5 Times Disney’s Sci-Fi Ambitions Crashed and Burned at the Box Office

These ambitious Disney sci-fi movies cost millions more than audiences gave back Disney has never shied away from high-stakes science fiction. By rendering Pixar’s digital landscapes and mapping Marvel’s cosmic universe, the studio has spent decades proving audiences will follow it into the unknown. But alongside those massive triumphs sit more than a few eye-wateringly expensive gambles that completely cratered at the box office. These aren’t just mild disappointments; they're tentpole releases backed by huge budgets, A-list talent, and groundbreaking VFX. Some were pitched as the next Pirates of the Caribbean, while others were original concepts meant to spawn new franchises. Yet even a headline-grabbing box office run can mask a total financial disaster once production and marketing costs enter the ledger. From dead-on-arrival franchise starters to high-concept animated flops, these are five of Disney’s biggest sci-fi box office catastrophes — and a brief look at how they went so spectacularly off the rails. Dedicated entirely to Buzz Lightyear, one of the most recognizable characters in the Toy Story franchise, 2022's Lightyear had perhaps the safest concept on this list. Despi