8 Movies We're Worried About At The 2024 Box Office (2024)

2024 is shaping up to be another big year for the global box office with some great new releases, but there are also several films coming that could be in danger of flopping. Global theater sales appear to finally be returning to pre-COVID levels, resulting in major releases that studios are investing hundreds of millions in. In 2021, just one movie managed to cross the billion-dollar threshold, but 2022 and 2023 saw five more releases hit the milestone figure, with 2022's Avatar: The Way of Water even managing more than $2 billion.

With moviegoers clearly willing to venture out to the cinema for the latest releases, the total box office figures are once again climbing, but despite a varied release of new movies coming in 2024, some movies may fail to hit their targets. This could be down to several films competing over the same release window, lack of marketing, or potentially lack of audience interest from viewers. Whether the film is a brand-new IP or a returning franchise, several movies could potentially miss their mark in 2024.

8 Argylle

February 2, 2024

Argylle, starring Henry Cavill as the international superspy with a distinct haircut, and Bryce Dallas Howard as the writer with the mysterious ability to write real-life events is releasing in February. However, with the film due to release early in 2024 and marketing around the project at a minimum, it may not get the returns the potential $200 million budget will require (via IMDb). The movie is an original IP, but with more moviegoers opting to see established franchises, Argylle needs to do more to attract an audience that doesn't know what to expect from the movie.

7 Lisa Frankenstein

February 9, 2024

Lisa Frankenstein is coming out just before Valentine's Day, and although the movie is being marketed as a horror rom-com, it could struggle to find the right audience. The movie would certainly fit in with an October release with other Halloween season movies, but whether stars Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse can draw the audience to see the self-proclaimed "coming of rage" story remains to be seen. As a reimagining of the classic Frankenstein story, it looks funny and fresh, but it also needs to sell tickets.

6 Madame Web

February 14, 2024

February already appears to be a dense month for potentially large releases. Joining the line-up on Valentine's Day itself is Madame Web. Sony has struggled on multiple occasions to get their Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) to take off, and it appears they are hoping for Madame Web to finally change that. The film will finally see the introduction of actual spider-powered characters, and introduce a younger version of Uncle Ben. Madame Web could be the movie to turn things around for Sony, and with another two SSU films coming later in the year, it needs to be.

5 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

March 29, 2024

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will continue the story after Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and it will also feature the original cast alongside the newcomers. Afterlife managed to earn a respectable $200 million on a budget of $75 million (via The Numbers), but to keep the franchise going, Frozen Empire needs to earn even more. Considering the fact that the movie is releasing on the same day as the family-friendly Kung Fu Panda 4, and the potentially more intriguing for older audiences Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson and directed by Bong Joon Ho, Frozen Empire could struggle.

4 Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

May 24, 2024

Again, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is being released alongside two other major films that corner different parts of the market. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Garfield, starring Chris Pratt, will be released on the same day as Kingdom, which is now the fourth installment in the rebooted franchise. In addition, the last entry, War for the Planet of the Apes, saw a marked decrease in earnings from the previous one, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The movie will also move beyond Caesar, the central protagonist of the earlier entries which may cause another drop in viewers.

3 Alien: Romulus

August 16, 2024

The Alien franchise has been going since 1979, but most of the movies that have considerable success come from either the creator, Ridley Scott, or legendary director, James Cameron. Otherwise, the franchise appears to be going stale for audiences with the most recent film, Alien: Covenant only managing to pull in $75 million at the box office in 2017 (via Box Office Mojo). Alien: Romulus has a new cast and new director, and takes the franchise in a new direction, which may be enough for viewers to reignite the sparks of intrigue, but unless the trailer is incredibly promising, it could struggle to make a dent at the 2024 box office.

2 Kraven The Hunter

August 30, 2024

Back to the SSU, Kraven the Hunter is finally being released in August 2024 after being hinted at and rumored for many years prior, with the first solid update coming way back in 2018 (via The Wrap). The movie will star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular Kraven, and will explore his mission to become the greatest hunter in the world. The movie has a lot of promise, but as with Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius, the SSU has yet to take off, which could spell disaster for the project.

The movie released a three-minute trailer in June 2023 before Kraven the Hunter's release date was pushed back by almost a year from October 2023 (via Collider). This delay alone could cost the film dearly in marketing expenses and trying to drum up excitement for the project again nearer the time of release. With so much money spent on marketing on top of production, the movie will have to exceed expectations and dominate the box office to be a success.

1 Venom 3

November 8, 2024

Finally, in November 2024, the SSU will conclude its most prolific year to date with the third and final entry in the Venom trilogy. Although Tom Hardy's character may continue to appear in other projects, the series is coming to an end. The first film in the series was released in 2018 and managed to earn an impressive $856 million against its $116 million budget.

Despite the success, the budget decreased slightly to $110 million for the sequel, Venom: let There Be Carnage, and while the movie managed to match domestic box office earnings for the original, it took about 40 percent less globally (via The Numbers). This significant trend downwards doesn't spark confidence for Venom 3. However, being the final entry for the series and following up two other Sony Spider-Man Universe films, the film may see box office success if everything aligns.