedy horror The Cabin in the Woods aimed to turn conventional horror tropes on their heads to create a satirical movie. Facility technicians control events from an underground lab, and an archetypal group of teenagers is prepared to fulfill a cruel ritual. One of the greatest strengths of The Cabin in the Woods was that it was marketed as an average horror movie, subverting audience expectations once they were already in the cinema.
Mean Girls
After years of homeschooling in Africa, protagonist Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is completely out of her depth in the American high school she transfers to. She quickly makes friends with fellow misfits, who team up to take down the Plastics. What could have been just another teen comedy that impressed critics and audiences alike with Tina Fey’s excellent writing, cementing it as one of the best-known movies of all time.
Big Hero 6
The animated superhero movie Big Hero 6 is very loosely based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name. It focuses on teenage robotics genius Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) and his inflatable robot Baymax (Scott Adsit). With relatively obscure source material, it was predicted to flop but won hearts with its touching story and perfectly animated action scenes.
Warm Bodies
The premise of Warm Bodies is a human woman falling in love with a zombie who slowly starts to come back to life. Released toward the end of the zombie craze, initial interest was low, but the thoughtful plot and willingness to treat zombies as legitimate characters made this unique take on the genre a success.
John Wick
Starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character, John Wick was written off as yet another generic action movie. A marketing campaign convinced audiences that this was an action movie with an emotional core, perfectly framed with stylish cinematography. It revitalized the genre and Reeves’ career and started a new franchise.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie had no previous story to work with, as it was based entirely on the ride at Disney theme parks. This was probably why expectations were so low, but the swashbuckling script and excellent acting made it a success, resulting in four more movies in the franchise.
