Box Office Bummers: A roundup of the biggest Harrison Ford flops
No one can deny that Harrison Ford has true star power. The actor’s iconic roles like Han Solo and Indiana Jones haven’t just established themselves in our collective zeitgeist; they’ve proven to be true box office hits year after year, movie after movie. (Read our homage to Harrison Ford here.) But actor’s path to silver screen success has been littered with some devastating box office bombs. Here’s a roundup of the worst Harrison Ford flops ever made.
4. Blade Runner (1982)
Surprised to see this cult classic on our list? Don’t be. Although it’s now considered a cinematic gem, the original 1982 release of Blade Runner actually bombed at the box office thanks to stiff competition from competing films like E.T. The movie cost US$28 million, and it only just broke even during its original run.
3. The Mosquito Coast (1986)
On the surface, this utopia-turned-dystopian family drama seemed intriguing and full of potential. But the finished product left so much to be desired that it actually lost US$10 million. Ford was overheard saying at the time, “It’s the only film I have done that hasn’t made its money back. I’m still glad I did it.” Be that as it may, this dud is still one of the biggest Harrison Ford flops to date.
2. Paranoia (2013)
The bubbling Harrison Ford-Gary Oldman chemistry so rampant in Air Force One was nowhere to be seen in this business thriller. Despite a rather hefty US$40 million production budget, the film only drew a paltry US$3.5 million in its opening week, and disappeared into obscurity soon after.
1. Crossing Over (2009)
Numbers don’t lie, and in the case of this crime drama, they paint a devastating picture. The movie cost an estimated US$19 million to make, and ended up pulling in just US$3.5 million. In fact, its domestic opening weekend only managed to scrape up US$80,000, putting Crossing Over squarely at the top of our Harrison Ford flops list.
Text: Tenzing Thondup