Gattaca And 4 Other Cult Sci-Fi Movies That Failed to Make It at the Box Office

Not all of the films that have gone on to be universally acclaimed were well-received at the time of their release. We decided to look back at five now iconic sci-fi films that failed to draw audiences to theaters at the time.

1. Blade Runner, 1982

Blade Runner is perhaps the most famous example of a cult sci-fi movie that flopped at the box office upon release. There are many reasons for this: first, Steven Spielberg's E.T. dominated the theaters at that time.

Second, the version of the movie that reached viewers was edited by the producers – with an annoying voiceover and without the famous ambivalent ending.

Critics panned the movie for its slow narrative and too much attention to special effects, which allegedly left no story behind. The Blade Runner we all love came much later: the Director's Cut was released in 1992 and the Final Cut in 2007.

2. The Thing, 1982

One of John Carpenter's best movies failed miserably at the box office. The press gave the movie a very cold reception, calling it yet another faceless horror flick.

But justice prevailed. When it was released on VHS, The Thing became an instant hit, with audiences embracing the dark, snowy landscapes and creepy animatronics, and video stores lining up around the shelves of Carpenter's work.

3. Brazil, 1985

The main problem with Brazil was its overconfident producers. During test screenings, studio bosses were unhappy with the film's dark ending and tried their best to persuade director Terry Gilliam to leave the simple and optimistic finale.

However, he was adamant: despite the fact that the film was released with a shortened ending, the director began organizing underground screenings of his version.

Although the film's failure was not only influenced by the production hell: the stylish and phantasmagoric dystopia Brazil seemed too complex and bizarre to the viewers.

4. Tron, 1982

Steven Lisberger's groundbreaking cyberpunk superhero film made twice its budget, but $33 million was not enough to meet the producers' expectations.

Tron made an invaluable contribution to the development of CGI, introduced computer graphics to the most unimaginable action scenes, and forever changed academics' idea of the modern blockbuster, but there was no sequel and the franchise was frozen for nearly 30 years.

5. Gattaca, 1997

Gattaca is a shining example of an extraordinary science fiction film that bypassed audiences only to find a second life on VHS and DVD.

The film's failure was expected: it is a leisurely, thoughtful movie that offers viewers philosophical reflections on discrimination and ugly capitalist values instead of rousing action scenes and crazy futuristic sets.